Two long-standing real estate finance professionals have joined forces to launch a new independent debt advisory boutique known as Art Capital.
Tim Vaughan and Stuart Blieschke have over 40 years’ industry experience between them, acting as both advisers and investors.
Vaughan was most recently a managing director at Brotherton Real Estate, where he advised on over £2 bn of debt transactions. Before this, he worked in syndication at German lenders pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank and Deutsche Postbank, and in lending at UK institutions RBS and Barclays.
Blieschke has over two decades of experience as a private credit and special situations investor across the UK and Asia. Prior to moving to London, he held senior positions within KKR and alternative investment manager Pacific Alliance Group (PAG) in Hong Kong and Sydney, helping to establish their private credit platforms, and on the distressed debt desks of Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse in Hong Kong.
Working out of an office on London’s Carnaby Street, Art Capital will be active across all asset classes, and target opportunities in the UK as well as mainland Europe, with ambitions to expand into the Asia-Pacific region at a later stage. The firm will focus on loan sizes between £20 mln and £300 mln.
Art Capital will look to leverage the networks of its minority shareholders, ACRE Capital, RX London and Hong King-based investor TTB Partners, to support the business.
Vaughan said Art Capital ‘provides lenders and borrowers alike with a market-proven leadership team that is committed to excellent client service.
‘Our founder-led approach, backed by decades of experience, will provide a guiding hand in navigating a complex financing environment as we enter the next phase of the interest rate cycle.’
Blieschke added: ‘Operating initially from London, we have ambitions to build a truly global, best-in-class credit advisory business, leveraging the networks not only of the founding partners but of our investors too to help connect global capital with real estate opportunities across the UK and Europe.’
A third partner is due to join the business at a later stage.
