Swedish firm beats target

Swedish-based buyout firm EQT Partners has closed its first infrastructure fund, EQT Infrastructure, at €1.2bn.

The firm beat its initial target of €1bn. EQT Infrastructure will invest primarily in existing infrastructure in Northern and Eastern Europe but will also have the flexibility to invest globally. Investments will typically be between €100m and €1bn in transaction size and the fund holds an investment capacity above €5bn.

The fund is backed by international institutional investors including AP4, Skandia, Pantheon Ventures and Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company. EQT Infrastructure is the latest addition to the EQT fund family’s range of investment areas. The infrastructure team will be advised by EQT Partners and will be led by Lennart Blecher.

As EQT’s existing funds have focused predominantly on equity, opportunity and expansion capital, infrastructure is a new investment area for the firm. In a bid t set-up a strategic presence in the CEE region, EQT recently opened a Warsaw office.