The private equity industry in the Nordics is on the rebound and poised for expansion in 2025. Exits are picking up, a once-stagnant fundraising environment is loosening, and pipelines for deals are expanding. This optimism was on display at last month’s Private Equity Insights Nordics, the region’s largest gathering of GPs and LPs, drawing industry leaders and some of the most renowned speakers in the market. 

Teamtive, a consultancy driving rapid portfolio value creation for the region’s PE and investment communities, was in Stockholm for the event speaking on panels and co-hosting a networking dinner with Maestro to capture the perspectives and attitudes around the state of PE. Here are some of the takeaways and learnings from the conference and dinner attended by several of the top PE professionals in the region:

Sustainability Remains a Dominant Focus

The Nordic PE sector’s focus on sustainability and leadership in ESG remains significant. Driven in part by regulations and compliance requirements, PE funds continue to emphasize sustainability, with large funds having created dedicated roles and/or entire teams. Deal and operating partners are keenly aware that investors are becoming more discerning and scrutinizing. Whereas once a sponsor might have been able to skirt along simply by publishing an ESG report as a check-the-box exercise, investors now expect to see real substance and evidence of a rigorous focus on sustainability and diversity, particularly at the Board level. 

A Renewed Openness to Technology

While Nordic sponsors have been slow to embrace technology, generally, this year’s conference revealed a newfound appetite for technology investment. Interest is even prevalent among senior members, who are usually reluctant to change the way things have been done. With greater frequency, and driven partly by the emergence of ChatGPT, Nordic investment and operating teams are examining how technology solutions can automate and streamline due diligence, portfolio management, and other PE lifecycle processes while at the same time doing away with expensive strategic consultancies and freelancers. Sponsors seem finally prepared to consider alternatives to Excel spreadsheets and generic project management tools and consider adopting industry-specific solutions that can analyze financial data, track and measure the impact of value creation initiatives, and replace much of the administrative, non-substantive work. 

Value Creation Lessons Learned

Finally, with investments across all asset classes set to continue to increase following two strong quarters, and with the volume of transactions and exits rising, it appears the worst may be over for the Nordic PE industry. However, GPs learned valuable lessons during the more challenging times about the importance of driving value creation and benchmarking operational capability. The pressure to showcase impact and demonstrate a dedicated and structured approach to accelerating growth through value creation will continue and become even more pronounced as the competition for deals returns. 

Maestro and Teamtive have joined forces to provide private equity sponsors and PE-backed companies in the Nordics with a formalized and operationalized approach to planning, tracking, and measuring the impact of value creation initiatives.

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