Further growth for Kadans Science Partner through acquisition by AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets

Kadans Science Partner has found support for further international growth in AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets (“AXA IM – Real Assets”), a global leader in real asset investments and the leading real estate portfolio and asset manager in Europe. On behalf of clients, AXA IM – Real Assets acquires Kadans business from funds advised by Oaktree Capital Management L.P., providing the chance for Kadans to accelerate its growth across Europe.

The acquisition provides Kadans the unique opportunity to strengthen its position as leader in the European life science and lab offices sector. Companies in the sector are not just demanding additional space to accommodate their growth but are fundamentally considering how they organise themselves and recognising the value of being part of a relevant ecosystem. Kadans is unique in its focus and scale within the European Life Sciences sector with research locations in the Netherlands, UK and Germany, and seeks to increase its portfolio throughout Europe.

A key element of Kadans’ success has been the creation of innovation ecosystems not just within the individual building and campuses it operates but across its whole network of tenants and relationships across Europe. By promoting networking, connectivity and events management for tenants, public bodies and academic institutions, Kadans is able to help enhance information flow and knowledge sharing.

John O’Driscoll, Head of European Transactions at AXA IM – Real Assets, commented: “This is a significant transaction for AXA IM – Real Assets as it allows us to enter a high conviction sector at scale.  Kadans is a clear market leader in the life science and lab offices sector and the acquisition provides us with a unique opportunity to access a fully integrated platform comprising an existing operational portfolio and an extensive development pipeline together with a management team with unrivalled operational expertise.  In what is an emerging but fast growing sector in Europe, our aim is to work with Michel Leemhuis and his team to accelerate the expansion of the Kadans platform across Europe. We believe that their operational expertise and contacts together with the network the AXA IM – Real Assets brand affords presents a powerful combination that will allow us to further cement Kadans’ leadership position in the European life science sector.

Michel Leemhuis, Chief Executive at Kadans Science Partner: “For many years Kadans has accommodated knowledge-intensive enterprises throughout Europe, based upon our strong belief that the expansion of knowledge is an important driver of economic growth in Europe. The ecosystems we develop therefore aim to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing. We are grateful to Oaktree for the support over the past three years and are very happy to expand our mission alongside AXA IM – Real Assets, whose extensive network and local presence in most European countries gives us the opportunity to strengthen our leading position in the European market for life science and lab offices. We are delighted with this partnership and look forward to a successful journey together.”

AXA IM – Real Assets, as a long term investor with significant financial resources and an extensive European network, will work with the existing management team, who will stay with the business and retain a minority stake, to accelerate the growth of Kadans across Europe.

The acquisition is conditional upon German merger commission approval.