Following the successful establishment of a community of over 250 professionals specialising in strategy and mergers and acquisitions, Amsterdam-based startup Sweav is now launching the first private equity (PE) community in the Netherlands.
The network brings together emerging leaders in private equity to share knowledge and foster stronger collaboration.
Sweav’s PE community targets the next generation of PE partners and directors from medium-sized and large private equity firms in the Benelux region.
The goal is not only to bring them together for dealmaking, but also to facilitate knowledge and experience sharing, particularly around value creation.
The community provides valuable insights for operating partners, who focus on optimising companies and ensuring the successful execution of deals. An increasing number of PE firms are concentrating on these operational aspects, as structuring this role sustainably remains challenging.
Due to their internally focused roles, operating partners typically have fewer opportunities to connect with their counterparts at other PE firms, limiting knowledge sharing.
Sweav’s platform aims to break down these barriers and make this exchange easier.
Firms such as Parcom, Egeria, Torqx, and Mentha have already joined the community, underscoring the strong demand for an exclusive platform.
"In the past two years, we’ve built a thriving community of top strategy and M&A freelancers in the Netherlands, now consisting of over 250 professionals, and this number is rapidly growing. Through our app, we connect these freelancers with ambitious corporates, PE, and mid-market companies," says Joeri Schouten, co-founder and CEO of Sweav.
"Given our close collaboration with many private equity firms, we recognised the need for a space where the top players in Dutch PE can meet in an informal setting, without being bombarded by traditional advisors or lawyers.
Launching this private equity community felt like a natural next step for Sweav as a connector.
Our ultimate goal is to build dynamic, exclusive communities of high-profile clients, PE firms, and freelancers, and link them together through Sweav. We’re more than just a dull, transactional platform."
Gijs van Reen, Operating Managing Director at Parcom, adds:
“There are very few places where private equity directors and partners can meet in a relaxed atmosphere and really learn from each other. I’m glad Sweav has filled this gap.”
Sweav will host knowledge-sharing sessions throughout the year for operational teams.
In the first half of 2025, Sweav will launch a community space within the Sweav app. This space will be invite-only, to ensure exclusivity. The app currently connects the strategy and M&A freelancers and potential clients.
Lead image: Sweav co-founders Thijmen Kaster and Joeri Schouten. Photo: uncredited.
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