• ActivumSG and UK student accommodation operator, The Mansion Group Holdings, are establishing a platform to buy, modernise and aggregate existing PBSA
• The new platform has already acquired seven assets (972 beds) with a GAV in excess of £100m
• With a pipeline of c.£600m GAV in active diligence, the group expects to reach scale in a short time and capitalise on a highly fragmented market

UK, 2 September 2025: ActivumSG, one of Europe’s largest independent real estate investment managers, today announces the launch of a new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) platform targeting more than £500m GAV.

The platform is dedicated to repositioning existing PBSA stock in the UK. ActivumSG will capitalise on the sector’s structural growth drivers, with unmet student demand for high-quality accommodation set against challenges related to viability and planning which is limiting ground-up new development.

ActivumSG has partnered with The Mansion Group Holdings (TMGH), a long-established, vertically integrated business in the UK student accommodation sector, to help operate and scale the platform. With over 17 years’ operational experience in the sector, TMGH has acquired more than 11,000 beds with global capital partners including leading pension and private equity funds.

The platform is launching with a portfolio of seven assets comprising 972 beds, generating c.90% of its income from Russell Group universities located in Manchester, Edinburgh, Exeter, and Cardiff. These assets were secured through two separate transactions. The venture is in the process of acquiring numerous additional properties over the coming months, which - if completed - would significantly increase the size of the portfolio. All assets will be managed by TMGH’s award-winning operating brand, Mansion Student.

As a value-add strategy, the platform will acquire and upgrade standing assets to be in line with best-in-class building safety standards and sustainability regulations. Research from Knight Frank has shown that as much as 65% of existing PBSA stock in the UK was delivered pre-2012, which will need upgrading to meet modern consumer and investor expectations.

The assets are designed to appeal to both domestic and international students by offering competitive and affordable pricing, ensuring continued attractiveness in response to evolving policy developments. A more restrictive US student visa policy is increasing the UK’s attractiveness as a preferred alternative destination for international students. Student visa issuances in the UK rose 28% in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024.

ActivumSG will leverage its deep experience in European accommodation and operationally-focused real estate, having invested more than €1.8bn of equity in these sectors since inception. The senior team has also transacted on more than €11bn of operational living assets at major global investors like Greystar, Lone Star, and EQT Exeter.

The UK student accommodation sector was highlighted as being the most desired destination for investment in Europe in a recent Savills survey of investors with more than €720bn of collective real estate assets under management.

Saul Goldstein, Founder and CEO, ActivumSG, said: “The UK student accommodation sector is uniquely positioned to benefit from a positive realignment of people and capital flows into Europe, with this confluence making the market a highly appealing destination for international investment.

“This new platform will benefit from our deep, multi-layered expertise in the European accommodation sectors, including both living and hospitality-focused real estate.

“We believe now is an excellent time to be buying assets with strong fundamentals in good locations at attractive yields where we can unlock further potential by improving operational performance and making sustainability-related upgrades. Our initial acquisitions and plans to scale the platform further are proof of this conviction.

“We look forward to working with The Mansion Group Holdings on this exciting endeavour.”

James de Lusignan, Managing Director, UK, ActivumSG, said: “The UK student accommodation market has emerged as a preferred geographic-and-sector combination for institutional investors, with future growth underpinned by the undersupply of student beds relative to anticipated future demand.

“The large share of pre-2012 assets in use combined with challenges related to viability in developing new assets, creates a huge opportunity in terms of repositioning existing stock. This presents an attractive avenue through which experienced value-add investment managers like us can create a differentiated investment proposition. Our strategy will see us implement upgrades to standing assets to align them with modern-day building and sustainability standards, while providing attainably priced accommodation for students.”

Shankar Ramanathan, Founder and CEO, The Mansion Group Holdings, said: “ActivumSG’s proven track record in European living real estate across both corporate and direct investments will prove immensely beneficial as we look to scale the seed portfolio into a market-leading platform, acquiring, refurbishing/repositioning and aggregating well-located existing PBSA assets.

“Our partnership has been structured to incentivise genuine collaboration and create a true alignment of interests, which we believe will be vital to the long-term success of the platform.”