Viking Capital is a private equity firm that was established in 2015 by two founders, Ravi Gupta and Vikram Raya. They created Viking after achieving immense success as real estate partners just a few years earlier. Their investment journey began as traditional LP investors in syndication deals and eventually progressed to raising capital for these same sponsors. When they realized they could become sponsors, they took a leap of faith and bet on themselves. They pooled their own funds and money from their families to purchase their first multifamily acquisition. Shortly after, one acquisition led to another, and their success grew. In less than a decade and with nearly a billion dollars in acquisitions, Viking Capital has transformed into the incredible company it is today. Vik and Ravi’s impressive team plays a significant role in this incredible growth. In this article, we take a look inside Viking Capital, your partner in multifamily investments.
Meet Our Founders
Ravi Gupta
Ravi Gupta is the COO and Co-founder of Viking Capital. Before he found his passion for real estate, Ravi’s first love was practicing medicine. He completed his undergraduate studies at UVA and his internal medicine residency at UNC Chapel Hill. Following this, he pursued a fellowship at Duke University, which set him up for a successful career as an academic hospitalist in Virginia for over 15 years. Through his success in medicine, he was able to explore real estate investing. By the age of 43, Ravi became financially independent, which allowed him to take steps toward creating Viking Capital alongside his partner, Vikram Raya.
Vikram Raya
Vikram Raya is the CEO and Co-founder, serving as Ravi’s counterpart. He acts as the visionary and motivator of Viking. Vik also has a background in medicine, being an award-winning cardiologist and functional medicine specialist. Vikram has continued to achieve professional success as an entrepreneur and real estate investment coach while growing Viking Capital. He finds fulfillment in both the continued growth of Viking and in mentoring other physicians to follow in their footsteps.
Road to A Billion
Viking has experienced significant growth since its inception in 2015. In 9 years, Viking has acquired 27 properties amounting to almost a billion dollars. As a company, we have had an exceptional journey, with our investment portfolio containing assets ranging from $12 million to $76 million in value and 14 to 400 units.
Our mission is to identify and assess the most promising multifamily real estate opportunities in the market. Our investment strategy focuses on identifying low-risk, high-value deals that offer substantial potential for value-add enhancements. This protects our investors’ capital while maximizing their long-term growth opportunities.
In line with our growth, our investor base has also expanded. We take pride in having over 1000 investors and growing. Our latest deal, Villas at Sundance, exemplifies our investors’ commitment to Viking, with 57% of the capital coming from reinvestors. As our investor base expands, so does our exceptionally talented team.
The Talent Behind Viking Capital
What began as a venture by two physicians-turned-real estate experts has grown into a formidable team of over 15 dedicated professionals. With seasoned Directors boasting over 60 years of combined real estate experience, it’s no surprise that Viking Capital has achieved remarkable growth and success in the industry. In addition to the Directors, we have impeccable managers and support staff all with dedicated roles to enhance the investor experience and better the company.
Acquisitions
Our acquisitions team, led by our Vice President of Acquisitions, Judah Fuld, is responsible for seeking out the best deals across the nation for our investors. Judah has been with Viking since, 2020 and has 13 years of real estate underwriting experience. Every month, his team assesses hundreds of properties using a precise set of criteria to ensure thorough evaluation before considering them for investment. These criteria act as our guiding principles, helping us identify investments with the highest potential for success.
Investor Relations (IR)
Our Director of Investor Relations, Chris Parrinello, has been with Viking for a little over two years now. His addition to the team has helped accelerate the growth of Viking. Since he arrived in 2022, Viking has added 9 properties to its portfolio, raising over $167M. He has doubled the size of the investor relations team with an emphasis on investor communication, education, and transparency. The investor relations team now consists of a Director, Manager, Concierge, and Analyst, all of whom specialize in individual skills to best help our investors with their personalized needs.
Marketing
Our newest department, in-house marketing, was established in response to the growing demand for Viking. Ashley Penrod, our Director of Marketing, is a marketing expert with strong analytical skills who is driving Viking to new heights. She has assembled a marketing team consisting of a graphic designer, multiple video editors, and a content creator. Since joining just over a year ago, Ashley has assisted the IR team in raising over $49 million. Her efforts have significantly strengthened Viking’s online presence and its standing in the multifamily sector.
Asset Management
Our asset management team is an essential part of Viking. Leading this department is Ed Monarchik, the newest Director of Viking. Despite his relatively short time with our company, his contributions are undeniable. Ed has over 25 years of real estate experience and has played a pivotal role in improving our properties. He has increased occupancy levels, reduced bad debt, and enhanced our tracking measures for all assets. He and his team act as boots on the ground, consistently visiting each property to ensure performance and help us meet deal projections. The asset management team is the core of Viking, and with Ed’s expertise, we have tremendously improved our operations.
Systems and Operations
Our systems and operations team is led by our COO Ravi Gupta and our newest team member Taurean Chambers-Hunter. Taurean joined Viking just over a month ago and has already streamlined our processes and procedures, showing a strong commitment to improving our company. With years of operations experience, specializing in optimizing company performance and efficiency, Taurean is sure to have a strong positive impact on our operations going forward.
Final Thoughts
Viking Capital is steadily progressing towards becoming a billion-dollar company, driven by the exceptional expertise of our talented team. We are committed to continuous evolution, growth, and innovation, striving to be the best version of ourselves for our investors. We deeply value the trust and partnership of our investors and are dedicated to ensuring their experiences are positive and rewarding.
Our team’s collective efforts and dedication keep us moving forward with confidence and excitement as we continue our journey toward even greater achievements. Thank you for being a part of Viking Capital’s success story.
