Yugo Accelerates U.S. Expansion Acquiring Leading Student Housing Operator Campus Advantage

September 03, 2025 at 08:00 AM EDT

Acquisition ignites a new movement for U.S. student housing
Accelerates Yugo’s strategic global growth and brand presence
Delivers immediate combined scale for Yugo across 28 states and 88 properties
Strong cultural alignment delivering impact and commercial edge
Introduction of Yugo’s global leading technology platform to the U.S.
Mike Peter will lead as CEO of Yugo U.S. and Jim Sholders joins as President - two industry heavyweights bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience

Yugo, the first global student housing brand and operator, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Campus Advantage, an industry leading student housing property management business and real estate investment management firm in the U.S.

This acquisition ignites Yugo’s brand power and a new movement to transform its impact on the student housing sector. It reinforces Yugo’s commitment to delivering performance, value and opportunity to property owners and clients.

Yugo, is part of The Dot Group, and is a leading and well-established student housing brand, operating across the U.S.. As the largest and most diversified student housing operator globally, Yugo spans 14 countries and 120 cities, creating a Yugo home for 160,000 student customers in 2025.

Campus Advantage will transition to Yugo U.S., welcoming over 430 new team members, and will add immediate and significant scale in both properties and talent base, with a combined market reach of nearly 40,000 beds across 88 properties in 28 states.

With this acquisition, Yugo has deepened and extended its operational capacity that provides breadth and depth of experience to enable accelerated growth in North America. This is the next step in Yugo’s plan to redefine student housing management in the U.S. and globally.

Campus Advantage, founded in 2003 by Mike Peter and headquartered in Austin, Texas, shares a strong cultural and pioneering alignment with Yugo, that will deliver impact and commercial edge.

Mike Peter, with immediate effect will be CEO of Yugo U.S. and joins the global C-Suite leadership team. With over 30 years of experience, he brings a deep passion for the sector and a wealth of industry knowledge that will elevate the leadership team and deliver enhanced performance.

As part of this transaction and to further strengthen the newly combined leadership team, Jim Sholders will be joining the business as President of Yugo U.S. to lead the operational team that will deliver scale and efficiencies across the Yugo brand for clients and students.

Jim is a heavyweight of the student housing sector and brings an impressive resume having previously held the CEO and COO roles at Campus Life & Style, and prior to that spent 15 years at American Campus Communities.

Yugo also plans on establishing a new benchmark across the U.S. by introducing its global leading technology platform and commercial partnerships — a transformative step that will be game changing to its value proposition and the future.

TD Securities acted as advisers to Yugo and the broader Dot Group with legal and tax advice provided by Greenberg Traurig and PWC.

Nicholas Porter, CEO of The Dot Group commented: “This is a defining moment for Yugo that will ignite a new movement for the U.S. student housing industry. We don’t follow the market – we evoke a point of difference by setting the pace across our industry. With this transaction we have created an operational powerhouse to elevate the Yugo brand and deliver a U.S. growth strategy to position Yugo as the leading student housing operator in the country.

Combining Yugo’s unrivalled global expertise with Campus Advantage’s deep local market knowledge and operational excellence creates the scale and reach to do something truly different. I am delighted to welcome the entire Campus Advantage team to this exciting next chapter. With over three decades of pioneering leadership and proven track record, having Mike Peter lead Yugo U.S. is only accretive and will be key to our future success.”

Mike Peter, CEO of Yugo U.S. said: “This is an exciting time and a unique opportunity for our business and industry. Since I started Campus Advantage almost 23 years ago, I have been passionate about the industry, unlocking potential with great partners and supercharging growth.

Joining Yugo, allows us to be part of something bigger with real momentum and provides the scale and scope to elevate our operations and asset values while securing new opportunities for our people, students and clients. I also welcome Jim Sholders as President of Yugo U.S., his leadership and experience will be integral to delivering operational excellence and I am looking forward to getting started with our talented teams."

About Yugo

Yugo is the first global student housing brand and operator redefining student living on a global scale and bringing next-level experiences to student life and beyond. We’re not just about housing — we’re about creating vibrant, sustainable, and supportive spaces where students can thrive. Yugo’s leading management approach draws on over 30 years of experience to efficiently operate student spaces at scale, expand into new markets, and create value for our partners through enhanced student experiences.

Yugo forms part of The Dot Group and includes over 280 student living spaces in 14 countries in more than 120 of the world’s top educational cities. Globally it is the largest and most diversified student housing operator in the world creating a Yugo home for 160,000 student customers.

In 2025, Yugo became the exclusive student housing operating partner of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (“VCARB”) Formula One™ Team, providing students unparalleled access to unique opportunities and experiences worldwide.

For further information please visit: www.yugo.com

About Campus Advantage

Campus Advantage is a real estate investment management firm fostering financially prosperous, higher education student housing communities through its acquisition, property management, and revenue management services. Campus Advantage has also partnered to create Centricity, which serves the real estate industry through managed services including HR, Payroll, IT, insurance, risk management, and related services. Catalyst, another division of Campus Advantage, serves the industry as a premier marketing agency focused on brands and digital marketing. Since its founding in 2003, Campus Advantage has been creating successful communities that provide rewarding living, learning, and career experiences. The company’s asset acquisition and management strategies combined with its dedication to residence life and student development have made Campus Advantage one of the largest student housing and property management companies in the United States. We believe the Future Lives Here.

Learn more at www.campusadv.com.