Global 3rd Largest Private Equity Fund Enters Korean Market

[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] EQT Partners (hereinafter EQT) announced on the 21st that it has opened a Seoul office to strengthen its presence in the Korean market as part of its global expansion strategy. EQT is the third largest private equity firm in the world.

Over the past 30 years, EQT has actively invested across various sectors and regions worldwide. It focuses solely on an active ownership strategy. According to its thematic investment strategy, it supports approximately 200 portfolio companies globally. Over the past five years, the number of employees in EQT’s entire portfolio companies has grown by 7% annually on average, revenue by 17%, and EBITDA by 18%.

EQT has offices in 24 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas, employing about 1,800 people. Through a global investor base including over 1,000 clients, it manages 49 active funds with total assets under management (AUM) of 113 billion euros. In the Asia-Pacific region, about 350 employees work across 8 offices. Over the past 25 years, EQT funds have invested in more than 150 companies in the Asia-Pacific region, with investments exceeding 24 billion euros.

Currently, EQT is focusing on three business divisions in the Korean market: 'EQT Value-Add Infrastructure (Infrastructure)', 'BPEA EQT (Private Equity)', and 'EQT Exeter (Real Estate)'. BPEA has been active in Asia since 1997 and made its first investment in Korea in 1999. BPEA EQT was formed in October 2022 by merging BPEA with EQT’s existing Asia PE team. BPEA’s real estate team was also integrated with EQT’s real estate division, EQT Exeter.

The Seoul office is composed of a team of more than 20 investment professionals. EQT plans to actively seek new investment opportunities in the Korean market by combining the know-how gained from global sector teams and the capabilities of ESG and digital transformation experts within its headquarters.