Howard Group
Howard Group is a third-generation family-owned UK property developer and investor managing 24 properties across office, science parks, student accommodation, industrial/logistics and residential, with a £150m+ asset base, alongside a venture capital arm backing knowledge-intensive businesses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1935
- HeadquartersCambridge, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Howard Group does
Howard Group is a Cambridge-headquartered, third-generation family-owned property developer and investor founded in 1935, operating across two divisions: Property Ventures and Capital Ventures. Property Ventures invests in, develops, and asset-manages a diversified portfolio of 24 properties totalling over 1 million sq ft across office, business parks, industrial/logistics, student accommodation and high-end residential, with stated net assets of £120m+ and total assets of £150m+. Flagship assets include Unity Campus (a 260,000 sq ft science and technology hub in South Cambridge), Mount Pleasant Halls (272-bed student accommodation at St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge, forward-funded by Legal & General), Elizabeth and Juno Way Industrial Estates (central-London logistics), Spillers Mill (19 luxury Cambridge apartments), and Haverhill Retail Park. The portfolio serves 88 occupiers with a WAULT of 8.1 years and is leased to a mix of life-science tenants (Domainex, IONTAS, Maxion Therapeutics, PhoreMost, ViaNautis, Welbeck Health Partners), industrial occupiers (DHL, Topps Tiles, Screwfix, RS Components), and institutional partners (Legal & General, Schroder REIT, Universities Superannuation Scheme). The business is supported by senior property talent recruited from Cromwell, Aberdeen, Henderson, Nuveen, Derwent London, JLL and PwC. Capital Ventures deploys growth capital into knowledge-intensive businesses addressing social, technological, environmental or humanitarian challenges (Koalaa, mOm Incubators, Edozo, and historically Drive Assist and Sellite). Revenue is generated through rental income on the property portfolio, development profits on forward-funded and sold schemes (e.g., St John's Retail Park sold to Schroder REIT for £34m in 2015, Raynham Road for c. £14m in 2018, Haverhill for £8m in 2020), and equity returns from venture investments. Distribution is direct to universities and institutional investors, supplemented by retained agents JLL and Savills for Unity Campus lettings.
Howard Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Howard Group
- Legal name
- Howard Ventures Ltd
- Website
- https://howard-ventures.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1935
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Howard Group is a third-generation family-owned UK property developer and investor managing 24 properties across office, science parks, student accommodation, industrial/logistics and residential, with a £150m+ asset base, alongside a venture capital arm backing knowledge-intensive businesses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Howard Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Property Development and Investment
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Management of Companies and Enterprises (551)
- SIC
- Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Investors, Nec (6799), Operative Builders (1531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real Estate Portfolio & Fund Management (Institutional/REIT/PE) (BPAJAMAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Innovation & Technology Scouting Units (with investment mandate) (FSANAHAI), Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)
Keywords
Where Howard Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Howard Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Property Investment Income: Rental income from diversified portfolio of commercial properties including offices, business parks, industrial/logistics, student accommodation, and residential assets. Portfolio includes 24 properties totaling over 1 million sq ft with 88 occupiers and WAULT of 8.1 years.
- Property Development Profits: Profits from developing and selling or forward-funding property schemes. Examples include Mount Pleasant Halls (sold to Legal & General), Haverhill Retail Park (sold for £8m), and ongoing development at Unity Campus.
- Capital Ventures Returns: Growth capital investments in knowledge-intensive businesses across diverse sectors with social impact focus, including life sciences, proptech, and healthcare. Returns generated through equity appreciation and exits.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Howard Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Howard Group is a regional property developer and investor that develops, owns, and manages a diversified portfolio of commercial properties including offices, business parks, industrial/logistics estates, student accommodation, and residential assets across the East of England and London. The company also operates a Capital Ventures division providing growth capital and strategic support to knowledge-intensive businesses in life sciences, healthcare, and proptech. Revenue is generated through long-term rental income from 24 properties covering 1m+ sq ft with 88 occupiers, development profits on forward-funded schemes, and equity returns from venture investments.
Product overview
Howard Group operates two main divisions: Property Ventures and Capital Ventures. Property Ventures encompasses property investment, development, and asset management across office, business parks, industrial/logistics, student accommodation, and residential sectors. The company's flagship property projects include Unity Campus (260,000 sq ft science and technology hub), Mount Pleasant Halls (272-bed student accommodation), Elizabeth and Juno Way Industrial Estates (London logistics/distribution), Spillers Mill (Cambridge residential), and Haverhill Retail Park. Capital Ventures provides growth capital to knowledge-intensive businesses addressing societal challenges. The portfolio comprises 24 properties totaling over 1m sq ft with net assets exceeding £120m.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Unity Campus A 260,000 sq ft urban innovation district and science and technology hub located 8 miles south of Cambridge, designed to support the South Cambridge life science and technology cluster with laboratory, office, and R&D accommodation.
- Mount Pleasant Halls Award-winning student accommodation development providing 272 ensuite rooms and studio flats for St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge, featuring high-specification shared spaces and modern facilities.
- Elizabeth and Juno Way Industrial Estates Transformative industrial and distribution estates on the border of Bermondsey and Lewisham boroughs in London, providing commercial expansion opportunities for SME and national brand occupiers including DHL, Topps Tiles, Screwfix and RS Components.
- Spillers Mill Historic flour mill conversion in Cambridge CB1 area acquired in 2015, comprising 19 luxury apartments located adjacent to Cambridge central train station.
- Property Investment Portfolio Diverse portfolio of investment property assets across office, business parks, industrial/logistics, student accommodation and residential sectors. Net assets of £120m+ and total assets of £150m+, covering 24 properties, 1m+ sq ft, and 88 occupiers.
- Property Ventures Property investment, development and asset management division focusing on high-quality innovative places including student accommodation, knowledge-intensive business environments, and commercial properties across the east of England.
- Capital Ventures Growth capital funding and strategic support to mid-sized businesses across diverse sectors, with a preference for knowledge-intensive businesses addressing social, technological, environmental or humanitarian challenges.
- Haverhill Retail Park Completed retail park development offering over 27,000 sq ft of high-quality retail accommodation with landscaped parking, fully-let to national operators including Pets at Home, Home Bargains and Pure Gym.
Quantifiable outcome
- Net assets £120m+, total assets £150m+
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Howard Group
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Howard Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Howard Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Carter JonasminorColin Brown, Partner and Head of Planning & Development at Carter Jonas, appointed Chair of LandAid Eastern Regional Board. Carter Jonas is national property consultancy.
- Morgan Sindall ConstructioncoreAppointed as sole contractor for construction of three new wet laboratory buildings at Unity Campus (Phase 2). Buildings completed end of 2023: Cadence, Sigma, and Orion totaling approximately 159,000 sq ft of laboratory and office space.
- LandAidcoreProperty industry charity working to end youth homelessness. Howard Group participates in SleepOut fundraising events. Colin Brown (Howard Group) appointed Chair of LandAid's Eastern Regional Board.
- Hilson MorancoreAppointed as Sustainability Consultant for Unity Campus as part of Howard Group's aspiration to achieve net zero carbon property portfolio by 2035.
- Cambridge UniversitycoreHoward Group works with Cambridge colleges (especially St Edmund's College) for student accommodation and research facilities. Unity Campus serves the Cambridge life science and technology cluster.
- NBBJcoreWorld-leading architects who designed The Works at Unity Campus. Drew on industrial heritage of two-storey warehouse which formerly stood on site. Designed masterplan for campus with focus on collaboration and connection.
- 3PMcoreProject management partner for Unity Campus development. Patrick Watson, Founding Partner of 3PM, is a Chartered Engineer with 30+ years experience. 3PM are recognized experts in science and technology field, steering design development for sustainable laboratory buildings.
- Nicholas Hare Architects (NHA)coreArchitect for Unity Campus Phase 2 development. Developed design approach to facilitate lowest carbon building possible on journey to achieving UKGBC NetZero 2030/2050 targets. Created three buildings (Orion, Cadence, Sigma) with consistent modern industrial aesthetic.
- St Edmund's College, University of CambridgecoreLong-term partnership for student accommodation development. Primary user of Mount Pleasant Halls with long-term lease and option to acquire freehold. Howard Group involved in homelessness programme working with property community.
- Hill ResidentialminorProperty developer that redeveloped historic Spillers Mill flour mill into 19 luxury apartments. Howard Group acquired freehold off-market from Hill Residential following completion of redevelopment.
- OsbornecoreJoint venture partner for Howard Osborne LLP to develop student accommodation. Osborne specializes in student accommodation development. First JV project was Mount Pleasant Halls for St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge - delivered on time and on budget. Both are multi-generational family-owned businesses sharing similar values.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Howard Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Howard de Walden Estate: Privately-held London estate focused on commercial and mixed-use property in Marylebone. Closest structural comparable: family-controlled, long-dated, professionally-managed UK property owner with comparable governance profile (former CEO Andrew Hynard recently joined Howard Group's board).
- CLS Holdings plc: AIM-listed UK and European commercial property investor and asset manager with a diversified office, industrial and life-science portfolio. Directly comparable as a mid-market UK-listed property investor with similar sector mix and active asset management.
- Helical plc: UK property developer and investor focused on London office and mixed-use schemes. Comparable as a UK-centric property developer/investor with active development pipeline and institutional partnerships.
- Palace Capital plc: AIM-listed regional UK property investor with a multi-sector portfolio. Comparable in scale and regional focus as a smaller, professionally-managed UK property investor.
- Regional REIT plc: AIM-listed REIT focused on regionally-located UK commercial property. Closely comparable diversified UK regional property investor/asset manager with multi-sector exposure.
- Town Centre Securities plc: AIM-listed UK regional property investor and developer with mixed commercial, hotel and car park assets. Comparable mid-market UK regional property investor/operator with diversified sector exposure.
Broad incumbents
- British Land plc: FTSE 100 REIT with a portfolio of UK office and science/innovation campuses including Cambridge Science Park. Larger incumbent with overlapping UK office and life-science real-estate exposure.
- SEGRO plc: FTSE 100 REIT and leading UK/European owner of industrial and logistics property. Comparable as a major institutional owner of UK industrial/logistics assets similar to Howard Group's Elizabeth & Juno Way estates.
Emerging players
- Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust: Small-cap UK commercial property investor. Comparable as a UK regional commercial property vehicle that has transacted with Howard Group (purchased St John's Retail Park for £34m in 2015).
Others
- JLL: Global commercial real-estate services firm and active letting/distribution partner for Howard Group's Unity Campus. Relevant ecosystem participant providing tenant acquisition, valuation and advisory services for the portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Howard Group social profiles
Digital presenceHoward Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Howard Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Howard Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Howard Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Howard Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Howard Group 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 Howard Group
What does Howard Group do?
Howard Group is a regional property developer and investor that develops, owns, and manages a diversified portfolio of commercial properties including offices, business parks, industrial/logistics estates, student accommodation, and residential assets across the East of England and London. The company also operates a Capital Ventures division providing growth capital and strategic support to knowledge-intensive businesses in life sciences, healthcare, and proptech. Revenue is generated through long-term rental income from 24 properties covering 1m+ sq ft with 88 occupiers, development profits on forward-funded schemes, and equity returns from venture investments.
Is Howard Group a public or private company?
Howard Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Howard Group founded?
Howard Group was founded in 1935. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Howard Group based?
Howard Group is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Howard Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Property Investment Income is the primary driver. The others are property Development Profits and capital Ventures Returns.
Who are Howard Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Howard de Walden Estate, CLS Holdings plc, Helical plc, Palace Capital plc, Regional REIT plc and Town Centre Securities plc. Broad incumbents are British Land plc and SEGRO plc. Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust is listed as an emerging player. JLL is listed as an others.
Does Howard Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Howard Group.
What industry is Howard Group in?
Howard Group's product category is Commercial Property Development and Investment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAMAJ, Real Estate Portfolio & Fund Management (Institutional/REIT/PE), with a secondary code of FSANAHAI, Corporate Innovation & Technology Scouting Units (with investment mandate). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6532.