Copper Run

What Copper Run does

Copper Run is a privately held middle market investment bank founded in 2008 by Andy Hays and Scott Chapman, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio with additional offices in Cleveland and Cincinnati. The firm delivers M&A advisory services across three integrated service lines: Buy-Side Advisory (target identification, qualification, valuation, LOI/PSA negotiation, diligence guidance, and post-deal integration support for PE firms, strategic acquirers, and institutional investors), Sell-Side Advisory (exit preparation, business valuation, and buyer matching for business owners), and Strategic Advisory (valuations, market research, board advisory, and pre-sale preparation). Transaction sizes range from $10 million to $250 million, addressing the underserved segment between bulge-bracket banks and local advisors.

Name

Copper Run

Legal name

Copper Run Capital, LLC

Website

https://copperruncap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Fees: Copper Run earns fees for providing buy-side and sell-side M&A advisory services. The firm assists with strategy formulation through closing, including identifying and qualifying acquisition targets, negotiating LOIs and PSAs, and providing guidance through diligence and post-deal integration.
2. Strategic Advisory Retainers: The firm provides ongoing strategic advisory services including valuations, market research, board advisory, and pre-sale advisory work, typically on a retainer or project basis.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Copper Run is a middle market investment bank providing merger and acquisition advisory services to private equity firms, sponsor-backed companies, and middle market businesses. The firm delivers buy-side M&A advisory (target identification, qualification, valuation, diligence support), sell-side M&A advisory (exit preparation, recapitalizations, buyer networking), and strategic advisory (valuations, market research, board advisory), focused on transactions ranging from $10 million to $250 million.

Product overview

Copper Run is a middle market investment bank offering a unified suite of M&A advisory services, not a software product platform. The firm provides three integrated service lines: Buy-Side M&A Advisory (helping acquirers find and close target acquisitions), Sell-Side M&A Advisory (guiding business owners through exit transactions), and Strategic Advisory (delivering valuations, market research, and board-level guidance). These services are supported by a dedicated Private Equity practice that provides deal sourcing, execution, and ongoing support for institutional private equity clients. All services are delivered by deal professionals focused on transactions ranging from $10 million to $250 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Buy-Side M&A Advisory Advisory services for private equity firms, strategic investors, and institutional investors looking to acquire companies. Includes target identification, qualification, valuation, due diligence guidance, and transaction structuring support.
• Sell-Side M&A Advisory Advisory services helping business owners realize value from the sale of their company while selecting buyers who will protect and grow their legacies. Includes business exit preparation and recapitalization services.
• Strategic Advisory Actionable advice on firm valuation, industry positioning, and strategic alternatives for business owners, boards, and investors. Includes valuations, market research, board advisory, and pre-sale advisory services.
• Private Equity Services Specialized services for private equity partners including research for target sourcing, persistence in deal origination through relational outreach, communication with real-time process transparency, and execution support through transaction structuring and negotiations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 2020, closed 6 platform investments and 62 add-ons for 10 PE and family office clients with 70% of clients returning for multiple engagements.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lincoln International: Global middle market investment bank providing M&A advisory, capital raising, and valuations to PE firms and corporates across similar deal sizes and verticals, including industrials, business services, and healthcare. Directly comparable in service mix and PE-client focus.
• Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL): Middle market investment bank with deep M&A advisory practice across business services, industrials, and consumer. Comparable in deal-size band, PE client orientation, and diversified sector coverage.
• Stout: Middle market-focused advisory firm offering M&A, valuation, and consulting services to PE and corporate clients. Comparable in middle market deal band, PE client orientation, and diversified industry coverage.
• Cascadia Capital: Middle market investment bank providing M&A advisory to PE and strategic clients across business services, consumer, healthcare, and technology. Comparable in deal size range and PE relationship model.
• PMCF (Plante Moran Corporate Finance): Middle market M&A advisor affiliated with Plante Moran, providing sell-side, buy-side, and capital raising services to PE and strategic clients. Similar in deal size focus, sector breadth, and PE relationship model.
• Capstone Partners: Middle market M&A advisory firm focused on transactions typically in the $10M–$500M range across business services, industrials, healthcare, and consumer. Closely comparable in deal size band, sector coverage, and PE-centric client base.
• Hyde Park Capital Advisors: Middle market investment bank providing M&A advisory and capital raising services, with strong ties to PE and family offices. Comparable deal size band and sector mix, including business services and industrials.
• Livingstone Partners: Global middle market M&A advisor serving PE firms, family offices, and corporates. Similar in transaction size focus and PE-centric engagement model, with comparable sector breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Large international investment bank with a strong middle market M&A practice serving PE and corporate clients. Overlaps significantly in PE advisory and strategic advisory, though it operates at much greater scale and breadth.
• Raymond James Investment Banking: Diversified financial services firm with a substantial middle market M&A practice serving PE and corporate clients. Overlaps significantly with Copper Run's PE advisory and middle market focus, though it operates at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/copper-run-capital-llc
• Xx.com/CopperRunCap

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Copper Run