M7 & experienced logistics executive team launch European big box investment and operating platform in partnership with Goldman Sachs

Ekaterina Avdonina and Anthony Butler team up with M7 in new logistics venture

Mirastar, a new specialist pan-European developer, investor and manager of big box logistics assets, has launched with an exclusive mandate from Goldman Sachs. Mirastar is a joint venture between co-founders Ekaterina Avdonina, CEO and Anthony Butler, CIO, and M7 Real Estate, the pan-European investor and asset manager.

Mirastar will source and target to acquire a sizable portfolio of big box logistics developments and investments in Europe in partnership with Goldman Sachs, primarily focussed on core Western European markets. Leveraging M7’s existing platform, which spans 13 countries, Mirastar and Goldman Sachs will look to invest in both development opportunities as well as existing assets with some asset management opportunity.

Prior to establishing Mirastar, Ekaterina co-founded Delin Capital Asset Management (“DCAM”) in 2011 and served first as Head of Investments moving into a managing director role. She repositioned the business as a fully integrated Pan-European logistics development and asset management platform (AUM €1 billion +).

Anthony was CIO of DCAM, helping to drive investment transactions and establish the third-party fund management business. He was previously Global Head of Indirect Business (AUM €2 billion) and Transactions at Generali (AUM €25 billion), prior to which he created and led TIAA’s European business growing AUM to €3.5 billion, which merged with Henderson to create Nuveen (TH Real Estate) (AUM €100 billion +).

Ekaterina Avdonina, CEO of Mirastar, said: “The mandate we have been awarded by Goldman Sachs is a strong endorsement at the very outset of our journey with Mirastar. We look forward to growing the platform and building a best in class specialist in big box logistics assets, utilising the on-the-ground capabilities that our partnership with M7 provides.”

Anthony Butler, CIO at Mirastar, added: “We believe that there remains a significant opportunity in the growth of ecommerce on the Continent, which is behind the UK in its uptake and which is a structural trend that is positively underpinning occupier and investor demand for big box logistics assets. With a proven track record in deploying big box strategies and the strong synergies we have with M7’s platform, we are confident that we can deliver value for clients looking to enter or increase their allocation to this sub-sector.”

Richard Croft, Chief Executive of M7 Real Estate, commented: “Ekaterina and Anthony are a formidable team and we are very pleased to put our support behind their new venture in Mirastar. Big box logistics is an area of the market we’ve been looking to increase our exposure to, building on our leading position in European industrial and urban logistics and utilising our network of 13 offices across Europe.”