Private markets specialist EQT partners with sailing team in brand awareness push

EQT has unveiled a sponsorship deal with the British SailGP team a month after launching its new brand platform, as it seeks to build awareness beyond its traditional institutional audiences.

The partnership, lasting through to 2030, will see the private markets specialist gaining prominent branding on the Emirates GBR racing boat, as well as hospitality opportunities.

The partnership aims to draw a link between EQT’s investment philosophy and the high-tech, performance-driven world of SailGP, summarised in the tagline “when others scan the horizon, you’ll find us beyond it.”

Last month, EQT launched its new brand platform “Better Never Ends” alongside a similar partnership with the ATP, a worldwide tennis tour.

The move shows how brand is emerging as a key battleground for private markets firms. Private markets have long-standing roots in institutional audiences, but broader awareness and trust is increasingly a prerequisite to win wealth clients, seen as the next big growth area.

Sports sponsorship offers both name exposure and hospitality opportunities. Other partnerships have included Carlyle sponsoring a Formula 1 team, while Apollo Global Management has sponsored a golfer in the PGA Tour.

Peter Beske Nielsen, Head of Global Wealth Solutions at EQT said that building brand awareness of the firm was a “strategic priority.”

“We believe that an ever-larger share of value creation in the global economy is happening in private markets, and individual investors want access to that opportunity,” he said.

Steve Nutbeam, CMO at EQT said: “At EQT, we believe that better never ends. It’s a mindset that shapes how we invest, how we build businesses, and how we continue to evolve as a firm. Emirates GBR shares that same mindset, making this a natural partnership as we continue to build the EQT brand and deepen our connection with audiences around the world.”