Private equity firms EQT and Blackstone led a $450m funding round in Epidemic Sound, a music licensing company, in a $1.4bn deal. Alecta also invested in the target via a secondary acquisition of shares from the largest shareholders EQT, Creandum and co-founder Hjalmar Winbladh. The raise will fuel international expansion to reach new creators in both existing territories like North America, whilst also expanding and localizing its digital offering and investing in music for new markets across the world. “We’re thrilled to partner with EQT Growth and BXG to continue scaling how we use this data to grow our global network of creators and empower them all to thrive through new products, new music and new insights," Oscar Höglund, Epidemic Sound Co-Founder and CEO.