Gaw Capital Partners, through its funds under management, and its consortium partners, acquired 29 Hong Kong-based community shopping centers and associated facilities in March 2018 and March 2019.
Gaw Capital Partners officially started to operate over 29 assets and facilities near the public estates and established “People’s Place”. “People” stands for the public and the residents, whereas “Place” here is an allusion to the idiomatic Chinese term for a location of virtue and tradition, as well as a well-governed community; “Place” also connotes the solidarity of the local neighborhood. All in all, “People’s Place” stands for a place rich in sentiments and compassion, bringing strangers together in constructing a vibrant, cozy living environment. People’s Place aspires to transform obsolete commercial facilities into vibrant community hubs by creatively utilizing its space and bringing brand new experiences to residents, tenants and community stakeholders.
In partnership with experienced educators in China, Gaw Capital has invested in the development and operations of Stellart International School of Arts (SISA), an international arts education platform in China. The platform is initially seeded by a commercial site conveniently located in Sanshan New Town in Nanhai, Foshan, which has excellent connectivity nationally via the Guangzhou South Station. The site has a GFA of c.50,000 sqm in total. Operating under the SISA brand and developed by Gaw Capital Partners, the school houses up to 600 full-time high school students in its 6-storey tall academic block and 7-floor dormitory. 
SHANGHAI –March 3, 2014 –Hong Kong-based real estate private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners has been named Asia Firm of the Year 2013 by Private Equity Real Estate (PERE). PERE also named Gaw Capital Partners’ Managing Principal and Founder, Goodwin Gaw, Asia Industry Figure of the Year 2013.
Goodwin Gaw, Managing Principal and Founder of Gaw Capital Partners, welcomed these two awards: “I’m deeply honored and thankful for these two awards from PERE; these two awards represent the recognition from both PERE and from our industry peers. We received these awards not only for our investments in China, but also because of our increasingly active investments in Europe and US on behalf of our many top-tier Asian investors. I believe our success is also a testament to China’s growing importance on the world stage. These awards reflect our unwavering commitment to delivering strong returns for our investors,” Gaw said. “We look forward to a prosperous ‘Year of the Horse’ and to many ‘successes’ to celebrate along with our valued investors,” he said.
Gaw Capital Partners has raised equity in excess ofUS$3.6 billionsince 2005 and currently commands assets ofUS$ 7.5 billionunder management encompassing residential developments, retail centers, hotels and commercial properties.
According to PERE: “To say 2013 was a busy 12 months for private real estate firms in Asia would be a gross understatement, which makes Gaw Capital Partners’ victory in this year’s awards all the more impressive.” “The firm seems to have made the sky its limit in 2013,” said PERE. “As Asian investors began their assault on overseas property investing, the firm became a trailblazer in advising and closing real estate deals on their behalf,” the publication wrote. About Goodwin Gaw, PERE said “Considering how busy he has been keeping himself, Goodwin Gaw likely needs no introduction in Asia’s real estate markets. With more than 15 years of experience in the region, Gaw has made himself the face of one of Asia’s most successful private equity real estate firms, Gaw Capital Partners.”
Three distinct themes represent 2013 for Gaw Capital Partners:
1.Fund Raising Success
2.Significant Transaction Volume
3.Becoming the Gateway for Cross-Border Investment
Fund Raising Success
Gaw Capital Partners currently manages four real estate funds targeting the Greater China and Asia Pacific region. Fund IV which was closed in 3rd quarter of 2013 reached its hard cap of USD 1 billion at a relatively difficult year for fund raising. Almost half of the equity commitments were from investors from previous Gaw Capital funds – which demonstrates the confidence and trust Gaw Capital has earned through its track record and commitment to investors. The USD 1.025 billion Fund IV is the largest greater China-focused real estate fund. Gaw Capital Partners has raised more than USD2.67 billion since 2005 for its four greater China-focused funds, making it the one of the largest independent international real estate private equity fund managers in the greater China market.
Significant Transaction Volume
Gaw Capital Partners had an extremely productive year by achieving a transaction volume (including selling and new acquisitions) of USD 3.21 billion, combining all three of its services:
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- 1.China Gateway Funds
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- 2.US Fund
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- 3.Separate Account
Notable transactions in 2013 include:
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- ·Lloyd’s building in London
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- ·Paddington Waterside House (HQ of Marks and Spencer) in London
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- ·333 Market Street (Wells Fargo’s headquarters) in San Francisco
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- ·Cupertino Gateway (Apple campus) in Cupertino
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- ·218 18 Street and 285 Madison Avenue in New York
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- ·Cross Tower in Shanghai
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- ·Metropolitan Plaza in Guangzhou
Becoming the Gateway for Cross-Border Investment
In addition to Gateway Funds bringing capital from the west to east, Gaw Capital Partners, in 2011, started to bring capital from the east to west- and made giant strides in 2013. In addition to Korean institutional investors, Gaw Capital Partners also entered the China institutional investor market by serving Ping An and started the first international acquisition of Chinese insurance institutes. Gaw Capital Partners closed four separate account direct investments in the US and UK in 2013 – and eight transactions since 2010 for Asian institutional investors. In order to provide better service within the context of a stronger structure, Gaw Capital Partners USA was funded and Tim Walsh was invited to lead the existing team. Walsh joined Gaw Capital US from the New Jersey Division of Investment where he served as Chief Investment Officer and director of New Jersey’s USD$ 74 billion pension fund.