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CA Ventures
CA Ventures was founded in 2004 by Tom O'Shaughnessy, David Perlman, and others as a vertically integrated real estate investment platform.
CA Ventures
CA Ventures was founded in 2004 by Tom O'Shaughnessy, David Perlman, and others as a vertically integrated real estate investment platform. The firm began with a focus on student housing near major universities, a sector where it established itself through development and property management. O'Shaughnessy serves as CEO; Perlman holds the role of Executive Chairman. The firm's wealth origin is not publicly attributed to a single family, but it operates as an institutional asset manager with a partnership structure. The firm deploys capital across multiple real estate asset classes, including student housing, multifamily residential, senior living, and mixed-use developments. CA Ventures targets ground-up development, value-add repositioning, and stabilized acquisitions in major U.S. markets like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami, as well as select international locations such as Spain and the United Kingdom. Representative portfolio assets include the Standard at Santa Monica development and the Latitude at Sugar Grove student housing project. The firm frequently partners with institutional investors, including pension funds, endowments, and family offices, for individual deals and joint ventures. CA Ventures has offices in Chicago, New York, Culver City, San Francisco, and Miami. The firm employs over 300 professionals across investment, development, property management, and construction functions. In 2023, the company announced the launch of its senior living platform, CA Senior Living, to develop and operate independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities (per firm communications, 2023). The firm also maintains a property management subsidiary, CA Management. CA Ventures operates a vertically integrated model unusual among real estate investment firms: it manages development, construction, and property management in-house, allowing control over project execution and operational efficiency across the lifecycle. This structure distinguishes it from pure-play developers or fund managers that outsource those functions. The firm's succession and governance are led by a multi-member executive team rather than a single family principal.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2004
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Chicago
Corporate office
Chicago, IL, United States
Additional offices
New York, NY, United States · Culver City, CA, United States · San Francisco, CA, United States · Miami, FL, United States
Principals
Tom O'Shaughnessy
CEO
Jeffrey Jacobs
CIO
David Perlman
Executive Chairman
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at CA Ventures?
Tom O'Shaughnessy serves as CEO and oversees the firm's overall strategy and investment direction. CIO Jeffrey Jacobs leads the investment committee and capital allocation across asset classes. The firm operates with a collaborative executive team rather than a single decision-maker (public record).
How does CA Ventures source proprietary deal flow?
CA Ventures sources deals through a combination of in-house development capabilities, relationships with institutional partners, and a network of brokers and operators across its five U.S. offices. The firm's vertical integration means it can originate and execute ground-up developments, a source of proprietary deal flow that is less common among fund-based competitors.
What investment stages does CA Ventures typically target?
CA Ventures targets the full real estate capital stack: it will originate ground-up developments, acquire value-add properties for repositioning, and purchase stabilized assets for core-plus returns. The firm's deployment spans development through to stabilized income, with a bias toward value creation through active management.
Does CA Ventures participate only in direct real estate deals, or also fund commitments?
CA Ventures primarily executes direct real estate deals—acquisitions, development projects, and joint ventures—rather than committing to third-party funds. It often partners with institutional capital via joint ventures and club deals, where CA Ventures serves as the operating partner. The firm does not market commingled funds to external LPs; its capital comes from institutional investors and its own balance sheet.
Which sectors does CA Ventures explicitly focus on?
CA Ventures concentrates on four core sectors: student housing, multifamily residential, senior living, and mixed-use developments. The firm has also selectively pursued off-campus student housing and market-rate apartments. It does not typically allocate to office, industrial, or retail unless as part of a mixed-use project (public record and portfolio disclosures).
How is CA Ventures related to CA Senior Living and CA Management?
CA Senior Living and CA Management are wholly owned subsidiaries of CA Ventures. CA Senior Living was launched in 2023 as a dedicated platform for developing and operating independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities. CA Management handles property management for the firm's portfolio, including student housing and multifamily assets. Both entities operate under the CA Ventures umbrella, reinforcing the vertical integration model.
Where does the underlying wealth behind CA Ventures come from?
CA Ventures is not a family office; it is an institutional real estate asset manager founded by a group of principals whose personal wealth origins are not publicly attributed to a single family or fortune. The firm's capital comes from institutional investors, joint venture partners, and its own balance sheet, rather than a single family's wealth.
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