Matt Brugner
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Hey Matt — similar-ish path (IB → PE world, though mine went through London). been thinking a lot about origination in B2B software / services lately. would be good to connect.
Hey Matt, looks like we share a similar finance-to-acquisitions path, though I was doing growth equity in London not searching for a single company to steward stateside. origination was always the same story for me — clear thesis, decent relationships, but no proprietary system of record tying anything together. every deal virtually sourced from scratch, nothing compounding over time. curious if that's still how most funds operate or if I'm behind the times? — Russ
Hey Matt, looks like we came up through a similar finance → acquisition path, though I was in London doing growth equity deals at Treis not in St. Louis stewarding a single business through Stewardship Partners. the pattern I keep seeing with most funds is weirdly consistent — strong thesis, solid network, but no proprietary system of record. the people, tools and ideas are never really connected, so every deal is virtually sourced from scratch. nothing compounds on itself. curious if that resonates or if you've built something different at Stewardship Partners? — Russ
hey Matt — no worries if the timing's off. most funds I talk to have tried some version of building origination in-house — analyst pulling from Grata or Pitchbook, maybe using ChatGPT to qualify, dumping it into a spreadsheet. each piece kind of works, but there's no system of record tying it together. the people, tools and ideas stay disconnected, so there's tonnes of wasted energy. been helping a few funds like Mentmore work through that. curious if you've run into the same thing at Stewardship Partners? — Russ
totally get it if origination infrastructure isn't top of mind right now — most funds have 10 things ahead of it on the priority list. the funds I've seen crack it early just tend to compound deal flow in a way that's hard to replicate later. if it ever moves up the list, I'm easy to find. — Russ
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Matt - Saw you went from Goldman to Kellogg to running MOPIPE — similar path here, banking to growth equity to building something of my own. Started at Credit Suisse doing tech M&A, then growth equity in London. Now I build deal sourcing systems for search funds. Custom origination engine around your thesis — connects your existing tools, layers on AI screening and outreach that actually lands, books meetings. Intelligent automation, not another AI agency. Working with Axiom Equity in the UK and a few US search funds. Worth a quick call? searchloop.ai linkedin.com/in/russellt23
Matt - Most cold outreach from searchers lands in spam — Google and Microsoft are brutal now. Proper infrastructure matters more than message volume. Built this after doing manual sourcing myself. Know how much time goes into finding that next B2B services deal. Open to a quick chat? Russ
Matt - Seeing good results with other searchers targeting $1-5M EBITDA services businesses — similar to your thesis. Meetings booked without the grind of manual LinkedIn prospecting. Worth 15 minutes? Russ
Matt - Know you're busy running MOPIPE and probably not actively searching right now. If sourcing ever becomes a bottleneck again, happy to show you what we're building. Russ
Prospect Research
## PROSPECT INFORMATION: Name: Matt Brugner Title: Founder Fund: Stewardship Partners, LLC Background: Matt Brugner is currently the President of Missouri Pipe Fittings, LLC (MOPIPE), a 92-year-old manufacturer and distributor of pipe nipples and fittings based in St. Louis. He was appointed to this role in January 2025 after the company was acquired by Stacker Holdings. In addition to his operating role, he is the Founder of Stewardship Partners, LLC, which serves as his family's investment holding company for small-to-mid-sized businesses. Matt’s background is rooted in finance and Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA). He previously spent four years at Goldman Sachs within their Private Bank and Private Equity Fund Finance teams. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, where he co-founded the ETA Club and was named Student of the Year for Entrepreneurship. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, where he graduated summa cum laude. Key Skills: Industrial distribution, search funds/ETA, manufacturing leadership, private equity, financial analysis, and strategic management. He is a Predictive Index "Maverick" and a Culture Index "Philosopher." Recent LinkedIn Activity: On February 25, 2026: "MOPIPE in the house at the Missouri Association of Manufacturers annual trade show. Great community and content - we are proud to employee hard working Missouri manufacturers!" On February 3, 2026: "Going live on our new ERP today so we can better serve our customers, replacing a legacy onprem system. A project six months in the making..." On January 19, 2026: He recommended the Ascend PE executive program, stating "Dan Cremons Grift Krehnbrink led a heck of a program. Highly recommend!" On January 5, 2026: Celebrating his one-year anniversary at MOPIPE: "A year ago today, I started my dream job stewarding Missouri Pipe Fittings, LLC. Want a taste of a day in life? Check out our new factory tour!" On November 14, 2025: Regarding a trade show: "Awesome time at American Supply Association (ASA) Network 25. Our first ASA but not our last. Time to put Missouri Pipe Fittings, LLC on the map!" On November 3, 2025: "Excited to get to Main Street Summit this week - participating in the Faith and Manufacturing tracks." On June 10, 2025: "There are two types of people in the world....those who have their email inbox sorted as 'Conversations' and those who dont....choose your side wisely." On January 6, 2025: Announcing his move back to St. Louis: "The Brugner Fam is back in the Lou! I'm honored to partner with G.R. Kearney and Austin Reichardt of Stacker Holdings as the boots on the ground leader of Missouri Pipe Fittings, LLC..." Fund details: - Description: Stewardship Partners, LLC exists to provide one business owner with an entrepreneurial succession plan. Our founder, Matt Brugner, is seeking to acquire one company and steward it into its next phase of growth. Stewardship Partners is supported by a world-class investor group of entrepreneurs and operators. What are we looking for? - Owner that cares about employees and legacy - Majority sale + transition of day-to-day leadership role to Matt - B2B Software ($2-$10MM ARR) - B2B Services ($1-5MM EBITDA) How are we different? - Entrepreneurial Succession: We are not private equity nor a strategic buyer - Matt is solely committed to stewarding the legacy of one entrepreneur. - Flexible Structures: We offer fair, flexible acquisition structures and seek to create a win-win outcome based on your desired transition. - Employees First: Relationships are paramount. We will treat your employees like family. They have been vital to your success and they will be vital to ours as well. Selling a business is a career-defining moment, one that requires a strong foundation of trust. We would love the opportunity to build a relationship as we navigate the process together. To start a conversation, reach out to Matt anytime: matt@stewardship-partners.com *Offering generous referral fee for any warm introduction that leads to an acquisition* - Website: https://www.stewardship-partners.com - Location: Dallas, Texas, United States - Lead qualification: Research: - Query: =Stewardship Partners, LLC Matt Brugner recent investments fund thesis - Answer: Matt Brugner's Stewardship Partners, LLC focuses on acquiring and growing a single business, emphasizing values-based investments and employee relationships. The firm has raised $500K for its fund. Matt has a background in entrepreneurship and finance.