Los Angeles-headquartered Stockdale Capital Partners has launched a real estate credit platform, expanding the real estate investment firm’s strategy beyond equity investments.

The new platform will focus on providing flexible capital solutions across the US, including senior bridge loans, mezzanine loans, note purchases and special situation investments across a broad range of commercial real estate asset classes.

Stockdale has set a short-term goal of deploying roughly $300m (£222.8m) over the next 12 months.

Read more: BridgeInvest raises $612m for US speciality RE credit fund

“Stockdale has selectively invested in credit opportunities over the years and the launch of a dedicated credit vertical formalizes that effort and positions us to leverage our growing operating platform to pursue debt investments with greater scale, focus, and consistency,” said co-founder and managing partner, Daniel Michaels.

Read more: Delancey hires capital strategies director as it grows credit platform

Alongside the launch, the firm also appointed Alec Maki as senior vice president of credit investments, with further hires in the pipeline.

Maki joins from Fortress Investment Group, where he worked in the firm’s real estate debt originations team. He has a track record of participating, underwriting and executing financings across multifamily, office, retail, hospitality, industrial, land and condominium assets throughout the US, worth more than $4bn in transaction volume.

Read more: Macquarie expands US RE debt platform with hire

Maki, who will be based in New York, says Stockdale will initially target loan opportunities ranging from $15m to $75m where fewer capital providers are active. The strategy will remain flexible across geographies and property types, including office, life science and hospitality assets, where market liquidity has remained limited.

“By leveraging the firm’s vertically-integrated operational expertise across asset classes, we will be able underwrite transactions more efficiently, better assess risks with greater conviction, and structure flexible capital solutions for borrowers facing complex situations,” said Maki.