Global asset manager AEW has further expanded its German investment management platform with the acquisition of Hypoport Invest from its owner Hypoport.
Financial details were not disclosed.
AEW said that the deal added a German regulated management capability (AIFM) to its pan-European investment and asset management platform.
'Germany is one of Europe’s most important real estate markets and, as with the wider platform in Europe, a key element to ensuring we can continue to grow operations is to be able to offer our clients a full range of services,' said Rob Wilkinson, CEO of AEW.
'The acquisition of this business takes us from being a pure asset manager to a fully regulated alternative investment fund manager, building on the momentum already achieved by Stephan Boenning and our team in Germany.'
AEW has transferred its existing team and business to the new subsidiary, which has been rebranded AEW Invest.
Since 2014 AEW has established a number of funds in Germany including Europe Value Investors and City Retail and has raised more than €1.5 bn of equity from over 40 German investors in that time. As well as these funds, AEW currently manages a number of separate account mandates on behalf of German institutions.
'This acquisition allows us to combine our teams’ in-depth knowledge of the real estate market with the regulatory expertise of a fund management entity,' said Stephan Boenning, AEW’s head of Germany.
'This new fully integrated approach gives us a much more efficient and shorter time frame for bringing specialised products to market, as well as for fund and transaction management, whether through segregated accounts, club deals or regulated evergreen funds that match the specific requirements of our clients.'
Möhrle Happ Luther advised AEW on the transaction and the associated restructuring in cooperation with CMS Francis Lefebvre Avocats (France), Fidal (France), Ernst and Young Société d'Avocats (France) and King & Spalding (Germany).
