EQT Considers $6 Billion Sale of Linux Pioneer SUSE
EQT Considers $6 Billion Sale of Linux Pioneer SUSE
https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/exclusive-eqt-eyes-potential-6-billion-sale-linux-pioneer/
Publish Date: 2026-03-09 19:07:00
Source Domain: www.globalbankingandfinance.com
EQT Mulls $6 Billion Sale of Enterprise Linux Innovator SUSE – Sources
Private Equity Firm EQT Considers Strategic Sale of SUSE
By Milana Vinn and Amy-Jo Crowley
Early-Stage Deliberations and Valuation
NEW YORK/LONDON, March 9 (Reuters) – Private equity firm EQT AB is exploring a sale of open-source software company SUSE in a deal that could value it up to $6 billion (5.1 billion euros), according to two people familiar with the matter.
EQT has hired investment bank Arma Partners to sound out a group of private equity investors for a possible sale of the company, said the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters. The deliberations are at an early stage and there is no certainty that EQT will proceed with a transaction, the sources said.
EQT declined to comment. Arma Partners and SUSE did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Background: EQT’s Ownership and SUSE’s Valuation Growth
EQT, already a majority owner of SUSE and based in Sweden, took the company private in 2023, valuing it at 2.72 billion euros ($2.96 billion). A sale at around $6 billion would roughly double that valuation in about two and a half years.
Market Context and Investor Sentiment
Software Sector Selloff and AI Impact
The potential deal comes amid a broader selloff in software stocks, which has disrupted mergers and acquisitions activity. Investors are concerned that new artificial intelligence tools could displace many existing software products, weighing on technology valuations and making deals harder to price.
Opportunities for SUSE Amid AI Adoption
Some investors, however, see Luxembourg-headquartered SUSE as a potential beneficiary of AI adoption, arguing that demand for enterprise-grade infrastructure software is likely to grow as companies build and deploy more AI applications.
