Pan European investor and asset manager M7 Real Estate has increased its investment in real estate securities exchange firm IPSX Group.

richard croft

Richard Croft

M7 had already made a preliminary investment in IPSX, a firm that is preparing to launch the world’s first regulated securities exchange for companies owning single commercial real estate assets.

Anthony Gahan, chairman of IPSX Group, commented: ‘M7 and its management team have been deeply supportive shareholders in IPSX from an early stage and we are delighted that it will continue to be a significant partner to the company alongside our other key institutional shareholders.’

‘Establishing an entirely new financial market is a major undertaking but is made easier by a sector embracing innovation and taking an active role in its delivery,’ Gahan added.

In addition, IPSX announced the appointment of Richard Croft (pictured), M7’s chief executive officer, as a non-executive director.

Croft has worked for more than 25 years in the UK and European real estate industry, and was co-founder of M7 in 2009.  Prior to that, he founded Halverton REIM.

‘I expect IPSX to be embraced by real estate owners as a default capital markets solution and by investors as a new proxy for direct investment. The creation of a new public market should further establish real estate as the fourth mainstream asset class,’ said Croft. 

 M7 has operations in 13 countries and more than €6 bn in assets under management (AUM).