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The acquisition is the first investment of a joint venture with Raleigh, NC-based Edgewater Ventures, an experienced real estate investment firm with assets across the Carolinas.

The fully leased property is located in Morrisville, NC, directly adjacent to the Research Triangle Park – North America’s largest research park. The location provides direct access to the Research Triangle’s base of blue-chip companies as well as graduates and PhDs from three Tier 1 research universities (Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University).

This acquisition marks Optimum’s expansion into the Research Triangle region, an area characterized by strong R&D leasing demand, limited new supply, and a large pool of highly skilled talent.

This transaction follows Optimum’s recent acquisition of an R&D facility in the Greater Boston area, advancing Optimum’s strategy to assemble an institutional R&D portfolio generating 10%+ levered cash yields across core U.S. innovation clusters, which are naturally poised for long-term growth thanks to their focus on the knowledge economy, advanced manufacturing, highly educated workforces, and their Tier 1 universities.

The property benefits from a diverse roster of long-term R&D and data center tenants who have occupied the space for over two decades on average, including Inotiv, a pharmaceutical development company; ERG, an environmental consulting services provider, and the US headquarters of Syntax, a data center and cloud provider for companies such as Amazon Web Services, SAP and Oracle.

Matthew Barry, CEO of Optimum Asset Management USA, said: “This acquisition reinforces our conviction in R&D real estate as a resilient, income-generating asset class. North Carolina’s Research Triangle combines world-class talent with a thriving innovation ecosystem and compelling economics. 601 Keystone Park Drive is exactly the kind of mission-critical, institutional-quality real estate that supports tomorrow’s technologies. We look forward to expanding our U.S. R&D platform across the Research Triangle and Greater Boston – two regions that define the future of innovation.”

Ryan Blackmon, Executive Director of Optimum Asset Management USA, added: “As a Raleigh native, I’m particularly proud to see Optimum expand into the Research Triangle area. The region’s deep research heritage and growing base align perfectly with our strategy to identify infrastructure-rich R&D assets that generate durable, high-yield returns for investors.”

Scot Humphrey, Managing Principal at Edgewater Ventures, said: “We are excited to add 601 Keystone to our growing portfolio of high-quality assets across the Carolinas, one of the fastest growing regions in the United States.”

Tim Skender, Principal at Edgewater Ventures, added: “We continue to be believers in the thematic opportunity to invest in real property serving our region’s innovation economy. While some investors may be pulling back or distracted by legacy investments, we remain focused on and committed to serving the complex needs of the science and technology companies here in the Carolinas driving our country forward. We look forward to pursuing similarly attractive investments in this sector for the foreseeable future.”