Equity International Inc

Investor type

PE / VC

Founded

2003

AUM

$2 000 M

Location

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Investment Ticket

$10-50 m

Investment Stage

Series A Seed Series B Late Stage (Series C+)

Region of investment

Asia Africa Middle East Europe South America North America Australia and others
Investor profile last updated: 16 August, 2026

Profile

Equity International Inc, founded by Sam Zell in 1999, is a private equity firm based in Chicago, Illinois. The firm focuses on investing outside of the United States, leveraging its extensive network and experience to build institutional businesses alongside strong operating partners. Equity International is known for its emphasis on strong governance, compliance, and operating standards, which enhances its portfolio companies' access to capital.

The firm targets markets with favorable demographic fundamentals for medium and long-term growth, focusing on sectors such as real estate and hospitality. Equity International has made 31 investments across six continents and manages six funds along with eight additional investment vehicles. The firm collaborates closely with management teams and shareholders to build processes and practices that create value.

Notable investments include Decameron - a hospitality company, SAMHI - a hotel management company, and Terranum Corporate Properties - a real estate firm. These companies benefit from Equity International's active partnership and the strategic guidance provided by the Zell network.

Industry

Consumer Services (B2C) Financial Services Fintech Healthcare Services Travel TravelTech Other Real Estate Industrial Retail Logistics

Equity International Inc Funds

Name Type
Questionare
Industry
Questionare
Stage
Questionare
Region
Size AUM Launch date
Zell Equity International Fund VI
Private Equity (PE)
Healthcare Services
Industrial
Real Estate
Retail
Logistics
Series B
North America
$5-10 m
$205 M
September 2016
Zell Equity International Fund V
Private Equity (PE)
Healthcare Services
Industrial
Real Estate
Retail
Logistics
Series B
Late Stage (Series C+)
North America
$5-10 m
$650 M
October 2011

Contacts

Name
Title
Email
avatar
Tom Heneghan CEO
CEO
t•••@•••
avatar
Dwight Nawls President
President
d•••@•••
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Investment-team contacts for Equity International Inc — including verified work emails and LinkedIn profiles — are available to Private Equity List subscribers.
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FAQs about Equity International Inc

Equity International Inc is a venture capital and private equity firm. It backs companies at Series A, Seed, Series B and Late Stage (Series C+), writing tickets of $10-50 m.
Equity International Inc is located in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Equity International Inc was founded in 2003.
Equity International Inc invests in companies and startups in Consumer Services (B2C), Financial Services, Fintech, Healthcare Services, Travel, TravelTech, Other, Real Estate, Industrial, Retail, Logistics.
Equity International Inc invests in companies and startups in Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe, South America, North America, Australia and others.
Equity International Inc invests in companies and startups at Series A, Seed, Series B, Late Stage (Series C+).
Equity International Inc usually invests $10-50 m on average.
Equity International Inc has around $2 000m assets under management.
Equity International Inc last fund was created/launched in 2016-09-16
Equity International Inc can be reached through its website equityinternational.com and its LinkedIn page. Its general enquiries address is [email protected]. Cold-mailing a general inbox rarely reaches a partner, so Private Equity List also lists the investment-team contacts for Equity International Inc — names, roles, verified work emails and LinkedIn profiles — available on a Pro plan from $129/month (see pricing). Contacts are sourced from the firm's website and LinkedIn and re-verified on a rolling cycle. Spot a stale contact, or none at all? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.
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Private Equity List re-verifies investor profiles on a rolling cycle, pulling from the firm's own website and LinkedIn rather than a one-off import. This profile was last updated on 16 August, 2026. Something out of date here? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.