Proprietary acquisitions
Direct ownership of simple commercial real estate and operating businesses where we underwrite, negotiate, and operate with our own capital.
Research-driven quantitative modelling
Calm diagnostics for investors who stay in control.
Ottava deploys its own balance sheet into income-producing real assets and concentrated public-market holdings. The same research stack—statistical tooling, scenario frameworks, and clear writing—supports our investment decisions and, separately, the educational diagnostics we share with self-directed partners who always execute for themselves.
Thoughtful investment. Disciplined growth.
Owner-operator capital, patient positions, and research tooling built to keep decisions quiet, precise, and durable.
Ottava capital
Owner-operator investing comes first
We deploy our own capital into straightforward UK commercial freeholds, pragmatic operating businesses, and a concentrated book of listed securities. When partners ask how we think, we share the same research stack—without changing the fact that Ottava’s primary work is managing its own assets.
Real assets we pursue
- Neighbourhood retail and mixed-use blocks with sensible leases.
- Small, cash-generative operating companies where owners seek a thoughtful buyer.
- Assets where modest capex, lease work, or process tuning improves cash yield.
Public-market discipline
We treat listed investments as partial ownership.
- Independent research built from primary data and fieldwork.
- Concentrated positions held for years, not quarters.
- Capital allocation records documented for internal and partner review.
- In-house research tooling to audit TWR, NIC, hurdle, and scenario data with precision.
Scenario modelling
Forward-looking cash-flow and valuation models we use internally and, by request, adapt for partners who keep full control.
Powered by proprietary research tooling that chains returns, stresses liquidity, and maps outcomes.
Measurement & reporting
Time-weighted performance measurement, contribution analysis, and high-water-mark tracking across Ottava’s balance sheet and client-provided statements.
Research contexts
Where the modelling is applied
The same analytical discipline supports Ottava's own capital, co-investors exploring real assets, and self-directed individuals allocating to listed markets.
Real assets
Diagnostics for neighbourhood commercial units and pragmatic operating businesses: lease roll analysis, coverage ratios, and scenario modelling for yield improvements.
Public markets
Research memos grounded in primary data, valuation modelling, and downside-aware casework—shared for education, never as instructions to trade.
Private reviews (invitation only)
Monthly or quarterly review sessions for self-directed investors who want a calmer framework. Engagements remain non-discretionary; clients decide and execute every step.
Services
Educational research, never advice
Ottava provides educational analysis, quantitative research, and modelling frameworks derived from the same systems we rely on to manage our own capital. Clients retain control of their accounts, make their own decisions, and execute independently. We do not request trading credentials or initiate transactions.
What you receive
- Portfolio diagnostics & educational scenario analysis.
- Quantitative models tailored to goals, constraints, and liquidity needs.
- Time-weighted measurement, contribution breakdowns, and annual strategy packs.
- Monthly or quarterly review sessions focused on frameworks and decision hygiene.
- Written notes summarising research assumptions, data sources, and caveats.
What we do not do
- No personal recommendations to buy, sell, or hold.
- No arranging of accounts, custodians, or execution venues.
- No discretionary management, rebalancing, or custody of assets.
- No access to trading credentials; only view-only evidence provided by clients.
How partner engagements run
- Clients share read-only evidence (statements, exports, view-only tokens).
- We build models, diagnostics, and scenario memos using the same stack that guides our own capital.
- We present the research during scheduled reviews; there is no execution authority.
- Clients implement—or disregard—the analysis independently with their own platforms.
Fees
Transparent research and modelling fees
Our fees cover research, modelling, and review time. A performance-linked service fee (PLSF) may apply only if your time-weighted return exceeds the hurdle and clears your High-Water Mark, calculated from your broker statements. This does not imply discretionary management.
Initial diagnostic (bespoke)
One-off modelling setup scoped to the complexity of the portfolio and data volume.
- Intake workshop (90 minutes).
- Data ingestion from client-provided evidence.
- Baseline diagnostic memo and next-step plan.
Monthly research retainer
Funds ongoing research, monitoring, and scheduled review sessions.
- Tiered by complexity and meeting cadence.
- Includes scenario refresh and report maintenance.
- Can be paused with 30 days' notice.
Performance-linked service fee (PLSF)
Applies only if TWR > hurdle and High-Water Mark is exceeded, using client statement data.
- PLSF = rate × max(0, TWR − hurdle) × Net Invested Capital.
- Calculated annually; < 90-day stubs incur no PLSF.
- Does not imply discretionary management or advice.
Fees are quoted individually and may be reduced or waived for strategic partners, but the structure above outlines how we account for research time and performance measurement.
Worked example (illustrative only)
If Net Invested Capital averages £500k, the time-weighted return is 9%, the hurdle is 5%, and the agreed PLSF rate is 10%, the fee would be 10% × (9% − 5%) × £500k = £20k. If performance does not exceed the hurdle or High-Water Mark, the PLSF is £0.
Process
How engagements run
Each step is educational, documented, and leaves execution entirely with the client.
-
1. Share view-only evidence
Clients provide statements, exports, or read-only tokens. We never request trading credentials or authority.
-
2. Build and run models
We ingest the evidence, build quantitative models, and prepare diagnostics tailored to your constraints.
-
3. Review sessions
Monthly/quarterly calls walk through the educational analysis, assumptions, and scenario outputs.
-
4. You decide and execute
You review the material and choose whether to act. All implementation happens directly with your platforms.
-
5. Measure and report
We calculate time-weighted returns, net invested capital, hurdles, and High-Water Marks from your data, then refresh the models.
How we think
Principles that guide the research
Whether analysing a modest commercial unit or a listed security, we rely on the same calm, quantitative discipline.
Simplicity first
We focus on assets and scenarios that can be described plainly, reducing interpretive drift.
Capital preservation
Diagnostics pay close attention to balance sheets, coverage ratios, and downside pathways.
Alignment & patience
We think in years and document decisions so clients can revisit the reasoning calmly.
Independent research
We build our own view from primary data. When we share analysis, it is descriptive, not prescriptive.
About Ottava
Research-minded, owner-operator roots
Ottava Holdings Ltd is based in Edinburgh and led by Joseph Fox, a mathematician with degrees in AI and mathematics. That blend of technical and analytical training, combined with pragmatic ownership experience, shapes how we build models and deploy capital.
We deliberately stay small so each acquisition, model, and memo is handled directly by the principals deploying Ottava’s capital. Joseph’s philosophy combines rigorous financial modelling with a long-term, value-focused approach, applied using modern analytical tooling and grounded in real-world ownership. Documentation, quantitative systems, and careful pacing keep both our own portfolio decisions and any research shared with partners transparent.
Focus areas
- Principal investing in real assets and listed businesses.
- Educational research for partners who keep execution.
- Scenario modelling for private investors.
- Measurement frameworks for long-term partners.
Expect
Owner-operator pragmatism, a mathematically rigorous toolkit, legally conscious language, and a refusal to promise outcomes.
Contact
Start a quiet, research-led conversation
Introductions are welcome from independent investors, advisors, or co-investors who want disciplined research. All new private reviews remain by referral or invitation.
Direct channels
- Email: hello@ottavaholdings.com
- Phone: +44 7749 854605 Weekdays · 14:30–21:00 UK time
Best fit
- Self-directed investors managing six-figure portfolios.
- Owners/advisors of straightforward, income-producing assets.
- Partners seeking scenario modelling alongside their own execution.
This enquiry is for educational research and modelling only. It is not financial advice or an invitation to engage in investment activity. Please do not send account credentials.
Ottava Holdings Ltd is a private investment company. We are not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and do not offer personal recommendations, arrange transactions, or provide discretionary portfolio management. All clients retain full control over their investment accounts.