- SMBash
- Southeast Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (SEETA) Conference
- Booth-Kellogg ETA Conference
- IESE International Search Fund Conference
- Harvard Business School ETA Conference
- Stanford Search Fund CEO Conference
- MIT ETA Summit
- Wharton ETA Summit
- The Self-Funded Search Conference
The search fund scene may seem small, but once you’re plugged in, you’ll find the entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) industry is more active than most would imagine. Full of podcasts, forums, and a host of great search fund conferences.
Because so much of search fund deal flow depends on collaboration and networking, it’s hard to overstate the value of attending industry conferences and events. They have been unbeatable opportunities for me to engage with my peers, discover investment opportunities, find capital partners, and learn from others in the ETA space.
Here’s a list of 9 of my favorite search fund conferences that I recommend.
1. SMBash 2026
Location: Irving / Dallas, TX (The Rayleigh Underground)
Date: April 22-24, 2026
- An event for small and medium business (SMB) owners that focuses on searching, financing, and operating SMBs
One of the original self-funded search conferences, SMBash remains one of the most important search fund conferences and networking events for small business buyers, investors, and operators.
I went this last year, and I absolutely loved it. It’s a great event for learning, networking, and having great conversations with good people.
Many in the search fund ecosystem consider this 2.5-day conference held each year in the Dallas area a must-attend. The 2026 edition moves to The Rayleigh Underground in Irving, minutes from both DFW and Love Field. It offers excellent networking with other professionals in the SMB space and a jam-packed program of speakers across two tracks for searchers and operators.
This immersive event delves into some of the biggest issues searchers face, including navigating debt and equity financing and the day-to-day challenges of operating a successful small business.
Attendees gain immeasurable value in learning about and discussing these topics alongside like-minded people, making connections that can evolve into valuable partnerships.
2. Southeast Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (SEETA) Conference
Location: Duke University, Fuqua School of Business (Durham, NC)
Date: September 18-19, 2026
- Great for regional and local networking in the Southeast
The Southeast Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (SEETA) Conference draws members of the ETA community to the southeastern U.S. every fall. The 2026 edition lands at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
The event brings together current and recent MBA students, mid-career search fund entrepreneurs, search fund investors, and other ETA professionals.
The conference is co-hosted by Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, and University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. The conference location rotates among the participating schools from year to year, so make sure you find the current agenda before making your travel arrangements.
Attending the SEETA Conference is a great way to develop and foster regional and local relationships for professionals in the Southeast. The formal sessions cover current topics and challenges relevant to search fund entrepreneurs. There are also plenty of local investment opportunities discussed in the networking sessions and receptions hosted during the event.
Where to get search fund capital
One thing that comes up at almost every conference on this list is the same question from searchers: where do you find equity that closes fast and doesn’t take half the cap table?
CapitalPad is worth knowing about. They’re a co-investment group that invests in search fund acquisitions on a deal-by-deal basis, writing $1M to $2.5M equity checks alongside the searcher running the deal. No blind pool, no ten-year lockup, just direct co-investments in profitable lower middle-market companies.
For investors, it’s the same logic in reverse: you see specific deals before committing capital, instead of writing into a fund and waiting to find out what you bought.
3. Booth-Kellogg ETA Conference
Location: Chicago, IL
Date: Late 2026 (TBA, historically early November)
- A long-running Midwestern conference with robust search fund programming
This annual conference in Chicago is co-hosted by The ETA Group at Chicago Booth, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Kellogg Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative. The 13th annual edition is on tap for late 2026, with details expected to be released in spring/summer 2026.
The event brings together members of the search community from across the Midwest and beyond. With over 900 attendees in recent years, it’s the nation’s largest ETA conference and a great opportunity for participants in the ETA ecosystem to meet one another and share their experiences and insights.
The conference blends academic and private sector perspectives on the ETA model through a robust program, which includes case studies, expert panels, and networking opportunities with industry veterans. It focuses on distilling the practical knowledge and experience of industry experts and practicing entrepreneurs.
The Booth-Kellogg ETA Conference usually falls in early November, but double check the conference’s website for the upcoming dates of the next event. This conference is one of the favorite conferences for acquisition entrepreneurs.
4. IESE International Search Fund Conference
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Date: October 15-16, 2026
- A cornerstone event for the global search fund community
Most of the conferences on this list focus on U.S. business deals, but there’s a robust international search fund marketplace as well. The IESE International Search Fund Conference is a great entry point into the global search fund community. The 7th edition takes place October 15-16, 2026, at IESE’s Barcelona campus.
The event takes place every other year in Barcelona, Spain, hosted by the IESE Business School. It’s a convenient place to meet and engage with a diverse mix of searchers and investors from around the world.
The conference offers an opportunity for active searchers, new searchers, and current search CEOs to connect with one another and with search fund investors. The event’s programming addresses the latest trends and challenges in the international search fund ecosystem.
5. Harvard Business School ETA Conference
Location: Harvard Business School, Boston, MA
Date: Fall 2026 (TBA, historically late October to early November)
- Among the oldest and most prestigious ETA conferences
Hosted by the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Club, a student-run club at Harvard Business School, the annual Harvard Business School ETA Conference is one of the oldest and most prestigious events of its kind. The 11th annual conference was held November 8, 2025, drawing 700+ searchers, CEOs, investors, and students. The 12th annual edition is expected in fall 2026, with the date typically announced in summer.
This event takes place at the Harvard Business School campus in Boston, MA. It introduces MBA students to other members of the ETA community, including experienced search fund entrepreneurs, investors, and some independent sponsors.
The conference is a one-day event that attracts many industry leaders, top searchers and search fund investors. Limited tickets are available each year and they usually sell out fast.
6. Stanford Search Fund CEO Conference
Location: Stanford Graduate School of Business, Palo Alto, CA
Date: Next edition expected in 2027 (biannual, in odd years)
- A valuable, biannual event for search fund CEOs and investors
The Stanford Search Fund CEO Conference is a unique opportunity to go back to where it all started. The search fund model originated at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in the 1980s, and the institution continues to support a robust search fund community. Stanford is also where the best info and statistics on search funds is released each year in their (somewhat) famous annual study.
The most recent edition (the 5th Stanford Search Fund CEO Conference) was held September 3-4, 2025, and drew nearly 500 attendees. There’s no edition in 2026. Historically, the conference has taken place biannually in odd years, so the next one is expected in 2027.
This event offers networking opportunities for search fund CEOs and frequent investors. It includes a lineup of insightful speakers and sessions where attendees can learn from successful search CEOs and other industry experts, in addition to the faculty of the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
The event also includes CEO Circles, sessions exclusively for search fund CEOs to discuss topics and challenges they face with small groups of peers.
7. MIT ETA Summit
Location: MIT Samberg Conference Center, Cambridge, MA
Date: February 27-28, 2026 (already concluded)
- Future-focused conference featuring tactical deep-dive workshops
The MIT ETA Summit brings new searchers, experienced operators, and investors to Cambridge, MA, each year. The summit is presented by ETA@MIT, MIT’s hub for search fund resources for its undergraduate and graduate students. It has also partnered with the Acquiring Minds podcast to help expand the reach of the event into the broader ETA / search fund community.
The 10th anniversary edition was held February 27-28, 2026, themed “Breaking the Model: Reinventing the Traditional Search Fund,” with a focus on emerging search tools, first-100-day CEO lessons, and 2026 financing trends. Watch the website for 2027 dates.
The conference features keynote speakers and panel discussions focused on topics that reflect the present and future state of search fund entrepreneurship, including social, economic, and technological shifts.
The summit packs these insightful presentations and sessions into a single day, with additional workshops and networking events scheduled around the main program.
The workshops are valuable, tactical deep-dives that address common operator pain points. These alone may be well worth your time. The networking opportunities and insights from industry experts could prove to be icing on the cake.
8. Wharton ETA Summit
Location: Huntsman Hall, The Wharton School, Philadelphia, PA
Date: April 3, 2026 (already concluded)
- An approachable and accessible event for search fund professionals in the Northeast
The annual Wharton ETA Summit draws search fund professionals to Philadelphia, PA, each spring to network and learn from some of the best in the business. The 2026 edition was held Friday, April 3, 2026, at Huntsman Hall, with a kickoff happy hour at The Curtis Atrium the evening before. Watch the website for 2027 dates.
The event brings MBA students together with search fund entrepreneurs, investors, and other members of the ETA ecosystem.
The powerhouse panels and fireside chats differentiate this summit, attracting talented industry experts to speak about a wide variety of topics covering searching, operating, and investing.
There’s also a welcome happy hour event the evening before the main program, which serves as an excellent forum for searchers and investors to do some informal networking with peers.
9. The Self-Funded Search Conference
Location: Historically Dallas, TX
Date: 2026 status uncertain
- An event tailored to self-funded searchers and interested investors
This event, hosted by the Self-Funded Search Association, is intended to be a must-attend for self-funded search entrepreneurs.
Whether you’re considering starting down the self-funded search path or already have experience as a searcher or investor in the self-funded search model, the Self-Funded Search Conference is for you. It’s designed to empower and equip self-funded searchers to successfully identify and acquire a small or mid-sized business.
Tactical sessions cover key topics like sourcing and closing deals, operating and growing acquired companies, and legal, financial, and tax diligence. The event also includes a variety of panels, workshops, and keynote speakers addressing important topics and best practices in the self-funded search world.
The Self-Funded Search Conference is a great event for investors interested in participating in search fund deals. The networking opportunities are ideal for meeting self-funded search entrepreneurs and tapping into the notoriously difficult-to-access deal flow in the self-funded search space.
The 2025 edition was cancelled due to “conflicting priorities,” and as of this update no 2026 dates have been announced. The conference website is currently displaying a “Coming Soon” placeholder, so the future of the event is unclear. With SMBash now firmly established as the dominant Dallas-based self-funded gathering, attendees looking for a comparable experience may want to plan around SMBash in the meantime.
Final Thoughts
Attending any conference can be time consuming and costly, so you want to choose the best events and make the most of your time there. These top search fund conferences are great places to start.
Be sure to register as early as you can, because many of these events have limited capacity or reserved hotel blocks that can fill up. Planning ahead will help you secure a ticket and save you money on travel and accommodations.
Depending on where you live, you might also find local events and meet-ups that can be extremely valuable, too. They’re usually a lot smaller and more intimate, offering you the potential for more face time with members of your local ETA community.
Note* I will be diligently updating this list whenever new 2026 and 2027 dates are announced.
Updated: April 27, 2026
