Aries Capital
Aries Capital is a Chicago-based boutique capital advisory firm and family office founded in 1991 that arranges debt and equity capital for lower- and middle-market real estate sponsors and family offices through Capital Advisory, Strategic Equity Investing, and Outsourced CIO verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Aries Capital does
Aries Capital is a Chicago-based boutique capital advisory firm and family office founded in 1991 by Neil Freeman. The firm arranges debt and equity capital for lower- and middle-market real estate sponsors, family offices, and investors, operating across the United States and the Caribbean. Core verticals are Capital Advisory Services (deal sizing, screening, investment memoranda, financial modeling, due diligence, asset management), Strategic Equity Investing through its Aries Strategic Equity Partners (ASEP) flagship — which sources proprietary investments and participates in General Partnership stakes, targeting underserved equity segments under $10MM — and Outsourced CIO Services delivering institutional-quality analysis, investment recommendations, and oversight to sponsors and investors.
The business is principal-led and relationship-driven rather than technology-driven: there is no proprietary software platform, and the firm's investor portal is hosted on a third-party system (agorareal.com). Distribution depends on the founder's multi-decade network and senior origination talent, supported by specialized domain expertise in CMBS origination (pioneer status since 1993), Fannie Mae DUS lending, and the New Markets Tax Credit program via its Urban Development Fund affiliate, which has executed over $1B in tax credit transactions. Across its history, the firm has closed in excess of $8-10B in debt and equity transactions and made $1B+ in principal investments.
Revenue mechanics combine professional services fees (advisory, OCIO), placement fees on arranged capital, and investment returns from GP co-investment positions held through ASEP. The firm is privately held by the Freeman family, headquartered at 350 W Hubbard St in Chicago, and operates with 11-50 employees. Pricing is bespoke and quote-based; no public pricing exists. Customers are predominantly enterprise-tier real estate sponsors and family offices, with notable transactions including Lyft's Atlanta Driver Service Center acquisition, a $50M bridge loan for the Pomona, CA industrial property, and a 2020 hospitality receivership joint venture formed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aries Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aries Capital
- Legal name
- Aries Capital, LLC
- Website
- https://ariescapital.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Aries Capital is a Chicago-based boutique capital advisory firm and family office founded in 1991 that arranges debt and equity capital for lower- and middle-market real estate sponsors and family offices through Capital Advisory, Strategic Equity Investing, and Outsourced CIO verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aries Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Real Estate Capital Advisory
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real Estate Capital Markets Advisory (Debt/Equity Placement, Refinancing) (BPAJANAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Capital Raising Advisory (Debt/Equity/Private Capital) (BPAHADAG), Real Estate Investment Advisory (Acquisitions/Dispositions, Capital Allocation) (BPAJANAA), Commercial Real Estate Asset Management (BPAJAMAB)
Keywords
Where Aries Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Aries Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Capital Advisory Services: Boutique capital advisory services provided to lower- and middle-market real estate firms, including deal sizing, screening, investment memoranda, financial modeling, due diligence, and asset management.
- Strategic Equity Investing: Family office principal investments through Aries Strategic Equity Partners (ASEP), participating in General Partnership of opportunities, targeting niche investment opportunities across real estate and alternative asset classes.
- Outsourced CIO Services: Providing institutional-quality analysis, investment recommendations, and asset management oversight to sponsors and investors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Aries Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aries Capital is a boutique capital advisory and private equity firm that arranges debt and equity capital for lower- and middle-market real estate firms, sources proprietary investments through its ASEP flagship strategy, and provides outsourced CIO services with institutional-quality analysis, financial modeling, due diligence, and asset management oversight to sponsors and family office clients.
Product overview
Aries Capital is a Chicago-based private equity firm founded in 1991 offering a platform of capital advisory and investment services. The core offerings include Capital Advisory Services for real estate firms, Strategic Equity Investing through its Aries Strategic Equity Partners (ASEP) flagship strategy, and Outsourced CIO Services providing institutional-quality analysis and decision-making tools. The platform is backed by a family office mindset with a focus on niche investment opportunities across real estate and alternative asset classes, targeting lower- and middle-market sponsors and underserved equity capital segments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Capital Advisory Services Boutique capital advisory services for lower- and middle-market real estate firms, including deal sizing, screening, comprehensive investment memoranda, debt and equity capital arrangement, and tailored financing solutions.
- Strategic Equity Investing Family office investment strategy that identifies proprietary opportunities across real estate and other alternative asset classes, generating strong returns while maintaining disciplined risk management.
- Outsourced CIO Services (OCIO) Tailored solutions delivering insights, tools, and institutional-quality analysis for sponsors and investors navigating complex investment decisions, including acquisition support, financial modeling, due diligence, asset management, and investment recommendations.
- Aries Strategic Equity Partners (ASEP) Flagship investment strategy that sources proprietary investments and participates in the General Partnership of each opportunity, targeting underserved equity capital segments under $10MM across real estate and alternative asset classes.
- Hospitality Joint Venture - Hotel Receivership Platform Hospitality joint venture platform providing beginning-to-end hotel receivership services for lenders impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quantifiable outcome
- Completed $50M industrial property acquisition in 17 days
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Aries Capital
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Aries Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Aries Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered notable transaction, core affiliate, tenant and sub-tenant.
- Lyftnotable transactionAries Capital acquired Lyft's Atlanta Driver Service Center for $6.5 million. The facility provides vehicle repair and maintenance services for Lyft drivers and is strategically located near I-75 and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
- Urban Development Fund (UDF)core affiliateAries Capital affiliate Urban Development Fund (UDF) is responsible for one of the most successful New Markets Tax Credit programs, having executed over $1 billion of tax credit real estate transactions. UDF received a $15M allocation from the U.S. Treasury in 2002.
- Katana Racing, Inc.tenantPrimary tenant for the industrial warehouse property in Pomona, California acquired through the $50M bridge loan. The property will be used by Katana Racing for expansion purposes.
- Yamamotoyamasub-tenantJapanese tea company - Japan's oldest tea company - as sub-tenant at the industrial property in Pomona, California.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Aries Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- JLL Capital Markets: The capital markets arm of JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), arranging debt and equity financing for commercial real estate clients across property types. Directly comparable to Aries' Capital Advisory Services but at vastly greater scale and global reach.
- Newmark Group: Full-service commercial real estate advisory with a dedicated capital markets practice arranging debt and equity for real estate clients. Overlapping with Aries' capital advisory and OCIO offerings but serving a broader client base.
- Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm with significant capital markets and investment advisory capabilities. Comparable to Aries in capital advisory but operates at much broader scale across geographies and property types.
- CBRE Capital Markets: The capital markets division of CBRE, the world's largest commercial real estate services firm, offering debt/equity placement and investment sales. Comparable to Aries' capital advisory practice but serving institutional clients globally.
Direct peers
- Walker & Dunlop: One of the largest commercial real estate finance intermediaries in the U.S., focused on multifamily and middle-market debt origination, similar to Aries' middle-market real estate advisory and debt placement capabilities.
- Eastdil Secured: A leading real estate investment banking firm arranging debt and equity capital for commercial real estate. Comparable to Aries in providing capital markets advisory to real estate owners and investors, though at significantly larger scale.
- Meridian Capital Group: New York-based commercial real estate debt brokerage arranging financing for multifamily and commercial properties. Directly comparable to Aries' middle-market debt placement and CMBS origination capabilities.
Regional players
- Ackerman & Co. Atlanta-based commercial real estate investment and management firm with brokerage, development, and capital advisory capabilities. Comparable to Aries in serving middle-market real estate sponsors in the Southeast.
Emerging players
- Blueprint Capital Partners: Middle-market real estate capital advisory firm arranging debt and equity for commercial real estate sponsors. Directly comparable to Aries' boutique capital advisory model focused on the lower/middle-market segment.
- Paramount Capital Advisors: Real estate investment banking boutique focused on capital raising, recapitalizations, and structured finance for middle-market sponsors. Comparable to Aries' Capital Advisory Services and family office equity investing in the middle-market real estate space.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Aries Capital social profiles
Digital presenceAries Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aries Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Aries Capital subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Aries Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aries Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aries Capital
What does Aries Capital do?
Aries Capital is a boutique capital advisory and private equity firm that arranges debt and equity capital for lower- and middle-market real estate firms, sources proprietary investments through its ASEP flagship strategy, and provides outsourced CIO services with institutional-quality analysis, financial modeling, due diligence, and asset management oversight to sponsors and family office clients.
Is Aries Capital a public or private company?
Aries Capital is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Aries Capital founded?
Aries Capital was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Aries Capital based?
Aries Capital is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Aries Capital make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Capital Advisory Services are the primary driver. The others are strategic Equity Investing and outsourced CIO Services.
Who are Aries Capital's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are JLL Capital Markets, Newmark Group, Cushman & Wakefield and CBRE Capital Markets. Direct peers are Walker & Dunlop, Eastdil Secured and Meridian Capital Group. Ackerman & Co. is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Blueprint Capital Partners and Paramount Capital Advisors.
Does Aries Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aries Capital.
What industry is Aries Capital in?
Aries Capital's product category is Real Estate Capital Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJANAE, Real Estate Capital Markets Advisory (Debt/Equity Placement, Refinancing), with a secondary code of BPAHADAG, Capital Raising Advisory (Debt/Equity/Private Capital). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6211.