An equity co-investment is a minority investment in a company made by investors alongside a private equity fund manager or venture capital (VC) firm. Equity co-investment enables other investors to participate in potentially highly profitable investments without paying the usual high fees charged by a private equity fund.

Direct equity co-investment refers to a collaborative investment structure in which a private equity firm and external investors collectively invest in a private company. Co-investments present an opportunity to access attractive deals and benefit from the expertise and deal-sourcing capabilities of private equity firms.

Broadly, a co-investment is an investment in a specific transaction made by limited partners (LPs) of a main private equity (PE) fund alongside, but not through, such main PE fund. This is often accomplished through a separately structured co-investment vehicle which is governed by a separate set of agreements.