�rima Real Estate said on Thursday that it has raised €150 mln in a capital increase backed by Canadian investor Ivanhoe Cambridge.

Under the operation - �rima's second capital raise this year, Ivanhoe Cambridge has invested €60 mln and become the Spanish REIT's largest shareholder with a 20.3% stake.
The shares were issued at a price of €10.40 per share, in line with company's current Net Asset Value and market price, and up 4% on the price set for the previous issue.
Strong demand from institutional investors led the company to upsize the operation from €100 mln to €150 mln, �rima said in a statement.
The company, which focuses on value-add investments in the office sector, said that it will use the proceeds to finance its growth strategy.
'We are very pleased to invest in �rima to support its future growth. The management team has a strong track record of performance, and has built, in a very short time, an impressive portfolio of high-quality value-add properties and a promising development pipeline. The Madrid office market is anticipating a sustained rental growth and we believe �rima is the right investment vehicle to take advantage of that cycle,' said Karim Habra, head of Europe and Asia-Pacific for Ivanhoé Cambridge.
�rima Real Estate, led by CEO Luis Alfonso López de Herrera-Oria, has completed several transactions since being founded earlier this year by Luis Lopez de Herrera-Oria's former management team at Axiare Patrimonio, building up a portfolio worth €175 mln.
In February it announced it had invested all the funds raised through its IPO in two deals comprising four office buildings in Madrid, for a total outlay of €93.7 mln. They include two properties on calle MarÃa de Molina and a LEED Gold-certified building on Cristalia Business Park.
Luis López de Herrera-Oria, �rima’s CEO, added: 'We are delighted having Ivanhoé Cambridge on board. The commitment of all shareholders, and especially Ivanhoé Cambridge, demonstrates the confidence in the work carried out by �rima’s management, their trust and commitment in our current investments and strategy. We will move forward on with our business plan in order to generate value for all of them.'


