Vortus Investments

Overview

Vortus Investments is a private equity firm headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, focusing on generating long-term capital gains through investments in the lower to middle market upstream energy industry in North America. Formed in 2013 by Jeffrey W. Miller and Brian C. Crumley, the firm emphasizes a disciplined investment approach with a focus on repeatability. The investment team's collective 95+ years of global energy experience spans private equity, investment banking, M&A, capital markets, public equity and debt investing, asset management, and restructuring, supported by a foundation in petroleum engineering. This extensive experience has enabled Vortus to develop a broad network of industry relationships to source potential investments. Vortus employs an asset-based investment strategy, targeting privately negotiated transactions in the lower to middle market requiring approximately $25 million to $100 million of equity capital in partnership with successful owner/operators. The firm's approach aims to help portfolio companies drive managerial, financial, and operational improvements, advance organic and acquisition growth, and optimize exit strategies. Vortus emphasizes privately negotiated transactions in the lower to middle market, focusing on the North American onshore upstream industry. The firm's portfolio includes investments such as NP Resources, LLC, a privately held company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, which focuses on acquiring, developing, and producing oil and gas properties in the Permian Basin and other domestic resource plays. Vortus's investment in NP Resources represents its fourth investment in the upstream sector and its first in the Williston Basin. This investment underscores Vortus's commitment to partnering with successful owner/operators to provide development capital in the lower middle market onshore U.S. upstream sector. Vortus's leadership team includes Managing Partners Jeffrey W. Miller and Brian C. Crumley, who co-founded the firm in 2013. The team also comprises Managing Partner Brian E. Hansen, Vice Presidents Jonathan G. Dick and Mason M. Sneed, and Director of Finance Lyndsay G. Mojica. In April 2021, Vortus announced the addition of Luke Brandenberg as Managing Director, who brings extensive experience in investment banking and principal investing within the U.S. oil and gas industry. Vortus's disciplined investment approach, combined with its extensive industry experience and strategic partnerships, positions the firm to effectively identify and capitalize on investment opportunities in the North American upstream energy sector, aiming to deliver substantial returns for its investors.