BGO Strategic Capital Partners backs Orka Investments to build £100m+ UK purpose-built student accommodation platform
London (March 19, 2025) – BGO Strategic Capital Partners (“BGO SCP”) has successfully recapitalised a portfolio of two purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) assets in the UK, in partnership with Orka Investments (“Orka”). The transaction strengthens BGO SCP’s exposure to the UK student housing sector, a high-growth market driven by record international student demand and persistent supply constraints. This marks the foundation of a new UK PBSA platform, with the ambition to build a £100m+ portfolio in the sector. These two assets will serve as the seed investments for this expanding platform.
The assets comprises two modern, fully-amenitised student accommodation properties located in Manchester and Derby: university cities with strong market dynamics. The assets, which comprise 568 beds, are well-positioned to benefit from sustained rental growth and operational enhancements. The investment aligns with BGO SCP’s strategy of acquiring high-quality living sector assets alongside experienced partners, targeting attractive long-term value creation.
“The UK student housing sector remains one of the most compelling living strategies in Europe, supported by strong fundamentals and deep institutional demand. We are pleased to partner with Orka Investments on this transaction, which reinforces our focus on high-quality, purpose-built student accommodation assets in attractive university markets,” said Cherine Aboulzelof, Managing Director and Head of BGO Strategic Capital Partners.
“We are excited to expand our partnership with BGO Strategic Capital Partners on this GP-led recapitalisation. Both assets present strong growth potential, and we look forward to building a successful partnership,” said Raoul Malhotra, Managing Partner at Orka Investments.
About BGO and BGO Strategic Capital Partners
BGO is a leading, global real estate investment management advisor and a globally-recognized provider of real estate services. BGO serves the interests of more than 750 institutional clients with approximately $83 billion USD of assets under management (as of December 31, 2024) and expertise in the asset management of office, industrial, multi-residential, retail and hospitality property across the globe. BGO has offices in 27 cities across thirteen countries with deep, local knowledge, experience, and extensive networks in the regions where we invest in and manage real estate assets on behalf of our clients in primary, secondary and co-investment markets. BGO is a part of SLC Management, the institutional alternatives and traditional asset management business of Sun Life.
BGO Strategic Capital Partners, wholly-owned by BGO and distinctly operated, is the direct real estate secondaries, structured secondaries and co-investments business line focused on addressing the needs of capital-constrained sponsors, stressed capital structures, and funding gaps in the global marketplace. With 3 offices globally, over 20 years of investment experience, and approximately $6B in committed capital to date, BGO Strategic Capital Partners invests with leading small and mid-cap managers on both single asset acquisitions and larger programmatic transactions for managers seeking to enhance their investment strategies.
The assets under management shown above includes real estate equity and mortgage investments managed by the BGO group of companies and their affiliates, and as of 1Q21, includes certain uncalled capital commitments for discretionary capital until they are legally expired and excludes certain uncalled capital commitments where the investor has complete discretion over investment.
For more information, please visit www.bgo.com/scp
About Orka Investments
Orka is a technology-driven alternative investment and advisory firm that sources and manages investments in real estate and asset backed businesses on behalf of, and in partnership with, some of the world’s largest institutions. Orka has a particular focus on manage-to-core strategies in gateway cities across Europe. Orka’s purpose-driven club model gives a wider range of investors direct access to institutional-quality opportunities.
For more information, please visit https://orka.club
Media Contact
Rahim Ladha
Global Head of Communications
media@bgo.com
