Solving complex situations in middle-market real estate.
Investing in the seen and visible.
Built for performance, not scale.
OVERVIEW
Sekala Capital is an opportunistic real estate investment platform targeting the middle market (£/€10-100m) across the UK and Europe.
In a market dominated by scale-driven aggregators, complex middle-market situations are overlooked by institutional funds and often mispriced.
We invest through two strategies: (i) Opportunistic Real Estate; and (ii) Capital Solutions. Our mandate is to remain flexible across the capital structure, and nimble across sectors, to capture the best relative value at any point in the cycle.
TRANSACTION SIZE
£/€10-100m
GEOGRAPHY
UK & Europe
SECTORS
Agnostic
CAPITAL STRUCTURE
Debt & equity
Two complementary strategies.
APPROACH
Our belief is that attractive opportunities exist at every point in the cycle. Sometimes that is as an owner, sometimes as a lender. Our two strategies allow us to act on whichever offers the best relative value.
Opportunistic Real Estate
Direct real estate investment where complexity, capital dislocation or an asset-specific situation creates a compelling entry point. We deploy a hands-on, active approach to value creation.
TRANSACTION SIZE
£/€20-100m
TARGET RETURN
15%+ IRR
DURATION
3-7 years
Direct equity · Joint ventures · Co-GP · Platforms & OpCo
STRUCTURES
Capital Solutions
Flexible, pragmatic financing across the capital structure for asset owners overlooked by traditional lenders. We lend with an owner's approach, underpinned by deep, rigorous underwriting, and deliver with speed and certainty.
TRANSACTION SIZE
£/€10-100m
LTV
Up to 90%
DURATION
1-5 years
Whole loans · Senior secured · Mezzanine & HoldCo · Preferred equity · Hybrid capital
STRUCTURES
Investment philosophy.
PRINCIPLES
01 Size discipline
We pursue optimal risk-adjusted returns, not scale. We remain size-constrained to stay agile.
02 Opportunity from complexity
We seek out situations where our expertise in structuring, operations and asset management can unlock value others overlook.
03 Incentives drive outcomes
We maximise alignment across every investment. We invest capital alongside our partners.
04 Downside protection
Capital preservation comes first. We structure and price every investment to limit impairment.
05 Value driven
As value-oriented investors, we prioritise fundamentals and employ a data-driven approach to investing.
06 Flexible and nimble
Change is the only constant. We remain open-minded and flexible to capitalise on the best opportunities.
Built on experience.
LEADERSHIP
Judgment built across cycles, markets and the capital structure.
James Gibbs
FOUNDER & MANAGING PARTNER
James founded Sekala Capital in 2025 to pursue complex, middle-market real estate opportunities overlooked by larger, scale-driven firms. Over his career he has executed more than £1bn of opportunistic real estate and real estate credit transactions across the UK, Europe and the US.
Prior to founding Sekala, James was Managing Director and Head of Europe at Global Hospitality Investment Group (GHIG), serving on its Executive and Investment Committees and helping scale the firm from inception to $500m+ AuM. He played a material role in executing the firm's US investments and building out its US team, before establishing its European platform. As Head of Europe, he was responsible for the day-to-day running of the European business, from sourcing and strategy through to execution, team building and capital partner relationships across global institutions, private equity firms, hedge funds and family offices.
Before GHIG, James was a member of the investment team at Round Hill Capital ($6bn AuM), covering pan-European hospitality and UK real estate. He helped launch Hilltop Credit Partners, Round Hill's real estate credit platform, and sat on its Investment Committee.
Earlier, James structured and executed real estate credit transactions at Octopus Capital ($15bn AuM). He began his career at Rocket Internet, the investment group behind more than €30bn of enterprise value, where he built and scaled new ventures.
James holds a First Class BSc in Business from Oxford Brookes University.