Updated:
Somerston Group
Somerston Group traces its founding to 1854 when the Chapman family entered shipping. Fifth-generation principals now oversee the holdings through a...
Somerston Group
Somerston Group traces its founding to 1854 when the Chapman family entered shipping. Fifth-generation principals now oversee the holdings through a single-family office structure based in Jersey. The wealth originated in nineteenth-century shipping and later expanded into property development. The firm allocates across real estate, private equity, venture capital and listed securities. It executes through direct co-investments and SPVs rather than broad fund commitments. Confirmed positions include River Islands mixed-use development in Lathrop, California, the Olympia Shopping Centre in Brno, Czech Republic, the Newbridge Retail Portfolio in Poland and the Somerston Health Portfolio across Europe. Activity spans North America and Europe with additional exposure to AI/ML, Edge & IoT and military technology themes. No public headcount or AUM figure exists. The firm maintains The Somerston Foundation as its philanthropic vehicle. Tom Powell represents the group at Jersey Finance and chairs the Sustainable Finance subcommittee at the Jersey Funds Association. No operational events from the last 24 months appear in public records. Somerston Group functions as a multi-generation single-family office that also accepts capital from other families sharing its investment approach. This structure creates a hybrid mandate that blends internal permanent capital with selective external partnerships while retaining full control over deployment decisions.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
1854
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Jersey
City
St. Helier
Corporate office
4th Floor, Windward House, La Route de la Liberation, St Helier, Jersey JE2 3BQ, Channel Islands
Principals
Mark Chapman
Chairman
Allan Chapman
Executive Director
Andrew Chapman
Director
Christopher Chapman
Director
Stephen Chapman
Senior Associate, Innovation team
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Somerston Group?
Mark Chapman serves as Chairman. Allan Chapman, Andrew Chapman and Christopher Chapman hold director-level roles. Stephen Chapman works in the innovation team.
How does Somerston Group source proprietary deal flow?
The firm relies on long-standing relationships with aligned international partners and operates through direct co-investments and SPVs.
Is Somerston Group structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
It remains a single-family office that also accepts capital from other families sharing its investing ethos.
Does Somerston Group participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
It executes through direct co-investments, SPVs, private credit and private equity rather than broad fund commitments.
What investment stages does Somerston Group typically target?
The firm targets long-term holdings across private equity, venture capital and real estate without specified stage restrictions.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
Wealth originated from nineteenth-century shipping interests and subsequent property development.
Does Somerston Group maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
The Somerston Foundation serves as the philanthropic vehicle and operates separately from the investment holdings.
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.
Need institutional-grade insight on family offices?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: