About CapInsights Partners
Navigating Evolving Investor and Asset Manager Dynamics
Investors and asset allocators are evolving and maturing in a way that is driving an opportunity set for emerging managers to raise capital.
There are limited number of seasoned fundraising professionals capable and willing to help with emerging managers.
Asset Managers Face Certain Truths
- There are costs to raising capital that can be measured in time, money and emotions – our role is to mitigate those costs
- Fund raising typically takes longer than most investment professionals realize
- Multiple 'touches' are required to just get a meeting with most investors, and multiple additional meetings to get a check
- Potential investors are inundated with opportunities – you must stand out
- For every 50 Fund II investors, there may be only two or three Fund I investors
- For every ten Fund I second close investors, there may be one or two willing to be first closers in a Fund I – and they negotiate accordingly
- Successful fundraises are built around a sound process, it’s not as simple as dialing through a rolodex
Our Team
With over 80 years of collective experience, the CapInsights team specializes in raising capital within the alternative investment arena. We are a close-knit and collegial group, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie built over a decade of collaboration. Comprised of entrepreneurial individuals, we derive satisfaction from assisting others in achieving success. Our team boasts a robust and complementary network of allocator relationships that seamlessly align with our Investment Manager partnerships.
CapInsights has offices in Greenwich, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Orlando.
Steve Nelson
Steve Nelson
Founder
Steve Nelson founded CapInsights Partners in 2020 with a vision to provide capital formation and consultation for emerging and niche asset managers. Leveraging his expertise, Steve established CapInsights with the goal to partner with “undiscovered” investment managers seeking fundraising advice and guidance. Steve’s network of relationships extends deeply into the institutional, family office, and RIA space, offering CapInsights a unique advantage in connecting with a diverse array of clients. His extensive connections within the UHNW sector and RIA space specifically enhance the firm’s ability to navigate and excel in these specialized domains. Prior to CapInsights, Steve served as Managing Director at Magnetar Capital, a leading alternative asset manager specializing in fixed-income energy, quantitative, and event-driven strategies. Steve also contributed to the investor relations team at Och-Ziff and gained valuable investment experience at SCS Financial and Alternative Investment Partners (AIP).
Steve holds a BA from Hamilton College, where he was a member of the varsity basketball team during his tenure at the school.
Eric Perry
Eric Perry
Managing Director
Eric Perry joined CapInsights Partners with an unmatched and unique expertise in business development that he can strategically leverage with partners. Serving as a Managing Director on Varde Partners’ business development team for eight years (2012 to 2020), Eric played a pivotal role in building new client relationships across institutional and family office investors in North America, the Middle East, and Australia. His extensive network, cultivated during this period, extends prominently into the UHNW, family office and institutional space, encompassing capital formation for drawdown and evergreen structures. This strategic advantage uniquely positions CapInsights within the capital advisory industry. From 2020 to 2022, Eric partnered with former Varde Colleagues to launch Hyland Hill, an alternative credit investment firm, where he and his partners successfully raised their first institutional fund. Prior to Varde and Hyland Hill, Eric was a Senior Vice President in Business Development at Mesirow Financial from 2009-2012 and spent two years in Abu Dhabi as part of a joint venture with Mubadala, a United Arab Emirates investment company. He also spent 5 years on the business development team at UBS.
Eric hold a BA from St. Cloud State University.
Rob Schwab
Rob Schwab
Managing Director
Rob Schwab, currently serving as Managing Director at CapInsights Partners, draws on his 15 years of asset management experience spanning hedge funds, credit, and private investments. Rob leverages his extensive network of relationships across institutional investors, RIAs, and Family Offices, providing invaluable access to capital for emerging managers, especially those without a comprehensive track record. His deep connections in the family office and RIA space uniquely position CapInsights to navigate and succeed in the evolving landscape. Before joining CapInsights, Rob served as the head of IR & Marketing at Anchor Bolt Capital and was a member of the investor relations team at Och-Ziff Capital Management. His prior experience includes roles at Hatteras Funds, Goldman Sachs, and Putnam Investments.
Rob holds a BA from the College of the Holy Cross in Political Science and is a CAIA charterholder.
Rob Schwab
Thomas Mayes
Chief of Staff
Rob Schwab
Tommy Mayes
Partner
Our Network
The breadth of CapInsights Partners experience across multiple investor channels allows us to assist fund managers through multiple phases of capital formation.
CapInsights Partners have established deep relationships across all channels.