Clearbell Fund Management

The Investment Committee is chaired by Managing Partner Rob West, with Senior Partner Manish Chande and Partner Nick Berry serving as voting members. The three co-founded the firm together from Mountgrange Capital, and the partnership structure means major acquisition and disposal decisions require IC approval. Day-to-day asset management is handled by a dedicated operating team rather than outsourced to third-party property managers.

Clearbell acquires assets through off-market and limited-marketing processes, drawing on a broker network built by Chande and his partners across multiple UK property cycles dating back to the 1990s. The firm's in-house asset management capability allows it to underwrite repositioning plans that sellers view as more credible than bids from managers who require third-party operating partners, which improves access to transactions where certainty of execution is valued by vendors.

Clearbell operates as a private equity real estate fund manager, not a family office. It raises discretionary closed-end commingled funds from institutional investors, including UK local government pension schemes and European institutions. The insurance-company anchor for Fund I gave it a patient-capital foundation, but the firm's fiduciary duty runs to all fund investors on equal terms.

Clearbell was formed in 2014 when Manish Chande spun out the UK property investment team from Mountgrange Capital, the real estate investment and advisory firm he co-founded in 2005. The Clearbell launch vehicle acquired a pipeline of assets that the Mountgrange team had sourced, anchored by a £260 million commitment from Hartford Life Limited. The Clearbell partners wound down Mountgrange's remaining positions before focusing exclusively on the new platform.

Clearbell focuses on UK office, industrial, and retail assets where it can create value through repositioning, refurbishment, or planning gains. The firm has executed hospitality transactions—notably a Travelodge portfolio—and has evaluated residential conversion plays on office assets, but its primary operational expertise is in commercial property where leasing, tenant mix, and capital expenditure drive returns.