Starz Real Estate (Starz) has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Qualitas Limited (ASX: QAL) (Qualitas), an ASX-listed Australian alternative real estate investment manager, marking Qualitas’ entry into the European real estate private credit market.
Starz will become the European real estate private credit platform of Qualitas and brings an established team with fully integrated in-house capabilities across origination, asset management and finance functions. Supported by global institutional capital complementary to Qualitas’ existing investor base, the platform is well positioned to originate and deploy capital across multiple European jurisdictions.
The transaction expands Qualitas’ international footprint and establishes a platform for the growth of its European real estate private credit business.
Limor Shilo, Head of Loan Origination, Starz said:
“We are excited to be joining the Qualitas team. An institution of this calibre will enhance our access to a prominent LP universe, allowing us to focus on the growth of the European platform.”
Andrew Schwartz, Group Managing Director and Co-Founder, Qualitas said:
“The UK and European commercial real estate lending market is more than five times the size of Australia, providing a significant opportunity to expand our private credit platform in a large and highly developed market. We are excited by the scale of the opportunity and believe the combination of an experienced local team, synergistic institutional relationships and Qualitas’ proven investment approach positions us well to capitalise on growing demand for private credit as traditional financiers’ participation continues to decline.”
Berkshire Global Advisors acted as exclusive financial advisor to Starz and Willkie Farr & Gallagher acted as legal advisor.
About Qualitas
Qualitas is an ASX-listed Australian alternative real estate investment manager with approximately $10.9 billion of committed funds under management.
Qualitas matches global capital with access to attractive risk-adjusted investments in real estate private credit and real estate private equity through a range of investment solutions for institutional, wholesale and retail clients. Qualitas offers flexible capital solutions for its partners, creating long-term value for shareholders, and the communities in which it operates.
For 18 years, Qualitas has been investing through market cycles to finance assets, now with a combined value of over $40 billion across all real estate sectors. Qualitas focuses on real estate private credit, opportunistic real estate private equity, income producing commercial real estate and build-to-rent residential. The broad platform, complementary debt and equity investing skillset, deep industry knowledge, long-term partnerships, and diverse and inclusive team provides a unique offering in the market to accelerate business growth and drive performance for shareholders.
About Starz
Launched in July 2018, Starz is a commercial real estate lender focused on middle-market loans throughout Europe. With a balance sheet built for the long haul, Starz is a flexible and reliable source of capital for real estate investors. Starz provides collaborative lending solutions coupled with streamlined underwriting processes that ensures seamless service.