Espiria launches a new fund: Veteran manager brings a fresh take on Swedish Small Cap equities
Espiria, a part of East Capital Group, announces the launch of Espiria Sweden Small Cap - an actively managed equity strategy that brings a distinctive approach to investing in Swedish small-cap companies. Designed to break away from the crowd, the fund focuses on identifying structural change, market mispricing and untapped potential - rather than clustering around the usual suspects.
In contrast to many small cap fund peers that gradually drift toward larger, more liquid holdings, Espiria Sweden Small Cap is different by design. The fund will be a dynamic, stock-picking-driven strategy focused on less crowded names - companies that are often overlooked but rich in potential. It will be actively managed with a concentrated and agile approach, typically holding 30–45 companies, each selected for its ability to contribute to long-term returns in a fast-changing environment.
“The small-cap space in Sweden is full of opportunity, but it’s become too crowded around the same names,” said Staffan Östlin, Lead Portfolio Manager. “With this fund, we aim to go where others aren’t looking - to uncover companies undergoing transformation, restructuring or early-stage value creation. That’s where real long-term alpha is generated.”
With over 30 years of experience in Swedish equities, Staffan Östlin brings deep market insight and a disciplined, high-conviction mindset to the fund. He is part of Espiria’s seasoned investment team, led by Peter van Berlekom, Chief Investment Officer and one of the Nordic region’s most respected portfolio managers. Together with the wider Espiria team, they combine decades of experience, cross-sector expertise and Espiria’s global investment framework to create a strategy that is agile, focused and research-driven.
The launch of Espiria Sweden Small Cap comes at a time of strong and accelerating momentum for Espiria. This spring the firm’s Nordic Corporate Bond fund surpassed SEK 5 billion in AUM, driven by both performance and significant client inflows. Building on this success, the new small cap strategy is a natural next step in expanding Espiria’s actively managed offering.
“We’ve seen strong client interest ahead of this launch - especially from investors who want true small cap exposure without compromise,” said Nikodemus Dahlgren, Head of Sales at East Capital Group. “The success of our credit strategies has clearly demonstrated the demand for active, conviction-based investing. With Sweden Small Cap, we’re bringing that same philosophy to Swedish equities.”
Espiria Sweden Small Cap is now available for investment.
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