Partners for the Long Haul
Backing and building this generation’s foundational Serial Acquirers
About Us
We incubate and invest in early/growth stage Serial Acquirer holding companies through our long-duration, committed capital fund, Hampton River Holdings LLC.
We invest in niche Serial Acquirer holding companies operated by world class investors and operators when they are small and private. We like to get in on the ground floor and often form new companies with “best in class” talents seeking to execute on achievable, ambitious ideas,
We provide capital and expertise to help entrepreneurs methodically grow their businesses and help them along the difficult, but rewarding, multi-year journey.
We are based in Austin, TX, but have a flexible mandate to invest in the best companies and teams, wherever they are located.
Experienced Investors
Our founder has invested in and studied serial acquirers for many years
The Earlier, The Better
We invest when things are messy and not obvious
Long Duration
Our unique capital base allows us to be your partner pre and post “scale”
Investment Criteria
Ideal Founders/Teams
Prioritize delayed gratification:
We back those who play the long game. If you want to “flip assets”, we are not a good fit for you.
Decentralization fanatics:
We like lean headquarters and empowered subsidiaries. We like small offices, not ivory towers.
Investor/Operator mindsets with networks built over many years:
Experience deep in the weeds in companies as investors and operators with “cheat-code” networks.
Data driven, equity efficient, frugal:
Meticulous builders of large businesses via acquisition without the need for massive amounts of equity capital. Prioritize self-sustainability and seek to maximize MOIC over long periods of time.
Understand and appreciate greatness:
Teams with ambitious goals who have worked at “the all-time great” serial acquirers and/or those who have encyclopedic knowledge of their methods.
Appreciate Market Cycles:
Cycles do occur. Allocate capital and operate knowing that many years will be tough.
Ultra-Gritty:
We back those who have exhibited execution, resilience and track records of success, regardless of surface-level pedigree. This will be a grind and a complicated, long road.
Ethical:
We only work with ethical people who we can envision ourselves working with for a decade or more.
Investment Areas
Profitable, Market Leaders with unique IP:
Specialized product offerings highly necessary for customers to perform key job functions.
Long Reinvestment Runways:
We don’t want dividends for a long time (if ever).
Targets must have ability to reinvest free cash flows at high ROIC for a long period of time.
Sectors:
Software
Niche industrial distributors, products and services
Business services
Open to other fragmented markets with low capital intensity….. if you have original ideas, please reach out. We love to learn.
Portfolio
Dura Software is a specialist in hyper-niche software products that fit narrow but mission-critical use cases for business customers.
Hampton River lead the Series A in Dura in 2019.
Headquartered in San Antonio, TX
Marathon Software invests in growing and profitable vertical market software businesses who are leaders in their niches. Through a de-centralized, but active, business model Marathon adds value to customers, portfolio companies, and of course investors. Marathon sees itself as a software company as much as an investment firm.
Hampton River invested in Marathon in February 2024.
Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.
Forfend Industries is hyper-focused on building an ecosystem of niche-leading manufacturers whose products are “mission critical” to their customers.
Hampton River invested in Forfend in September 2024.
Headquartered in Boulder, CO.
Thundercat Industries acquires and permanently holds UK-based manufacturing businesses, providing them with long-term stability and strategic support. Unlike traditional investors focused on short-term returns, Thundercat takes a patient, sustainable approach, ensuring that the companies we acquire continue to thrive, grow, and maintain their unique identity. Thundercat works closely with existing teams, offering guidance, investment, and operational expertise while preserving the legacy and culture that business owners have built over the years.
Hampton River invested in Thundercat in February 2025.
Headquartered near Bristol, UK
Founder
Matt Morris
Matt Morris founded Hampton River Partners, LLC in 2018.
Previously, Matt focused on public equity investing at Pelorus Jack Capital and Challen Asset Management.
Previous to Challen, Matt was an Investment Manager at Northgate Capital, a multi-billion AUM investment firm.
Matt earned an MBA with a Finance emphasis from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Matt lives in Austin, TX with his wife and three children.