ESR Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

ESR was acquired by Starwood Capital Group, Sixth Street, SSW Partners, Qatar Investment Authority and Warburg Pincus for $7.1B in December 2024, a 8.2x multiple on $871M of revenue.

See full ESR profile

ESR acquisition price

$7.1B

Acquired by Starwood Capital Group, Sixth Street +3 · Dec 2024

ESR revenue at acquisition

$871M

Last twelve months · Dec 2024

ESR revenue multiple at acquisition

8.2x

EV/Revenue · Dec 2024

ESR EBITDA multiple at acquisition

8.0x

EV/EBITDA · Dec 2024

ESR Overview

About ESR

ESR is a real asset owner and manager focused on logistics real estate and data centres in the Asia-Pacific region. The group was formed in 2016 through the merger of the Chinese logistics developer e-Shang, co-founded by Warburg Pincus, and the Redwood Group, and it develops, owns and manages modern warehouse and data centre properties. It earns management and performance fees from private funds and listed REITs, together with development profits and rental income from assets held on its own balance sheet. Customers include e-commerce, third-party logistics and retail occupiers as well as institutional investors who commit capital to its funds. ESR was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2019 and was taken private in 2025 by a consortium led by Starwood Capital Group, Sixth Street and SSW Partners. It grew through acquisitions including Propertylink, Cambridge Industrial Trust, ARA Asset Management and the LOGOS group, and has since sold non-core businesses to concentrate on its logistics and data centre platforms.


Founded

2016

HQ

SingaporeSingapore

Website

esr.com

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Leasing & Rental Services, Investment management

Revenue

$871M (Dec 2024)

Valuation

$505M (Jul 2020)

ESR Acquisition

ESR was acquired by Starwood Capital Group, Sixth Street, SSW Partners, Qatar Investment Authority and Warburg Pincus for $7.1B on 4 December 2024.

The acquisition price implies a 8.2x revenue and 8.0x EBITDA multiple on $871M of revenue.

Before the acquisition ESR had raised $2B across 8 funding rounds.

A consortium led by Starwood Capital Group, Sixth Street and SSW Partners, and including the Qatar Investment Authority, Warburg Pincus and the company's founders, announced with ESR Group on 4 December 2024 a proposal to take ESR private by way of a scheme of arrangement. The offer valued ESR at HK$55.2 billion (US$7.11 billion) on an equity value basis, the largest privatisation on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2021. Shareholders could elect a cash alternative of HK$13.00 per share, a 55.7% premium to the undisturbed price, a share alternative in the privatised company, or a mix of both. The consortium already held 39.9% of ESR's shares, and holders of 51.2% of the disinterested shares had given irrevocable undertakings to support the proposal. The privatisation was completed and ESR was delisted on 4 July 2025, with OMERS and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation among existing investors that rolled equity into the private company. ESR said the transaction would accelerate its transformation into a simplified business focused on logistics and data centres. ESR is a Hong Kong-listed, Singapore-headquartered real asset owner and manager in the Asia-Pacific region that develops and manages logistics, data centre and other real estate for institutional capital partners. It earns fund management fees and development and investment returns.

ESR acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePriceEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
  • Starwood Capital Group
  • Sixth Street
  • SSW Partners
  • Qatar Investment Authority
  • Warburg Pincus
4 Dec 2024PE buyout$7.1B8.2x8.0x

Sources: sixthstreet.com, sixthstreet.com, aap.com.au

ESR Valuation

ESR is currently valued at $505M, based on its secondary sale in July 2020. Read the announcement ↗

The round included OMERS.

ESR's valuation has moved from $3.3B at its strategic investment round in July 2017 to $505M in July 2020, across 2 priced rounds.

ESR valuation by funding round

ESR valuation by funding round
DateStageValuation
Jul 2020Secondary$505M
Jul 2017Strategic investment$3.3B

ESR Funding History

ESR has raised a total of $2B across 8 funding rounds, plus 2 secondary share sales.

ESR's first fundraising round was a strategic investment round in June 2014. The most recent completed round was a $850M undisclosed-stage round in April 2026.

ESR funding rounds

ESR funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedValuationDeal Summary
Apr 2026Undisclosed stage-$850M-ESR, the Singapore-based Asia-Pacific real asset owner and manager, announced on 9 April 2026 that it had secured US$850 million in additional equity capital. The company said the new investment was committed by its existing shareholders, backed by global investors, and that the capital would strengthen its balance sheet and fund growth across its logistics real estate and data centre platforms. ESR's shareholders at the time were the consortium that took the company private in July 2025, comprising Starwood Capital Group, Sixth Street, SSW Partners, Qatar Investment Authority, Warburg Pincus and ESR's founders; the release did not break down how much each shareholder contributed. ESR said the injection builds on the progress made since the privatisation as it pursues a simplified business focused on its core logistics and data centre activities, and on about US$2 billion raised from simplifying its portfolio since January 2025. ESR develops, owns and manages logistics warehouses, data centres and other real assets across the Asia-Pacific region, both on its own balance sheet and through funds for institutional capital partners. The company said it serves more than 1,500 customers and is advancing a development pipeline of about US$9 billion.
Mar 2024SecondaryStarwood Capital Group--Starwood Capital Group agreed in March 2024 to acquire a 10.7% equity stake in ESR Group through a controlled affiliate, in a structured transaction alongside ESR co-founders Stuart Gibson and Charles de Portes. As part of the arrangement, all sums outstanding under the margin loan facility of the co-founders' holding vehicle were to be fully extinguished. Gibson remained co-chief executive officer and an executive director, and de Portes remained a non-executive director. The price was not disclosed; press put the stake at a market value of roughly HK$4 billion (about US$510 million) at trading prices, implying about HK$37.5 billion for ESR. Starwood later led the consortium that took ESR private in 2025 at an equity value of HK$55.2 billion. ESR is an Asia-Pacific real asset owner and manager, formed in 2016 by the merger of e-Shang and the Redwood Group, with logistics real estate, data centre and fund management platforms across China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and India. It was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2019. Starwood is a Miami-based private investment firm focused on real estate.
Jul 2020SecondaryOMERS-$505MOMERS Administration Corporation, the administrator of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System pension plans, bought an additional 7.0% of ESR Cayman from Warburg Pincus in July 2020. The shares were held through the Warburg Pincus vehicle WP OCIM One and were valued at about HK$3.92 billion (US$506 million) at market prices, at a small discount to the prevailing share price. The purchase lifted OMERS from the 9.0% it had taken as cornerstone investor in ESR's Hong Kong listing in November 2019 to about 16%, while Warburg Pincus kept roughly 9.1%. ESR is a pan-Asian logistics real estate developer, owner and fund manager, formed in 2016 by the merger of e-Shang, co-founded in 2011 by Warburg Pincus and Chinese entrepreneurs, with the Redwood Group, founded in 2006. It develops and manages modern warehouses and logistics parks across China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and India for e-commerce, retail and third-party logistics tenants. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong, and the transaction was a secondary sale by an existing shareholder that raised no new capital for ESR.
Sep 2018Strategic investmentSK Group (lead)--SK Holdings, the investment holding company of South Korea's SK Group, made a second pre-IPO investment in ESR in September 2018, following its August 2017 investment of KRW 374 billion (US$333 million) for a 10 percent fully diluted stake. The follow-on lifted SK's holding to 11.0 percent of ESR, for a total outlay across the two investments of about KRW 490 billion; the size of the second tranche was not separately announced. ESR, then still private and preparing for a Hong Kong listing, is a pan-Asia logistics real estate developer, owner and fund manager formed in 2016 by the merger of e-Shang and the Redwood Group. SK's holding was later worth about 2.5 times its cost after ESR listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 1 November 2019, and in September 2020 SK sold 140 million shares, or 4.6 percent of ESR, in a block trade at HK$22.50 per share for roughly KRW 480 billion, keeping a 6.4 percent stake. ESR operated about 270 logistics centres and counted Amazon, Alibaba and JD.com among more than 200 clients by 2020.
Jun 2018Undisclosed stageCLSA$40M-ESR announced on 25 June 2018 that it had closed a pre-IPO investment from the CITIC Securities One-Belt-One-Road (CSOBOR) Fund, a private equity fund of CLSA, the capital markets and investment group that is a wholly owned subsidiary of CITIC Securities, China's largest investment bank. The investment, which ESR's 2019 annual report puts at US$40 million, was to fund ESR's platform expansion in China and across the Asia-Pacific region, and followed a US$306 million investment from a JD.com subsidiary the previous month. Co-CEOs Jeffrey Shen and Stuart Gibson described the investment as a tremendous endorsement of ESR's capabilities, while CSOBOR's Rui Zhao said CLSA's investment and resources would help ESR expand into Southeast Asia and identify fund-level investors in China. The CSOBOR Fund targets One-Belt-One-Road opportunities in consumer products and services, technology, media, telecommunications and infrastructure. At the time ESR had US$12 billion of assets under management and more than 10 million square metres of projects owned and under development across China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and India.
May 2018Strategic investmentJD.com (lead)$306M-ESR (e-Shang Redwood), a pan-Asian logistics real estate company, received a US$306 million investment from JD.com's logistics subsidiary on May 15, 2018. ESR owns and operates over 10 million square meters of warehouse space across China, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, and Australia, with US$12 billion in assets under management. The deal positions JD.com to expand its logistics network amid Asia's e-commerce growth, including China's Q1 2018 online retail sales of US$307 billion. The investment fosters strategic collaboration in property development, fund management, and regional investments, strengthening ties as ESR serves as a key warehouse partner for JD Logistics. ESR's co-CEOs Jeffrey Shen and Stuart Gibson highlighted JD.com's confidence in their team and Asia-Pacific strategy, while JD Logistics CEO Zhenhui Wang emphasized opportunities to solidify logistics infrastructure. This follows prior raises: $300 million in January 2017 from GF Investments, SPDB International, and others; $333 million for 10% from SK Holdings in August 2017; and $140 million from State Street and Stepstone funds. ESR originated from the 2016 merger of E-Shang (founded 2011) and Redwood Group Asia (founded 2006).
Nov 2017Undisclosed stageStepStone Group; State Street Global$140M-ESR Cayman Limited, the pan-Asia logistics real estate developer and operator formerly known as e-Shang Redwood, announced in November 2017 that it had closed a US$140 million follow-on equity investment from a client of State Street Global Advisors and various StepStone funds. The investment marked the new investors' first exposure to the logistics real estate sector in Asia and followed ESR's US$300 million pre-IPO round in January 2017 and SK Holdings' US$333 million investment for a 10 percent stake in August 2017. ESR said the transaction would help it extend its market-leading position across the Asia-Pacific region, where the rise of e-commerce is driving demand for modern logistics space. StepStone describes itself as a global private-markets firm overseeing more than US$120 billion of private capital allocations, while State Street Global Advisors is the investment arm of State Street Corporation. ESR was formed in 2016 from the merger of e-Shang and the Redwood Group, is co-founded by senior management and Warburg Pincus, and develops, owns and operates logistics facilities in China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and India.
Jul 2017Strategic investmentSK Group (lead)$333M$3.3BESR, known as e-Shang Redwood at the time, is a Hong Kong-based logistics real estate developer, owner, and manager operating as one of Asia's largest warehouse platforms. Co-founded by Warburg Pincus and senior management including Stuart Gibson, Jeffrey Shen, and Charles de Portes, ESR managed 8.4 million square meters of projects with $9 billion in assets under management across China, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore as of June 2017. In August 2017, SK Holdings, the investment arm of South Korean conglomerate SK Group, invested KRW 374 billion (US$333 million) for a 10% fully diluted stake in ESR, marking SK's first investment in the logistics real estate sector and its largest-ever minority investment to date. SK Holdings later made a follow-on investment in September 2018, bringing its total stake to 11% for around 490 billion won. By 2020, ahead of ESR's November 2019 IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, SK began realizing gains, selling a 4.6% stake for approximately 480 billion won ($407-409 million) at HK$22.5 per share, recouping its full investment while retaining a 6.4% stake then valued at around 740 billion won. ESR has since expanded to operate 270 logistics centers worldwide, serving over 200 global clients including Amazon, Alibaba, and JD.com, fueled by e-commerce growth in Asia-Pacific. Its valuation rose significantly post-IPO, with shares up 47% from the HK$16.8 IPO price to HK$24.75 by September 2020.
Jan 2017Undisclosed stageGF Securities (lead); CMBC International Asset Management; SPDB International Holdings; Huarong International Financial Holdings; Huarong Rongde Asset Management; Everbright Securities; China Everbright$300M-E-Shang Redwood (ESR), the pan-Asia logistics real estate developer and fund manager, closed a US$300 million pre-IPO preferred equity investment in January 2017 from a group of Chinese financial institutions. The consortium was led by GF Investments (Hong Kong) and also included Huarong International, Huarong Rongde, SPDB International, China Everbright Limited, Everbright Securities and CMBC International. The proceeds supported ESR's expansion ahead of a potential initial public offering that year. Co-CEO Jeffrey Shen described the round as an important endorsement of ESR's recent success and of the growth potential of modern warehousing in China and across Asia. ESR was formed in January 2016 by the merger of Shanghai-based e-Shang, co-founded in 2011 by Shen, Sun Dongping and Warburg Pincus, with the Redwood Group, founded in 2006 by Charles de Portes and Stuart Gibson. At the time of the round ESR operated a 6.5 million square metre platform in China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, with a further 6 million square metres of projects in its pipeline, and was already backed by investors including Warburg Pincus, APG, PGGM and Ping An.
Jun 2014Strategic investmentAPG Asset Management--APG Asset Management, the Dutch pension fund manager investing for the pension fund ABP, committed up to US$650 million in June 2014 for a 20% stake in e-Shang, the China logistics real estate developer that later became ESR. The investment was combined with the creation of a strategic joint venture between APG and e-Shang to develop and own institutional-grade, modern logistics real estate across China. Reports described the transaction as one of the largest commitments to the Chinese logistics real estate sector at the time. The amount is a commitment of up to US$650 million rather than a fully drawn payment, and no valuation was published. e-Shang was co-founded in 2011 by Warburg Pincus together with two Chinese entrepreneurs, Jeffrey Shen and Sun Dongping, and built modern warehouses for e-commerce, retail and third-party logistics tenants in Chinese cities. It was headquartered in Shanghai and became part of the pan-Asian ESR platform after merging with the Redwood Group in January 2016. In November 2015 e-Shang, APG and CPPIB announced a further US$500 million joint venture for Korean logistics assets, and APG later remained an ESR shareholder through the 2019 Hong Kong listing.

Who has invested in ESR?

15 investors have backed ESR across its funding rounds, including SK Group, StepStone Group, JD.com, China Everbright, APG Asset Management and OMERS.

Lead investors include SK Group, JD.com and GF Securities.


ESR Investors

Investors in ESR by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
SK GroupSouth KoreaSeoul2LeadJul 2017
APG Asset ManagementNetherlandsHeerlen1ParticipantJun 2014
StepStone GroupUnited StatesNew York City, NY1ParticipantNov 2017
CMBC International Asset ManagementChinaBeijing1ParticipantJan 2017
SPDB International HoldingsHong KongHong Kong1ParticipantJan 2017
CLSAHong KongHong Kong1ParticipantJun 2018
Huarong International Financial HoldingsChinaBeijing1ParticipantJan 2017
JD.comChinaBeijing1LeadMay 2018
GF SecuritiesChinaGuangzhou1LeadJan 2017
Huarong Rongde Asset ManagementChinaBeijing1ParticipantJan 2017
Everbright SecuritiesChinaShanghai1ParticipantJan 2017
Starwood Capital GroupUnited StatesMiami, FL1ParticipantMar 2024
OMERSCanadaToronto1ParticipantJul 2020

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Acquisitions by ESR

ESR has acquired 5 companies to date.

Last acquisition by ESR was on September 24th 2026. ESR acquired Aquila Clean Energy APAC for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by ESR

Aquila Clean Energy APAC
Logos Group
ARA Asset Management
Commercial & Industrial Property Pty Ltd.
Description
Aquila Clean Energy APAC is a renewable power developer that finances, constructs, and runs solar, wind, and battery storage projects across the Asia-Pacific region from initial planning through commercial operation.
Logos Group is an Asia Pacific logistics property developer owning and managing over 5 million square meters of assets valued at S$8.2 billion across 17 ventures. As a vertically integrated operator, it handles land sourcing, development, and asset management for leading global real estate investors.
ARA Asset Management is a Singapore-headquartered real estate fund manager overseeing $12 billion in assets under management across Asia. Specializing in logistics, office, retail, and hospitality properties, ARA manages listed REITs like Cache Logistics Trust and private funds targeting Japan, South Korea, and Australia. With offices in seven cities including Tokyo and Sydney, the firm founded in 2002 has completed over 100 transactions and partners with institutional investors globally.
Commercial & Industrial Property Pty Ltd. is a Melbourne-based property development firm specializing in industrial facilities across Australia. It handles design, construction, and leasing for warehouses and logistics centers in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, partnering with tenants like DHL and Linfox for customizable build-to-suit projects.
HQ CountrySingaporeAustraliaSingaporeAustralia
HQ City
Singapore
Sydney
Singapore
Sydney
Deal Date24 Sep 202626 Jul 20245 Aug 20215 Jul 2018
Valuationundisclosedundisclosed$5.2B$67M
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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ESR Competitors

ESR competitors include listed companies like CTP, GPT Group, FUNO and Vornado Realty Trust, and private ones like Flow and citizenM.

Public and private companies comparable to ESR
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
CTPNetherlandsNetherlandsPublicly listed$1.1B$812M$7.3B17.1x
GPT GroupAustraliaAustraliaPublicly listed$716M$685M$6.9B15.9x
FUNOMexicoMexicoPublicly listed$1.6B$1.3B$7.5B10.8x
Vornado Realty TrustUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$1.8B$1.7B$6.7B8.7x
FlowUnited StatesMiami, FLPrivate--$2.5B-
citizenMNetherlandsAmsterdamPrivate--$2.2B-

ESR Public Comps

ESR is no longer listed, but its public comps include Remgro, China Industrial Securities, Motilal Oswal, Macerich, CTP, Charter Hall Group, Infratil, Sagax, GPT Group and Jardine Cycle & Carriage.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Remgro$3.2B$400M1.9x-15.6x-
China Industrial Securities$1.8B-4.0x3.6x--
Motilal Oswal$872M$347M8.1x7.1x20.3x18.8x
Macerich$1B$448M11.6x11.8x26.3x21.2x
CTP$1.1B$812M16.1x17.1x21.7x20.7x
Charter Hall Group$311M-24.5x12.5x-15.1x
Infratil$1.7B$664M7.2x5.9x18.1x19.8x
Sagax$550M$477M20.9x20.1x24.0x23.5x

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Common questions about ESR

When was ESR founded?ESR was founded in 2016.
Where is ESR headquartered?ESR is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore.
Is ESR publicly listed?No, ESR was acquired by Starwood Capital Group, Sixth Street, SSW Partners and 2 other investors in December 2024.
Who acquired ESR?ESR was acquired by Starwood Capital Group, Sixth Street, SSW Partners, Qatar Investment Authority and Warburg Pincus in December 2024.
How much was ESR acquired for?ESR was acquired for $7.1B in December 2024, a 8.2x revenue multiple.
What is ESR's valuation?ESR was last valued at $505M in its secondary sale in July 2020.
How much funding has ESR raised?ESR has raised $2B across 8 funding rounds.
What was ESR's last funding round?ESR's last funding round was a $850M undisclosed-stage round in April 2026.
Who are ESR's investors?ESR's investors include SK Group, APG Asset Management, StepStone Group, CMBC International Asset Management, SPDB International Holdings, CLSA, Huarong International Financial Holdings, JD.com, GF Securities, Huarong Rongde Asset Management and 5 others.
Which companies are comparable to ESR?Companies comparable to ESR include CTP, GPT Group, FUNO, Vornado Realty Trust, Flow and citizenM.
How many companies has ESR acquired?ESR has acquired 5 companies, including Aquila Clean Energy APAC, Logos Group, ARA Asset Management, Commercial & Industrial Property Pty Ltd. and Cambridge Industrial Trust.
What was the largest acquisition by ESR?The $5.2B acquisition of ARA Asset Management in August 2021 is the largest acquisition ESR has made to date.

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