Key facts
- EQT, a European private equity firm, has partnered with Sir Ben Ainslie's SailGP team, Emirates GBR.
- The partnership is set to last until the end of the decade.
- EQT's branding will be visible on the team's F50 boats starting this weekend.
- The deal aims to increase EQT's brand awareness and provide investors access to private markets.
- Emirates GBR's existing partners include Emirates airline, JP Morgan, Howden, and Jumeirah.
European private equity giant EQT is set to announce a partnership with Sir Ben Ainslie’s SailGP team, Emirates GBR. The deal, which will see EQT become the team's private markets partner until the end of the decade, will feature EQT's branding on the F50 boats starting this Saturday at the team's home event in Portsmouth.
Peter Beske Nielsen, head of global wealth solutions at EQT, highlighted the strategic importance of building brand awareness and providing individual investors with access to opportunities in private markets, where EQT believes a significant share of global value creation is occurring. He also noted SailGP's global platform reaching key markets.
This partnership represents a significant commercial development for SailGP, which has attracted investment and sponsorship from various major firms and individuals, including Kylian Mbappe, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Ares, and MSP Sports Capital. Emirates GBR also maintains existing partnerships with Emirates airline, JP Morgan, Howden, and Jumeirah.
Sir Ben Ainslie, chief executive and team principal of Emirates GBR, expressed anticipation for the collaboration, aiming to create value both on and off the water. The Australian team, Bonds Flying Roos, currently leads the SailGP standings, followed by Los Gallos and Emirates GBR. The upcoming event in Portsmouth marks the beginning of the European leg of the season.