Chatham Financial Acquires Tech Startup Verumex, Advancing CRE Data Management for the Industry

  • Infrastructure
  • 03.10.2024 09:45 am

Chatham Financial, a global leader in financial risk management technology and advisory, announced its acquisition of Verumex (VmX), a comprehensive global data platform serving the complex needs of the commercial real estate (CRE) industry. The combined firm will enable CRE investors and asset managers to resolve common challenges associated with poor CRE data quality, improving day-to-day efficiency, and increasing decision-making confidence for clients.

CRE veterans Nick Laird, Paul Hiatt, and Ravi Vijayaraghavan founded VmX in 2018 to bring a holistic data strategy to the industry, addressing the widespread challenges investors face in managing scaled portfolios with delayed, incomplete, and inaccurate information. VmX leverages a proprietary data platform and expert-driven services to aggregate, standardize, and clean commercial real estate data regardless of portfolio size and geography, unlocking confidence in data-driven insights and decisions.

“The lack of access to real time data combined with poor data quality leads to ineffective analysis and significant wasted time for CRE asset and investment managers,” said Nick Laird, CEO and co-founder of VmX. “Other solutions have come up short because they lack VmX’s structured tech platform and sophisticated validation rules engine paired with knowledgeable domain experts onboarding and validating the data. This combination of tech and data service gives firms the engine fueling all other systems, analyses, and decisions.”

Integration of VmX’s technology and services teams into Chatham’s debt and derivatives advisory and software creates a consolidated source to actively and intelligently manage CRE assets and liabilities. With over $4 billion notional hedged per business day, over 250,000 daily derivative valuations, and over $1.7 trillion in debt principal on Chatham’s system, the expanded Chatham platform of solutions positions CRE investors with a competitive edge and ability to drive strategic outcomes.

Laird went on to note, “Chatham is a natural fit to take our platform from startup to the industry standard for investors large and small. Chatham started in CRE and continues to be the leader in world class capital markets solutions.”

The VmX acquisition reinforces Chatham’s uncompromising commitment to client service. “Chatham’s CRE clients partner with us knowing we will empower their capital markets decisions and strategies with complete expertise and quality across advisory, data, and software solutions,” said Matt Henry, CEO of Chatham Financial. “We’re known for having best-in-class talent to serve our clients, and the addition of the VmX team builds on that reputation.”

VmX was backed by leading firms in the CRE industry, including Morgan Stanley Investment Management. “The VmX platform and services are core to our ability to comprehensively analyze our investment portfolio data,” said John Klopp, Managing Director and Head of Global Real Assets for Morgan Stanley. “We believe the acquisition and integration into the Chatham ecosystem will be a game changer for the industry.”

Under the acquisition, VmX is now wholly owned by Chatham Financial.

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