Turning Brown into Green: How Apeiron Transformed 500K M² of Real Estate into Sustainable Assets (#094)

SRI360 | Sustainable & Responsible Investing, Impact Investing, ESG, Socially Responsible Investing

My guest today is Vojkan Brankovic, founder of Apeiron, a principal investment firm that is shaping the future of sustainable real estate investment. Founded in 2013, Apeiron has established itself as a leader in high-impact real asset opportunities, specializing in logistics real estate across Europe.

With over 30 years of investment management experience, Vojkan has positioned Apeiron at the forefront of logistics real estate investment, currently managing a portfolio of 500,000 square meters across strategic German locations spanning the full value chain from opportunistic and value-add to core+ strategies.

Vojkan's journey into real estate began far from the world of buildings and investments, with his early years spent between Sweden and Belgrade, Serbia, followed by time in the UK. This upbringing shaped much of his entrepreneurial mindset and leadership style.

Growing up in these diverse cultures gave him an early understanding of adaptability and collaboration, 2 key factors that would later influence how he built Apeiron. It was this exposure to different ways of thinking, working, and leading that laid the foundation for his approach to business.

While his background had always been in business and finance, he found his true passion in real estate. He saw it not just as a way to generate financial returns, but as an opportunity to make a positive environmental impact.

This vision was rooted in the recognition that the real estate sector, particularly logistics, was one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions. But it was also where he saw the greatest potential for change.

What sets Vojkan apart is how he’s using real estate as a way to do good while making money. For him, it's about transforming inefficient buildings into assets that serve a greater purpose.

His vision for sustainable, technology-enabled logistics infrastructure has attracted partnerships with leading institutional investors from Korea and the Middle East, demonstrating the global appeal of Apeiron's differentiated investment approach.

One of the interesting features of Apeiron is its lean approach to business. While many firms in the real estate investment space operate with large teams and complex structures, Apeiron keeps things simple and efficient. With just 5 people in its team, the firm can make quick strategy decisions and stay nimble in an industry that’s often slow to change.

Through Apeiron, Vojkan is demonstrating that real estate doesn’t just have to be about buildings and profits—it can be about purpose, too.

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Additional Resources:

🔹 Apeiron Capital Limited Website: https://www.apeiron.com/

🔹 Vojkan Brankovic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brankovic/

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Books mentioned:

🔹 “The Culture Map,” Erin Meyer: https://amzn.to/4lDLhI6

🔹 “The Edge: How competition for resources is pushing the world, and its climate, to the brink – and what we can do about it,” Jonathan Maxwell: https://amzn.to/3TrJ86r

Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Growing up and early influences (00:03:48)

3. Education and early career (00:04:42)

4. First job and early career challenges (00:09:54)

5. Transition to capital markets and private equity (00:12:19)

6. Overview of Apeiron Capital Limited (00:21:31)

7. Sustainability and ESG focus (00:26:21)

8. Investment strategy and market opportunities (00:30:31)

9. Impact of ESG on financial returns (00:40:48)

10. Returns from logistics real estate transformation (00:47:25)

11. Institutional investors increasingly require ESG measures in their investments (00:49:19)

12. ESG-aware investment structures like Green Lease Clauses (00:50:43)

13. ESG backlash and communication challenges (00:59:01)

14. Power and energy consumption trends (01:04:23)

15. SMRs and data center energy needs (01:11:39)

16. Challenges in sustainable real estate investing (01:18:53)

17. Lessons learned from investments (01:19:42)

18. Advice for entering sustainable real estate investing (01:23:27)

19. Final thoughts and contact information (01:24:54)