Ironbark and EQT partner to launch private markets fund

EQT has partnered with Ironbark Investment Solutions to launch an evergreen private markets infrastructure fund, expected to be available in July.

The launch of the Ironbark EQT Nexus Infrastructure Fund builds on the initial expansion to Australia by the Swedish investment manager of its EQT Nexus Infrastructure suite last year, which provides local investors access to the Value-Add Infrastructure, Active Core Infrastructure, and Transition Infrastructure strategies.

The upcoming product will provide eligible Australian and New Zealand investors with access to global deal flow and value-creation opportunities that were primarily available to institutional investors only in a closed-ended structure.

The fund will also leverage EQT's active ownership approach by using its infrastructure platform to invest in early-stage growth and mature assets in essential services, spanning the digital, energy, environmental, transport, logistics and social sectors, it said.

Commenting, Ironbark Investment Solutions chief executive Alex Donald said the partnership is enhancing accessibility of strategies that were traditionally challenging.

"We are delighted to partner with EQT to provide Australian and New Zealand investors with institutional-grade access to one of the world's leading infrastructure platforms and meet the growing demand for diversified, resilient private markets exposure," Donald said.

"The fund will offer eligible investors exposure to an evergreen, pure-play private infrastructure strategy and will look to address some of the traditional challenges investors face when accessing private markets.

"We look forward to working closely with EQT and the EQT Nexus Infrastructure team to bring these opportunities to investors."

Meanwhile, EQT head of Asia Pacific global wealth solutions Sueann Yeo noted there is a structural tailwind for infrastructure across various sectors.

"Infrastructure underpins some of the essential services that communities depend on - digital connectivity, energy and transport - and as an asset class it has historically offered investors the potential for long-term capital appreciation, resilience through market cycles, and some inflation hedge characteristics," Yeo said.

"The launch of EQT Nexus Infrastructure with Ironbark marks an important milestone for EQT in Australia, providing eligible investors with access to similar global infrastructure exposure that our institutional clients have accessed for decades."

This announcement marks the first distribution partnership for Ironbark Investment Solutions since rebranding as part of the broader Ironbark Financial Group in March 2026, and its partnership to offer global quantitative equity capabilities in October 2025.