Ten years on from starting The Fizz brand, a Germany-based student accommodation and micro living specialist has ideas to take beds under management from 5,800 to 25,000.
International Campus Group (IC Group), which is based in Berlin, says the objective to increase the bed-count so dramatically is by 2025.
It has already invested €400 mln into the sector this year alone. Currently, the company has a total of over 5,800 apartments in operation or under construction in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Rainer Nonnengässer, executive chairman, said ‘When we started developing modern student apartments under the brand name “THE FIZZ” ten years ago, interest from institutional investors in Germany was nearly zero. Today, Student Housing is an important component of the portfolio strategy for many investors.’
‘It was also the starting point for many innovative products in the Micro Living segment, which have now established themselves as professional asset classes. We will strategically add new Micro Living concepts to the International Campus platform in the near future, clearly focus our investments geographically, and build our own value-add portfolio.’
As part of its product expansion, IC Group will launch the Micro Living product "HVNS" (pronounced "havens" for harbor).
The concept taps into to professionals seeking ‘uncomplicated, turnkey living’ in key urban centres. The first "HVNS" will open later this year in Hamburg with 214 micro apartments set to be occupied in October.
