UK real estate adviser Bidwells is launching an investment management platform overseeing £1.2bn (€1.4bn) of assets and 19.7m sqft of space.
Bidwells said the newly launched Bidwells Investment Management (BIM) platform has been set up to offer “a more hands-on investment advisory service” for clients who want “clear accountability”. It is designed around bespoke mandates and joint venture partnerships, leaning on the specialist sector and geographic strengths of the broader Bidwells business, the firm added.
Bidwells has managed investment assets on behalf of endowment capital, primarily University of Cambridge colleges, for more than 100 years. BIM is the vehicle through which this investment expertise is now being offered to a broader client base, including private wealth and family offices, UK and international investors, institutions seeking specialist UK exposure and long-term landowners looking to professionalise asset and portfolio management.
BIM’s first transaction as a distinct entity was supporting Trinity College Cambridge on the acquisition of 2-8 Eastcheap, a 62,000sqft mixed-use asset in the heart of the City of London, acquired in a joint venture with Greycoat.
Working closely with Trinity, BIM advised on investment strategy and supported the structuring and delivery of the deal, including the formation of the joint venture.
BIM also advised on the sale of Trinity College Cambridge’s lease of the O2 Centre in London. Bidwells acquired the asset for Trinity in 2009 and executed a lease restructuring strategy to reposition it as a long-income investment. The team was appointed to advise on structural options and support the strategic review ahead of disposal in August 2025.
Robert Leadbetter, partner at Bidwells and partner, head of investment management at BIM, said: “BIM has been launched in response to a clear shift in how real estate investment needs to be managed. The way people use real estate is evolving – fast.
“Understanding this change is essential to delivering return outperformance. Real estate investors today are participating in a fragmented market where traditional uses of property are being disrupted, and where the importance of previously “alternative” real estate sectors continues to grow.
“We believe professional investors seeking sector-specialist advice are underserved in this market. BIM was founded to address the gap, providing expert, tailored and regulated investment advice to professional clients.
“Bidwells has managed endowment capital for almost two centuries, and BIM allows us to bring that experience, investment management discipline and the ability to deliver across assets and portfolios to a much wider range of clients.
He added that BIM has been designed for clients who need active, accountable management but are underserved by both traditional advisory models and larger standardised platforms.
“It supports clients from initial strategy and governance through to execution and performance oversight,” the adviser added.
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