Wareham Development
Wareham Development is a privately held Bay Area real estate developer founded in 1977 that owns and operates five life science and R&D campuses totaling roughly 3+ million square feet, commanding approximately 70% of inner East Bay biotech space and serving biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and research institution tenants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersSan Rafael, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Wareham Development does
Wareham Development is a privately held, founder-controlled real estate development company founded in 1977 by Richard K. Robbins and headquartered in San Rafael, California. The company specializes in developing, owning, and operating life science and R&D campuses across the San Francisco Bay Area, claiming approximately 70% market share of biotechnology space in the inner East Bay submarket. Its portfolio comprises five campuses totaling roughly 3+ million square feet: EmeryStation Research Campus in Emeryville (~2 million SF across 15+ buildings), Aquatic Park Research Campus in Berkeley (~750,000 SF), Point Richmond Tech Center (315,000 SF), Stanford Research Park properties in Palo Alto (120,000 SF), and adaptive-reuse holdings in Marin County.
The company's core competency is adaptive reuse and purpose-built development of specialized laboratory and R&D infrastructure, including cold storage, dedicated building-level backup power, 24/7 engineering support, mechanical interstitial space for specialized air handling, and LEED-certified (Silver and Gold) buildings. Notable projects include the conversion of the former Scharffen-Berger Chocolate Company building into biotech lab space, the General Cable Building into residential lofts, and the on-site development of the Amtrak Intermodal Transit Center at EmeryStation. The company created the first private-sector incubator lab with QB3 in Berkeley and has sustained decades-long relationships with institutional tenants including UC Berkeley, Berkeley Lab, Stanford University, Stanford Health Care, the State of California DOJ, and the EPA Region IX Laboratory.
Wareham operates an owner-operator model where a single in-house team handles both leasing and campus operations, eliminating broker intermediation and enabling direct tenant engagement. Revenue is generated primarily through long-term commercial leases (ranging from 920 SF startup suites to 81,500 SF enterprise blocks) on multi-year contracts, supplemented by occasional property sales such as the October 2025 divestiture of Marin County medical office buildings to Anchor Health Properties for $24.1 million. GTM is relationship-led and segment-focused on biotechnology, pharmaceutical, technology, and institutional research tenants, with no external funding rounds, parent company, or public listing disclosed.
Wareham Development firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wareham Development
- Legal name
- Wareham Development
- Website
- https://warehamdevelopment.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Wareham Development is a privately held Bay Area real estate developer founded in 1977 that owns and operates five life science and R&D campuses totaling roughly 3+ million square feet, commanding approximately 70% of inner East Bay biotech space and serving biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and research institution tenants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wareham Development industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Life Science Real Estate Development
- NAICS
- Business Support Services (5614)
- SIC
- General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Warehousing, Distribution & Cold Storage Facility Construction (IMAFADAL)
Keywords
Where Wareham Development is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Rafael
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Wareham Development business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Commercial Property Leasing: Long-term leasing of lab, office, and R&D space to life science, biotechnology, and technology companies. Revenue generated through monthly rent payments across multiple properties. Tenants range from early-stage startups to established pharmaceutical companies and research institutions.
- Property Sales: Occasional sale of properties from portfolio. Proceeds reinvested into campus expansion and development. Sold Bon Air Medical Center in Marin County for $24 million to Anchor Health Properties.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Lab/Office Space - quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Wareham Development product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wareham Development is an owner-operator of life science and R&D real estate campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area. The company develops, owns, and leases approximately 3 million square feet of specialized laboratory, R&D, office, retail, and light industrial space across five campuses in Emeryville, Berkeley, Palo Alto, Point Richmond, and Marin County. Its core product is flexible, lab-ready commercial space with specialized infrastructure (cold storage, backup power, 24/7 engineering support) for life science, biotech, pharmaceutical, and R&D tenants.
Product overview
Wareham Development is a real estate development and property management company offering a portfolio of five Bay Area campuses (EmeryStation Research Campus in Emeryville, Aquatic Park Research Campus in Berkeley, Stanford Research Campus in Palo Alto, Point Richmond Tech Center, and Marin County Offices). The company's offerings include life science laboratory space, R&D facilities, office, retail, and light industrial space for lease, along with campus amenities such as transit access, fitness centers, conference rooms, and tenant events. Their core product is commercial real estate leasing and campus operations, not software or technology products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Companies can scale from 5,000 SF pilot labs to 100,000+ SF without relocating
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Wareham Development
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Wareham Development technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Wareham Development partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Anchor Health PropertiesminorWareham Development Corporation sold Bon Air Medical Center, a 27,297-square-foot multi-specialty medical outpatient building in Larkspur, California, to Anchor Health Properties for $24 million. Wareham owned the asset for decades and plans to reinvest proceeds into its campus locations in the San Francisco East Bay and Stanford Research Park.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Wareham Development competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Alexandria Real Estate Equities: Alexandria Real Estate Equities is the largest publicly-traded life science REIT, operating lab and R&D campuses in top-tier innovation clusters including the Bay Area (Mission Bay). It is the most directly comparable peer to Wareham, offering similar specialized lab facilities to biotech and pharma tenants, though at much larger scale and geographic breadth.
- BioMed Realty: BioMed Realty (acquired by Blackstone in 2024) is a leading life science real estate platform with significant Bay Area presence in Mission Bay, South San Francisco, and other biotech hubs. It is a direct peer to Wareham given its focus on purpose-built lab and office space for life science tenants.
- Breakthrough Properties: Breakthrough Properties is a joint venture between Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital focused on developing and operating life science facilities globally, with notable presence in the Bay Area. It competes with Wareham for biotech tenants seeking specialized, purpose-built lab space, though with broader geographic scope.
Emerging players
- Longfellow Real Estate Partners: Longfellow is a specialized life science real estate investment and development firm operating across the U.S., including Bay Area properties. It is comparable to Wareham in its tenant base and specialized lab product, though typically operating from a fund-based capital model rather than as a long-term private owner.
Broad incumbents
- Healthpeak Properties: Healthpeak Properties (formerly HCP) is a major diversified healthcare real estate REIT with significant life science and medical office portfolios. While broader than Wareham, it overlaps in serving life science tenants and is a relevant benchmark for institutional capital allocation to life science real estate.
- Boston Properties: Boston Properties (now BXP) is one of the largest publicly-traded office REITs in the U.S., with a growing life science portfolio including significant Bay Area holdings. It is a broader incumbent comparable to Wareham in serving large institutional and life science tenants in similar submarkets.
Regional players
- Kilroy Realty Corporation: Kilroy Realty is a West Coast-focused office and life science REIT with substantial Bay Area presence, particularly in Mission Bay and South San Francisco. It is comparable to Wareham as a regional office/lab landlord serving similar innovation tenants in overlapping geographies.
- Hudson Pacific Properties: Hudson Pacific Properties is a West Coast office and studio REIT with holdings across the Bay Area and Los Angeles, including properties serving technology and life science tenants. It is comparable to Wareham as a regional commercial real estate owner-operator in overlapping geographies.
- Wilson Meany: Wilson Meany is a Bay Area-based real estate investment and development firm focused on residential, mixed-use, and commercial projects in the region. While not life science-focused, it is comparable to Wareham as a long-standing private Bay Area developer with similar community-relations orientation and adaptive reuse experience.
Others
- Stockbridge Capital Group: Stockbridge Capital Group is a real estate investment management firm with significant life science and office allocations on the West Coast. It is thematically related as a capital provider and operator in life science real estate, though primarily an investor/manager rather than a developer-owner.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wareham Development social profiles
Digital presenceWareham Development financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wareham Development leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Wareham Development funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wareham Development M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wareham Development
What does Wareham Development do?
Wareham Development is an owner-operator of life science and R&D real estate campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area. The company develops, owns, and leases approximately 3 million square feet of specialized laboratory, R&D, office, retail, and light industrial space across five campuses in Emeryville, Berkeley, Palo Alto, Point Richmond, and Marin County. Its core product is flexible, lab-ready commercial space with specialized infrastructure (cold storage, backup power, 24/7 engineering support) for life science, biotech, pharmaceutical, and R&D tenants.
Is Wareham Development a public or private company?
Wareham Development is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wareham Development founded?
Wareham Development was founded in 1977. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Wareham Development based?
Wareham Development is headquartered in San Rafael, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wareham Development make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Commercial Property Leasing is the primary driver. The others are property Sales.
Who are Wareham Development's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Alexandria Real Estate Equities, BioMed Realty and Breakthrough Properties. Longfellow Real Estate Partners is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Healthpeak Properties and Boston Properties. Regional players are Kilroy Realty Corporation, Hudson Pacific Properties and Wilson Meany. Stockbridge Capital Group is listed as an others.
Does Wareham Development have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wareham Development.
What industry is Wareham Development in?
Wareham Development's product category is Life Science Real Estate Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFADAL, Warehousing, Distribution & Cold Storage Facility Construction. Its NAICS code is 5614 and its SIC code is 1540.