Collegiate is seeking to raise up to £2bn of strategic investment to expand the its portfolio to new and existing territories across Europe. 

The announcement comes as the company sees demand for its student accommodation and sets growth targets for the next five to seven years. 

Collegiate has delivered more than 20,000 units since 2011 and currently manages more than 20 developments across the UK, Spain and Portugal, with schemes typically between €35m to €100m in gross development value.

In total, they currently manage assets to a value of nearly £2bn.

As part of Collegiate’s growth strategy the company is actively seeking acquisition opportunities of standing and cash generating assets. 

It says the size of the opportunity is highlighted in a report from Savills that suggests in 2018, approximately 50,000 Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) beds were traded in 2018, with a total value of £5.25 billion.

The announcement comes after research highlights what collegiate calls an an ‘unprecedented’ demand for student accommodation across Europe. 

Figures from UNESCO suggest there is an increasingly internationally mobile student base with as many as 5 million internationally mobile students worldwide, with the figure expected to grow to 7 million by 2020.  

Asia Pacific remains the top region from which international students originate, while Europe and North America are the most popular destinations – with more than 42% of internationally mobile students heading to Europe.                                                                            

Research highlights that students are attracted by high quality universities, the opportunity to learn a language and the prospect for post-study knowledge-based employment.  Quality accommodation is also an increasingly important factor for students when choosing a university.

Collegiate says it is well placed to operate internationally with a presence in the UK, Spain, Portugal and Italy and a pan-European team comprising; architects, planning consultants, lawyers and financiers as well as developers and asset managers.

Eri Cuanalo (pictured), Chief Executive Officer, Collegiate AC, said: “We’re experiencing an unprecedented demand for high quality student accommodation across Europe and are now actively seeking strategic investment partners to capitalise on this by extending our high performing portfolio.  We have opportunities for a wide range of investors from across the risk spectrum looking for exposure to the PBSA market.

“We’re well placed to maximise the opportunities presented as we already boast some of the finest student properties around the UK and Europe as well as an international team that is able to deliver on the ground.  We are excited by the potential to expand our portfolio to new locations and bring returns to our strategic partners.”