Tied Agent

Your regulatory home as a tied agent in Europe.

A tied agent operates under the license and liability of a regulated investment firm. At substnz, you focus on your investors and mandates — we handle the regulatory framework.

A tied agent (vertraglich gebundener Vermittler) is a person or company that provides investment services under the license and liability of a regulated investment firm. At substnz Capital Partners — a BaFin-supervised Wertpapierinstitut in Hamburg — tied agents are registered with BaFin, operate under a WpIG license passported to 17+ EEA markets, and retain full control over their client relationships. Onboarding typically takes 4–8 weeks.

What is a tied agent?

A tied agent (in German: vertraglich gebundener Vermittler) is a natural or legal person who provides investment services on behalf of, and under the full liability of, a licensed investment firm. The concept is defined under MiFID II and allows experienced professionals to broker investments without establishing their own investment firm.

As a tied agent of substnz Capital Partners, you are registered with BaFin and operate under our WpIG license. You retain full control over your client relationships and mandates, while substnz provides the regulatory umbrella, compliance infrastructure, and European market access you need.

What you get as a substnz tied agent

BaFin Registration

You are registered in the official BaFin tied agent register and operate under our WpIG license. Full regulatory legitimacy from day one.

MiFID II Passporting

Access to 17+ European markets through our passported license. Serve professional investors across the EEA from a single regulatory framework.

Compliance Infrastructure

We handle regulatory reporting, compliance monitoring, AML/KYC processes, and supervisory obligations. You focus on capital raising.

Technology Platform

Complimentary access to our fundraising platform: investor CRM, pipeline tracking, virtual data rooms, and invoicing tools.

Transparent Economics

Keep significantly more of what you generate. Clear fee structure with no hidden costs or opaque revenue-sharing arrangements.

Independence

You run your own practice. Choose your mandates, manage your client relationships, and build your business on your terms.

How it works

1

Initial conversation

We discuss your background, target markets, and mandate pipeline to understand whether the tied agent model is right for you.

2

Due diligence & onboarding

We conduct the required fit-and-proper assessment, set up your compliance framework, and prepare the BaFin registration.

3

BaFin registration

substnz registers you as a tied agent with BaFin. You appear in the public register and can begin operating.

4

Launch & ongoing support

You start working with your investors. We provide ongoing compliance support, regulatory updates, and platform access.

Who is this for?

The tied agent model is designed for experienced placement professionals who want to operate independently in the European alternative investments market. Whether you are an individual with deep investor relationships or a small team looking for a regulated home, substnz provides the framework.

Typical tied agents at substnz have backgrounds in placement agency, fund distribution, investor relations, or wealth management. They work with institutional investors, family offices, and professional clients across asset classes like real estate, infrastructure, private equity, venture capital, and private credit.

Who is this not for?

The tied agent model is not suitable for firms that require their own license for strategic or regulatory reasons, such as those seeking to build a proprietary regulated entity, firms that need to execute transactions or hold client assets, or businesses focused on retail investor distribution. It is designed exclusively for professionals serving qualified professional and institutional investors in the alternative investments space.

The substnz platform

17+
EEA Markets
BaFin
Supervised
157452
BaFin Registry

Frequently asked questions

Do I need my own license to become a tied agent?

No. As a tied agent, you operate under the license of substnz Capital Partners. You do not need to establish your own investment firm or obtain your own BaFin license.

Which countries can I operate in?

Through our MiFID II passported license, you can serve professional investors across 17+ European Economic Area markets, including Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, the Nordics, and more.

What asset classes can I work with?

We are product agnostic with a focus on alternative investments. Real estate, infrastructure, private equity, venture capital, private credit, secondaries, co-investments — if your investors qualify as professional clients under MiFID II, we support the placement.

How long does the onboarding process take?

The typical onboarding process, including due diligence, compliance setup, and BaFin registration, takes between 4 and 8 weeks depending on individual circumstances.

Can I keep my existing client relationships?

Absolutely. Your client relationships remain yours. The tied agent model is specifically designed to let you maintain full control over your investor network and mandate pipeline.

Become a Tied Agent

Ready to get started?

Get in touch to discuss how the tied agent model can work for your practice.

contact@substnz.eu