51 North

Launch and Market Entry (May 2021): Christian von Massenbach and Fabian Pötter officially launched 51 North Capital in May 2021, marking their transition from established private markets careers to entrepreneurial independence.

The launch was covered by industry publications including Private Equity International and Real Deals, which highlighted the arrival of a new DACH-focused placement agent with experienced leadership.

In announcing the firm's launch, the founders emphasized their thesis that specialization would become increasingly important in private placement services. "51 North Capital setzt diese Spezialisierung im Bereich Private Placement um" (51 North Capital implements this specialization in the private placement space), they stated in German-language press materials.

Regulatory Structure: The firm operates as a tied agent under the liability umbrella of AHP Capital Management GmbH, a Frankfurt-based investment firm.

This regulatory arrangement allows 51 North Capital to provide investment brokerage and advisory services while maintaining its independent, partner-owned structure.

The firm is registered with the commercial register at District Court Munich under HRB 263691.

51 North Capital was founded by two private markets veterans who launched the firm in May 2021 after deciding to pursue entrepreneurial independence:

Christian von Massenbach, Co-Founder and Managing Director: Von Massenbach previously served as Managing Director at a prominent placement agent, where he developed extensive experience in capital raising across alternative asset classes.

His deep relationships with DACH-region institutional investors and understanding of German-speaking European LP preferences form a cornerstone of the firm's value proposition.

Fabian Pötter, Co-Founder: Pötter brings complementary experience from both the GP and advisory sides of the private markets ecosystem.

His background spans direct investment experience and fundraising advisory, providing the firm with insight into both fund manager and investor perspectives.

Together, the founding partners bring decades of combined experience navigating the DACH fundraising landscape.

Their decision to launch 51 North Capital reflected a shared belief that capital raising could be approached differently—with greater specialization, entrepreneurial flexibility, and genuine alignment between advisor and client.

In a May 2021 interview, the founders discussed their motivation for venturing into independence and the opportunities they saw in providing specialized private placement services focused on the DACH region.

51 North Capital is a partner-owned, regionally-focused placement agent and fundraising advisor to general partners in alternative investments.

Founded in May 2021 by Christian von Massenbach and Fabian Pötter, the firm represents a new approach to private placement services in Europe, built on the principle that specialization drives superior outcomes.

The firm focuses exclusively on institutional investors in the DACH region—Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—where the founders have cultivated long-standing, trusted relationships throughout their careers.

This deliberate regional focus allows 51 North Capital to maintain deep market expertise and an unparalleled network in German-speaking Europe.

While their investor coverage is purposefully regional, their GP clients are global and diverse, spanning alternative asset classes worldwide.

As an independent advisor, 51 North Capital operates as a tied agent under the regulatory umbrella of AHP Capital Management GmbH, providing investment brokerage and advisory services.

The firm positions itself as one of the leading placement agents serving the DACH market, differentiating through entrepreneurial approach, focused expertise, and genuine alignment with clients.

Being 100% partner-owned, the firm tailors engagements for true partnership rather than transactional relationships.

51 North Capital provides comprehensive fundraising and placement services across three core alternative asset classes:

Private Equity: The firm advises GPs on raising capital from DACH-based institutional investors for buyout, growth equity, and venture capital strategies.

They understand the regional preferences and investment criteria that differentiate German-speaking European LPs.

Infrastructure: With infrastructure gaining prominence among European institutional allocators, 51 North Capital helps fund managers access DACH capital for both greenfield and brownfield infrastructure opportunities, including energy transition and digital infrastructure themes.

Private Debt: The firm covers the full spectrum of private credit strategies, connecting GPs with institutional investors seeking exposure to direct lending, distressed debt, mezzanine, and specialty finance opportunities.

Beyond traditional fund placements, 51 North Capital also raises capital for co-investment opportunities, allowing their LP relationships to participate directly alongside fund managers in specific transactions.

The firm proactively seeks to partner with GPs whose products they believe will be attractive in the DACH market, taking a strategic rather than opportunistic approach to capital raising.

Their service model emphasizes quality over quantity, with the founders leveraging their combined GP-advisory and direct investment experience to provide informed counsel throughout the fundraising process.

51 North Capital GmbH is headquartered in Ismaning, Germany, a municipality in the Munich metropolitan area of Bavaria.

The registered address is Dorfstrasse 14, 85737 Ismaning.

This location positions the firm at the heart of one of Germany's most important financial centers, with proximity to Munich's concentration of institutional investors, family offices, and alternative asset managers.

The firm's presence in the Munich area provides strategic access to the broader DACH region while maintaining the entrepreneurial culture and focused approach that differentiates the firm from larger, multi-regional placement agents.

The founding principle of 51 North Capital rests on a conviction that specialization drives superior outcomes in an increasingly competitive private markets landscape.

As the founders articulated in their May 2021 press release, the alternative investments industry has evolved dramatically from a decade ago, when LPs made opportunistic allocations to generalist managers.

Today's environment demands clear differentiation.

"What was once an environment in which LPs had a small allocation to this non-core part of their overall portfolio and would pick one or two generalist GPs just to fill the spot, is now a diverse landscape of fund managers in which specialisation makes a world of difference," the firm noted in their launch communications.

This philosophy manifests in 51 North Capital's deliberate geographic specialization on the DACH region.

Germany, Austria, and Switzerland represent one of the world's deepest pools of institutional capital, with sophisticated allocators ranging from insurance companies and pension funds to family offices and foundations.

By concentrating exclusively on this market, the firm maintains the trusted relationships, cultural understanding, and market intelligence that global GPs need to successfully raise capital from German-speaking European investors.

The firm emphasizes that while their investor coverage is regional, they work with GPs globally across diverse strategies—bringing DACH-specific expertise to international fund managers who recognize that effective fundraising in this market requires specialized knowledge and established relationships.