ETA Conferences for a Self-Funded Searcher

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Searchfunder.com is an online community of searchers, investors, lenders, brokers and other professionals. Over 80% of those involved in searchfunds maintain a Searchfunder account to help them network, hire, and mentor others.

What are the benefits of membership?

In addition to accessing the most active online network of business buyers, Searchfunder licenses research that is simply not cost effective for individuals. Access over 15,000 industry reports and 50,000 transaction financials. You also get monthly credits for contact information for your company sourcing campaign with the option to purchase more at drastically discounted rates. Searchfunder has pre-purchased access from these data providers in order to empower individual buyers and to help searchers level the playing field versus private equity.

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While we are primarily a buy-side network, we do have hundreds of brokers that regularly post deals to the community.

Can I find an internship on Searchfunder?

Absolutely! We have the industry's largest intern job board. If you are considering a search, the first step is to help another business buyer so you can hit the ground running.

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Searchfunder is a subscription service. We offer flexible monthly, annual and lifetime memberships.

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$19 / month

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Do I need an MBA to join?

While a large number of our members come from dedicated programs at Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Chicago Booth, and other top programs, searching is no longer reserved for the elite. With the current abundance of dry powder in private equity, and an increasing number of business owners reaching retirement age, good deals rarely go unfunded.

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by a searcher from University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School
in Los Altos, CA, USA

10mos ago

ETA Conferences for a Self-Funded Searcher

Hi, I’m a self-funded searcher based in the Bay Area, CA and looking to prioritize a few key ETA conferences to travel to this year. Which events have you found most useful for networking, sourcing, or learning from other operators? If you had to choose a couple what makes the cut? Thanks in advance - always appreciate this community's input.

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reply by a searcher 8mos ago
from University of Pennsylvania in New York, NY, USA

Not local but I've found the Booth/Kellogg and Wharton ETA conferences to be good. I also think there are Texas ones that could be closer for you, especially on the self-funded side with groups like SIG

reply by a searcher 7mos ago
from University of Michigan in Plymouth, MI, USA

Hey Maria, I notice SMBash is mentioned a few times here on lists and by Adam (shoutout), so doubling down on that. SMBash was really the first ETA conference focused on self-funded search and operators. 2026 dates are April 22-24th in Dallas. Happy to support in any way. redacted