“Building something from the ground up in a new market is challenging but deeply rewarding. What makes it possible is standing on the shoulders of a strong, entrepreneurial firm - leveraging Main’s resources to translate a proven approach into a new market with confidence.”
From Analyst to Investment Manager
Ferdinand joined Main Capital Partners in 2020 as an Analyst in the German office. From day one, he was deeply involved in hands-on investment work, contributing to several German portfolio companies and gaining broad exposure across the investment lifecycle.
“Main gave me responsibility early on,” Ferdinand explains. “Being involved with portfolio companies at such an early stage of my career was a fantastic growth opportunity and really shaped how I think about investing and partnership.”
A defining moment came in 2023, when Main offered Ferdinand the opportunity to relocate to Boston and help establish the firm’s North American operations. “It was an extraordinary step,” he recalls. “What started with just Daan and myself has grown into a team of eight investment professionals and five platform investments. Looking back, it’s been a truly memorable journey.”
Today, as an Investment Manager, Ferdinand is involved throughout the full lifecycle of Main’s US portfolio companies: from initial conversations with founders and managing investment processes to working closely with management teams on growth strategies. In parallel, he actively supports the continued build-out of the North American operations, including recruitment and mentoring junior colleagues.
Building Main’s Presence in the United States
For Ferdinand, the motivation to help establish Main’s US presence was clear from the start. “I immediately saw this as a unique opportunity to translate Main’s successful European playbook to the US market,” he says. “What excited me most was the potential impact – not only for US investments, but also for our European portfolio companies expanding internationally.”
Before opening Main’s affiliate office in Boston, the team conducted extensive bottom-up market research, building out hypotheses on how Main’s investment philosophy could translate to the US. This involved desk research, multiple trips to the US, and in-depth conversations with local entrepreneurs.
“Once we committed, we focused on building the right team,” Ferdinand says. “Relocating colleagues from Europe helped preserve Main’s culture, while local hires brought deep market knowledge. In fact, we met our first local hire during our very first trip to Boston – he’s now an Associate and has grown alongside the team.”
Navigating a New Market
Launching in the US came with its challenges. “As a new entrant, we initially had limited brand recognition in a very large market,” Ferdinand explains. “Our pre-entry research helped us focus on specific segments where we believed Main’s approach would resonate most.”
The team also leveraged Main’s long history of building international software groups. Previous US exposure through European portfolio companies, as well as cross-border acquisitions, provided valuable credibility and insights. “That experience gave us a strong starting point to build our local network and proprietary deal flow,” he says.
Cultural differences were another important consideration. “To truly act as a trusted partner, you need to understand the local context,” Ferdinand notes. “Living full-time in the US and hiring local talent early on helped us bridge that gap quickly.”
From an investor’s perspective, Ferdinand highlights the speed and scale of the US market as key differentiators. “Decision-making tends to be faster,” he says. “Fortunately, Main’s DNA is built around acting decisively on the right opportunities, which helped us grow a strong portfolio in a relatively short time.”
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on the growth in the North American market, Ferdinand is both proud and ambitious. “When we started in 2023, I never imagined that just a few years later we’d be a team of eight with a rapidly growing portfolio,” he says. “Going forward, we want to build on this momentum – expanding our US portfolio while continuing to build transatlantic software groups.”
Personal Reflections
Ferdinand’s advice to aspiring investment professionals? “Develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Private equity constantly presents new challenges, and being willing to roll up your sleeves and dive in – whether for a portfolio company or a new investment idea – makes all the difference.”
At Main, that mindset continues to drive growth – across product markets, across regions, and across careers.
At Main you will enter a dynamic work-environment and collaborate cross-border, together with a young, ambitious and international team. Check out our vacancies to see if there's a match for you.
To strengthen our fast-growing operations in our office in The Hague, we are looking for an Assistant Financial Controller.
Due to the growth of our portfolio and our active support of portfolio companies in Go-to-Market and commercial performance, we are expanding our Performance Excellence team and seeking a Lead to build and drive the Go-to-Market & Topline Growth practice.
Main Capital is expanding its presence towards the UK as part of our continued international growth. To strengthen our operations in our upcoming office in London (UK), we are looking for a new colleague with a proactive mindset and strong analytical skills to join our team as a Business Analyst.
To strengthen our fast-growing operations in our office in Antwerp, we are looking for a new colleague with a proactive mindset and strong analytical skills to join our team as a Business Analyst.
We are looking for a motivated, analytical, and entrepreneurial Analyst to join our Performance Excellence team, focusing on driving the commercial performance of our portfolio companies.