Lionheart Capital

What Lionheart Capital does

Lionheart Capital is a Miami-based, founder-controlled diversified investment firm founded in 2008 by Ophir Sternberg. Its core business is the acquisition, repositioning, and disposition of undervalued real estate assets across luxury residential, hospitality, retail, and commercial sectors. Notable transactions include the adaptive reuse of the Miami Heart Institute into The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach (sell-out exceeding $550 million), the 2017 purchase and 2020 sale of The Seagull Hotel for $120 million (a 285% return over two years), and the $26.5 million acquisition of Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights, Michigan, which is being redeveloped into a 110-acre mixed-use city center projected to deliver over $1 billion in regional economic impact.

The firm operates through several entities: Out of the Box Ventures handles distressed retail repositioning across 4 million+ square feet in multiple US states; Lionheart Holdings (NASDAQ: CUB) is a Cayman Islands SPAC used for public-market acquisitions, including the proposed merger with Keo Energy to access Venezuelan oil assets at approximately $1 billion valuation; and jointly controlled interests in Sunseeker International and Cigarette Racing Team give the firm exposure to the global luxury marine market. Active projects include MIRAI Design District (a Kengo Kuma–designed mixed-use development in Miami breaking ground in 2025), the 1,173-acre Tuscany Portfolio of 12 luxury villas in Italy, and the Greenwich Village condo conversion at 26 West 9th Street financed by a $62.8 million loan from Benefit Street Partners.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time asset dispositions (luxury residential unit sales, hotel and commercial property sales, and SPAC-driven business combinations), supplemented by management and success fees on SPAC transactions and capital appreciation from brand-owned assets. The customer base comprises high-net-worth individuals purchasing branded residences ($2M–$40M per unit), institutional co-investors and family offices, and corporate tenants such as BurgerFi at Broward Trade Center. GTM motion combines direct enterprise sales to institutional investors and family offices with luxury-branded marketing campaigns, exclusive events, and co-marketing through brand partners such as Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari, and Kengo Kuma Associates.

Name

Lionheart Capital

Legal name

Lionheart Capital, LLC

Website

https://lheartcapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lionheart Capital is a Miami-based diversified investment firm that acquires, repositions, and disposes of undervalued real estate, hospitality, marine, and energy assets for high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Investment

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Equity Buyout Fund-of-Funds (FSANAGAD)

Keywords

• Real estate investment
• Property acquisition
• Asset repositioning
• Real estate development
• Hospitality ventures

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Development & Disposition: Lionheart Capital acquires undervalued real estate assets (luxury residences, hospitality, retail malls, commercial properties), repositions or develops them, and sells for profit. Revenue realized through asset disposition at higher valuations. Examples include The Ritz-Carlton Residences Miami Beach (sold out for over $550M), The Seagull Hotel ($120M sale), and luxury condo sites.
2. Retail Mall Repositioning (Out of the Box Ventures): Out of the Box Ventures, a Lionheart Capital subsidiary, specializes in acquiring distressed retail properties across the US, transforming them into mixed-use destinations. Revenue generated through property value appreciation and eventual sale or stabilization.
3. SPAC / Public Vehicle Management: Lionheart Capital operates SPAC entities (Lionheart Acquisition Corp. II, Lionheart Holdings NASDAQ: CUB) to acquire private businesses and take them public. Revenue derived from management fees, equity appreciation, and merger success fees.
4. Energy Sector Investment: Proposed merger between Lionheart Holdings and Keo Energy to create first Nasdaq-listed company providing US investors direct access to Venezuelan oil assets, at a valuation of approximately $1 billion.
5. Hospitality Asset Management: Acquisition, renovation, and sale of luxury hotel and resort properties. Examples include The Seagull Hotel (bought at auction for $31.1M, sold for $120M), and branded residences managed under luxury hospitality brands.
6. Yacht & Marine (Sunseeker, Cigarette Racing): Co-ownership of luxury yacht manufacturer Sunseeker International and speed boat brand Cigarette Racing Team, generating returns through brand value appreciation and operational performance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lionheart Capital is a Miami-based diversified investment firm that focuses on the acquisition, repositioning, disposition, and development of real estate assets. The firm has expanded into complementary sectors including hospitality, energy, and marine ventures. Its activities span the full lifecycle of real estate investing, from sourcing and underwriting deals through active asset management and eventual sale.

Product overview

Lionheart Capital is a Miami-based diversified investment firm focused on building shareholder value in high-growth companies. The firm operates primarily through investment vehicles and real estate development projects. Publicly, it maintains Lionheart Holdings (NASDAQ: CUB), a SPAC for business combinations. Its portfolio includes luxury real estate developments (Ritz-Carlton branded residences), commercial retail properties (regional malls being redeveloped), hospitality assets, and strategic acquisitions such as Sunseeker International (luxury yachts). The firm also has proposed ventures in the energy sector through a potential merger involving Venezuelan oil assets. The company does not operate as a unified software platform but rather as a collection of investment entities and development projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sunseeker International: World's leading brand for luxury performance motor yachts, originally founded as Poole Power Boats in 1969 and renamed in 1985.
• Cigarette Racing Team

Quantifiable outcome

• Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach sell-out exceeding $550 million from adaptive reuse of 1,000,000 sq. ft. hospital into luxury residences
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Keo EnergyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2026Lionheart Holdings (NASDAQ: CUB), Lionheart Capital's publicly listed affiliate, signed a letter of intent to merge with Keo Energy, which owns oil assets in Venezuela's Maracaibo Basin through its 40% stake in PetroUrdaneta. This merger would create the first Nasdaq-listed company providing US investors direct access to Venezuelan oil assets at a valuation of about $1 billion. Major energy groups including Repsol, Eni, and Shell have already signed agreements in the sector.
• Leviathan DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA consortium of three visionary developers — Lionheart Capital, Leviathan Development, and Well Duo — are jointly developing MIRAI Design District at 4200 NE 2nd Avenue in Miami. The project is designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma and marks the debut US mixed-use project by Kengo Kuma Associates. Groundbreaking in 2025, completion in 2027.
• Well DuocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA consortium of three visionary developers — Lionheart Capital, Leviathan Development, and Well Duo — are jointly developing MIRAI Design District in Miami's Design District. Well Duo is part of the development consortium alongside Lionheart Capital and Leviathan Development.
• Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) designed the MIRAI Design District project in Miami's Design District. This is the debut mixed-use project in the United States by Kengo Kuma. Critically acclaimed landscape architecture firm Island Planning Corporation (led by Nathan Browning) handles greenscapes, and Italian lighting company Viabizzuno oversees lightscapes.
• City of Sterling HeightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLionheart (through Out of the Box Ventures) announced plans with the City of Sterling Heights for the thoughtful redevelopment of the 110-acre Lakeside City Center site. The mixed-use city center will include residences, parks, hotel, office, retail, dining and more. The redevelopment is projected to positively impact the region by $1 billion over the next decade.
• At HomeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAt Home is an anchor tenant at Manassas Mall (930,662 SF, 85.3 acres) in Manassas, VA — one of Lionheart's major retail portfolio properties. Mall also anchored by Macy's, Sears and Walmart.
• Macy's (anchor tenant)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMacy's serves as anchor tenant at multiple Lionheart retail properties including Manassas Mall (Virginia), Richland Mall (Ohio), and Haute City Center (Indiana).
• Walmart (anchor tenant)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWalmart is an anchor tenant at Manassas Mall in Manassas, VA (930,662 SF on 85.3 acres).
• Continental Stock & Trust CompanyminorOthersContinental Stock & Trust Company serves as the transfer agent for Lionheart Holdings (NASDAQ: CUB), the SPAC vehicle operated by Lionheart Capital.
• Actium Development Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLionheart Capital and Actium Development Co. co-sold The Seagull Hotel Miami Beach for $120 million (highest hotel sale of 2020 in Miami Beach), with the property to be redeveloped into a Bulgari Hotel.
• Island Planning CorporationminorOthersCritically acclaimed landscape architecture firm Island Planning Corporation, led by Nathan Browning, has been enlisted to envision complimentary greenscapes for the Tuscany Portfolio resort and MIRAI Design District projects.
• ViabizzunominorOthersItalian lighting company Viabizzuno oversees lightscapes for the MIRAI Design District project in Miami's Design District.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Related Group: Miami-based luxury residential and condominium developer. Most directly comparable to Lionheart Capital due to overlapping focus on branded luxury condos in South Florida, similar scale of sell-outs, and shared buyer pool of high-net-worth individuals and international purchasers.
• Kennedy Wilson: Global real estate investment company with multifamily, office, and mixed-use holdings plus real estate debt. Comparable to Lionheart's diversified real estate strategy including acquisitions, repositioning, and institutional capital deployment across multiple US and international markets.
• Rockpoint Group: Private real estate investment firm focused on opportunistic and value-add investments across the US and Europe. Comparable to Lionheart's opportunistic acquisition and repositioning approach, including retail repositioning and complex adaptive reuse projects.
• Howard Hughes Holdings: Real estate development company focused on master-planned communities and mixed-use districts. Directly comparable to Lionheart's Lakeside City Center-scale mixed-use repositioning projects and long-duration urban development strategy.
• CIM Group: Real estate and infrastructure private equity firm specializing in mixed-use, repositioning, and urban infill development. Directly comparable to Lionheart's Out of the Box Ventures strategy and Lakeside City Center-scale mixed-use redevelopments across US markets.

Broad incumbents

• Swire Properties: Hong Kong-listed developer of luxury and mixed-use real estate internationally. Comparable to Lionheart's branded luxury residential strategy (Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari) and mixed-use portfolio (MIRAI Design District), though at substantially larger institutional scale.
• Starwood Capital Group: Global private equity firm specializing in real estate, hospitality, and energy infrastructure. Comparable to Lionheart's diversified investment approach across asset classes, including branded residential, hospitality repositioning, and energy sector exposure via specialized funds.
• Fortress Investment Group: Alternative asset manager with significant real estate, credit, and special situations strategies. Comparable to Lionheart's diversified investment approach across asset classes and use of creative structures (SPACs, JV consortia) to deploy capital.
• Ares Real Estate Group: Real estate investment arm of Ares Management focused on opportunistic and value-add equity and debt strategies. Comparable to Lionheart's opportunistic real estate approach, institutional capital relationships, and active asset management across asset classes.
• Blackstone Real Estate: Largest global real estate private equity platform, with significant hospitality, residential, and mixed-use exposure. Comparable to Lionheart's branded residential and hospitality strategy, though at vastly larger scale and with broader institutional investor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lionheartcap
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lionheartcapital
• Facebookfacebook.com/LionheartCapital
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lionheart-capital
• Instagraminstagram.com/lionheartcapital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lionheart Capital