EQT Group’s Jacob Van der Wiel on mega-trends and opportunities in private equity across APAC

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INTERVIEWSERIES

Jacob Van der Wiel, Managing Director, EQT Group

October 2026

 

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In this exclusive interview, Jacob discusses what defines a great APAC private equity player and how LPs can differentiate between true local alpha and market beta when selecting managers. He explains EQT’s approach to sourcing and securing proprietary deals across the APAC region. Jacob also shares his perspectives on the mega-trends offering the most compelling risk-adjusted opportunities and the structural themes long-term asset allocators should prioritise over the next decade; Australia’s strategic role in an APAC portfolio; and advice to family offices scaling co-investment capabilities.

Watch the full interview where we ask Jacob:

  • What defines a great APAC private equity player, and how should LPs differentiate between true local alpha and market beta during manager selection?

  • How does EQT balance its global infrastructure with a nimble, localised approach to source and win proprietary deals across APAC?

  • As the APAC market continues to mature, what structural themes should long-term allocators prioritise for the next decade?

  • What is Australia’s strategic role in an APAC portfolio, and what mega-trends offer the most compelling risk-adjusted opportunities now?

  • What advice would you give to family offices scaling co-investment capabilities to optimise deal execution and avoid adverse selection?

Jacob Van der Wiel, Managing Director, EQT Group
Jacob is a Managing Director at EQT Group in the firm’s Private Capital Asia business. Jacob leads EQT’s software coverage across APAC and is responsible for originating and executing mid-market technology and tech-enabled services investments.

Jacob is based in Sydney, Australia and works with the firm’s investments in PropertyMe, Compass Education, Quantios, and PageUp. Prior to joining EQT, Jacob worked for a technology-focused private equity sponsor in the U.S. He obtained Bachelor of Arts degrees in Accounting and Chinese Language from The University of Texas at Austin.

 
 
 
 
 

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