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Closer Group
Zhang Xin and Pan Shiyi founded Closer Group in 2015 as the primary investment vehicle for the wealth generated by SOHO China, the commercial real estate...
Closer Group
Zhang Xin and Pan Shiyi founded Closer Group in 2015 as the primary investment vehicle for the wealth generated by SOHO China, the commercial real estate developer they built into one of Beijing's largest office landlords. The firm, originally known as Seven Valleys, anchors itself in New York, where the couple now resides, and is led day-to-day by Founding Partner and CEO Peter Ravailhe. The family's son, Sean Pan, works within the media arm. Closer Group deploys capital directly into real estate, private equity, venture, private credit, and media. Its real estate book concentrates on premier North American assets, including the General Motors Building at 767 Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue Plaza, the Lyrik mixed-use project in Boston's Back Bay, and an Upper East Side development site. Public equity filings and press reports have confirmed positions in enterprise technology, with a known venture focus on early-stage cybersecurity companies. The firm engages in both fund commitments and direct co-investments across its target geographies of North America, Europe, and Asia. The office maintains a lean professional footprint, with dedicated teams for real estate (Closer Properties, led by President Jason Kaufman) and media (Closer Media, led by President Jonathan King). Zhang Xin serves on the global advisory board of the Council on Foreign Relations and is a trustee of MoMA. The family's philanthropic activity flows through the SOHO China Foundation and related scholarship vehicles. In September 2023, Closer Media premiered its first feature film at the Toronto International Film Festival, signaling an appetite for content production as both investment and family enterprise. Closer Group's structure as a single-family office with named operating divisions — rather than a pooled fund or external asset manager — gives it an investment horizon that can match the decades-long holding period of its real estate portfolio. This architecture allows the family to pair permanent core holdings like the GM Building with venture-stage bets and media projects without an outside LP's duration constraint.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
2015
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
Zhang Xin
Founder
Pan Shiyi
Founder
Peter Ravailhe
Founding Partner and CEO
Jonathan King
President of Closer Media
Jason Kaufman
President of Closer Properties
Sean Pan
Creative Executive at Closer Media
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Closer Group?
Founding Partner and CEO Peter Ravailhe oversees day-to-day operations and investment execution. Founders Zhang Xin and Pan Shiyi retain ultimate decision-making authority on major allocations. The organization operates through named division heads — Jason Kaufman leads Closer Properties and Jonathan King runs Closer Media — who have investment discretion within their verticals.
How does Closer Group source proprietary deal flow?
Zhang Xin's networks in global policy, art, and Asian business — she sits on the Council on Foreign Relations global board, the Harvard Global Advisory Council, and the Asia Business Council — provide early look at opportunities that do not reach broad auction. The family's status as a direct buyer of trophy real estate also attracts off-market offerings from banks and brokers seeking certain execution.
Is Closer Group structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
It is a single-family office that makes direct venture investments alongside core real estate and media holdings. The venture activity does not involve outside limited partners and is not a fund structure; Closer invests balance-sheet capital, which removes the fundraising cycle and allows the family to hold positions indefinitely.
Does Closer Group participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Closer allocates to both. It writes direct checks into real estate, private equity, and venture, while also committing capital to external funds. The exact split between fund commitments and direct co-investments is not publicly disclosed.
What investment stages does Closer Group typically target?
Altss research confirms early-stage and venture-stage exposure, particularly in enterprise software and cybersecurity. The firm does not publicly disclose a concentration limit or stage mandate.
How is Closer Group related to SOHO China?
Closer Group manages the private wealth generated by Zhang Xin and Pan Shiyi's founding and scaling of SOHO China, the Beijing-based commercial developer. SOHO China is a publicly listed operating company; Closer is the family's separate private investment office and is not a subsidiary.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The fortune originates from large-scale commercial real estate development in China, built through SOHO China, which Zhang Xin and Pan Shiyi co-founded in 1995. The firm became one of the dominant office landlords in Beijing and Shanghai before the couple began selling down assets and relocating their investment base to the United States.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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