ETA Investor Benchmarking - HEC Paris Thesis research invitation

ABOUT THE RESEARCH I am conducting research at HEC Paris on ETA/search fund investments for my master thesis, seeking###-###-#### INVESTORS to interview. Research Question: Do ETA investments offer superior risk-adjusted returns compared to traditional private equity, and what unique characteristics would justify their treatment as a separate asset class? WHY PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERVIEWS? As a participant, you will receive exclusive access to aggregated findings including: Benchmarking Data: Compare your investment approach, return expectations, and portfolio construction against peer investors Market Intelligence: Insights on deal sourcing strategies, valuation practices, and risk mitigation techniques across the European ETA ecosystem, with primary focus on Germany. Best Practices & Pitfalls: Common success factors and failure modes identified across###-###-#### investor interviews This represents a unique opportunity to gain perspective on how your investment thesis and practices compare to other active ETA investors – insights typically unavailable outside closed networks. INTERVIEW DETAILS 30 minutes; video call; English preferred to ease thesis writing (German also possible); Audio recording and transcription requested to ensure accuracy. Timing: flexible in Dec-Jan. Topics: Investment background and ETA allocation, return expectations vs. traditional PE, risk assessment, deal sourcing perspectives, searcher evaluation criteria, and forward-looking outlook. CONFIDENTIALITY & ETHICS Strict Confidentiality Guaranteed. All data fully anonymized in the final thesis. No individual investors named or identifiable in published work. Happy to sign an NDA if required. ABOUT THE RESEARCHER Milan Erdos | VP Finance & HEC Paris Executive MSc in Finance Candidate 10 years finance operator background in Berlin's tech ecosystem. Supported scaling Contentful (hypergrowth SaaS scale-up) and led Accounting, FP&A, Business Systems and Legal at Klang Games. Led DD on a €41M Series C fundraising, experienced with building finance systems and driving ERP implementations. Finance mentor at AvantNow (startup accelerator for underrepresented founders). NEXT STEPS If interested, please reach out (contact below), or book a time directly. I'm happy to share the detailed interview guide and answer any questions about research methodology or data handling. Research Timeline: Interviews Dec###-###-#### Jan 2026 → Thesis Completion March 2026 → Findings Distribution May 2026 Looking forward to learning from your experience and sharing my findings with you. Kind regards, Milan D. Erdos E-Mail: redacted Calendy: https://calendly.com/erdosmilan/30min?month=###-###-####