A leading alternative investment fund manager in Spain

Meridia Capital has continued to demonstrate its leading position as a top investment manager for over more than 10 years now. Its differentiating characteristics from other Spanish investment funds include:

1. A seasoned and dedicated team
Meridia Capital was founded by Javier Faus, who has close to 30 years of experience in investment management. He currently works together with highly experienced, multidisciplinary and detail-oriented professionals devoted to the fund manager’s investors. The team’s extensive network, together with its ability to close deals, secure financing and excel in asset management, provide Meridia Capital with a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

2. Proven track record across different cycles
Meridia Capital has a history of generating strong returns for its investors, partly thanks to a well-timed strategy incorporating the cycles of different asset types and regions.

In late 2001, despite the high uncertainty in the global market after the events of 9/11, we saw an opportunity to achieve significant long-term returns. Mr. Faus, together with other investors, acquired Hovisa, a Barcelona-based 110,000 sqm real estate portfolio that included Hotel Arts. The hotel was sold in 2006 for €417m, which was at the time the highest price ever paid for a single real estate asset in Spain.

In 2006, Meridia Capital decided to invest in upmarket hotels and hospitality properties globally, with a special focus on Europe and Latin America. At the time, the Spanish market seemed overvalued and a strategic decision was made to focus overseas. Meridia I was launched in 2007 and successfully liquidated in 2014, becoming a top performing investment vehicle in the real estate industry despite the economic turmoil globally.

In late 2013, Meridia Capital’s team decided to shift the investment focus towards Spain again and, in May 2014, launched the real estate vehicle Meridia II. Meridia Capital was attracted by the potential that Spain represented after the acute contractions the sector had experienced. Meridia Capital saw a real chance to re-enter the market and capture the value that the country had to offer. Meridia Capital aims to continue capturing the upside potential in the Spanish market, not only in real estate (led by Juan Barba) but also in private equity (led by David Torralba).

3. Agile decision-making, value creation and execution delivery
Meridia Capital takes pride in its ability to react quickly. Through its immersion in the market, detailed understanding of vendor and acquirer requirements, efficiency and professional relationships, Meridia Capital is able to move fast in the market.

4. An institutional investment manager
Meridia Capital’s international track record and its adoption of global management best practices have allowed the firm to evolve. Meridia Capital’s fundraising efforts (led by Javier Faus and Cristina Badenes) have been intensified over the past few years, whilst its investor focus has shifted from family offices and HNWIs to international institutional investors.

5. A socially responsible firm
Meridia Capital’s reputation among its different stakeholders is paramount to the team. Meridia Capital maintains the transparency, discipline and high standards on which it builds its name. It differentiates itself through its reputation, investor focus, proven track record and progressive institutionalisation. Building on the successful work already performed, Meridia Capital’s efforts to implement the best practices in fund administration, governance and compliance controls (led by Beto Cordoncillo) will continue.