Search fund and ETA conferences in 2026: who to meet and what to ask

ETA conferences in 2026 fall into business-school events, practitioner forums and regional meetups. Confirm dates on organizer pages. For referral partners they offer access to searchers, CEOs and investors who know established US companies with 50+ full-time employees at peak, years of records and rights that may qualify for a SourceX introduction.

Which search fund and ETA conferences matter in 2026?

Entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) events fall into three groups: business-school conferences run by student clubs and centers, practitioner forums for searchers and investors, and regional or topic gatherings. Dates, cities and ticket rules change every year, so confirm each event on the organizer's own page before you plan travel. This page deliberately lists event types and a method rather than a dated calendar that could go stale.

The point for a referral partner is simple. People at these events talk to owners, operators and advisers who are not buying companies but may know businesses that meet the SourceX baseline.

The three kinds of ETA event

Event type	Who runs it	Who attends	What you can do there
Business-school ETA conference	Student clubs and centers at graduate programs	Searchers, alumni CEOs, investors, brokers	Meet operators and sponsors in a structured setting
Practitioner forum	Search fund networks, investor groups, advisory firms	Experienced searchers, capital providers, service providers	Trade notes with people who hold board seats
Regional meetup or workshop	Local ETA communities, accelerators	Aspiring searchers and local owners	Meet local owners of established businesses

Check which format you will attend. A student conference is crowded with first-time searchers; a practitioner forum has more CEOs and board members who actually run companies.

Who at these events can make an introduction

Sitting search fund CEOs: they run one company, but they know peer CEOs, suppliers and customers.
Independent sponsors and investors: they sit on several boards and see systems up close.
Brokers and sell-side advisers: they speak with owners considering an exit; McKinsey's February 2026 report estimates that about six million US small and medium-size businesses will face ownership transitions by 2035, so advisers meet owners reviewing their assets.
Service providers: lenders, lawyers, accountants and IT firms who see company records at close.
Searchers who never close: they have vetted dozens of companies they will never buy.

That last group is easy to overlook. A searcher who rejected a target for size or fit may still know an owner who is happy to explore a license.

A 3-step plan for each event

Before: read the attendee and speaker list. Write down three names whose companies may have 50+ full-time employees at peak and years of records. The network opportunity finder helps you think through who you know.
At the event: ask one question, not a pitch: "Do you know any established US company with years of operational records that would consider licensing them?" Then listen for rights and sponsor details.
After: follow up within a week with a short note, offering a 20-minute screen using the company fit checker.

What to say in a hallway conversation

Never discuss reward amounts or promise anyone a result. If someone shares confidential details, steer the conversation back to basic fit information.

Before you invite a company: the quick screen

50+ full-time employees at peak, contractors excluded
Several years of documented operations
Records across many systems, ideally with archives
The company owns the records and can license them
An authorized sponsor, such as the owner, CEO or CFO, is reachable

The who qualifies page has the full baseline.

How search fund roles connect to this program

If you operate as a fractional leader in a searcher's company, the fractional executive playbook covers conflict and disclosure checks. For sponsors thinking about governance after close, see setting up an advisory board after closing and the search fund waterfall. Family office attendees can use the family office conference guide for their own circuit. Private equity readers should start from the operating partner referral page, and buyers interested in sectors should read what AI roll-ups look for in acquisitions.

Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 per referred company. The reward is paid only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee; an introduction, meeting or signed agreement alone does not trigger payment, and no reward is guaranteed. Check your own firm's policies and any professional rules about referral compensation before you register, and read the program terms.

Next step

Choose one event on an organizer page, pick three names to meet, and prepare your one question. When a company fits, register as a partner and make the introduction, or direct the CEO to sourcex.si/apply.

Step 1Share your linkSend your personal link to a company you know.
Step 2Company appliesThe company applies itself at /apply.
Step 3Buyer selects and paysThe buyer selects and pays for the data and SourceX receives its fee.
Step 4You get your rewardYour share of SourceX fees becomes payable.

Common questions

Where can I confirm ETA conference dates for 2026?

Use each organizer's own event page, such as the business school club or center, the investor forum or the network hosting it. Dates, cities and ticket rules change, and secondary listings go stale. Verify before booking travel, and save the confirmation page for your records.

Do I have to be a searcher to benefit from these events?

No. Attendees can include investors, brokers, lenders, advisers and service providers. Anyone with access to owners and executives of established US companies can make an introduction, from any country, subject to their own professional rules on referral compensation.

Is it appropriate to pitch SourceX at an ETA event?

Keep it light. Ask one question about companies with long operating histories and records, offer a short screen afterwards and avoid reward talk. Events are about relationships, and a short follow-up with the company fit checker works better than a sales pitch in a hallway.

Which attendees are the best introducers?

Sitting CEOs, sponsors with several board seats, sell-side advisers and service providers who see company systems up close. Searchers who rejected targets also know owners. Judge by who can reach an authorized sponsor, such as an owner, CEO or CFO, directly.

What if a company I meet is smaller than the baseline?

Companies need 50+ full-time employees at peak, with contractors excluded. A smaller company is not a fit today. Keep the relationship, since a growing or acquired business may qualify later, and ask whether they know larger companies in their industry.

Free resources

Business exit readiness assessment — A preliminary exit readiness score and checklist for advisors.
SDE vs EBITDA calculator — Seller's discretionary earnings next to market-rate EBITDA.
IRR calculator — Internal rate of return on annual cash flows.
All free tools · MCP resource center

By SourceX Partnerships Team · Published 2026-10-09 · Updated 2026-10-09

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