INSEAD ETA and Search Funds Podcast

Some search fund stories are about fit. Melda’s is about conviction. We caught up with Melda Eren, founder and managing partner of Perennia Capital, whose path into ETA runs through consulting, international growth, and one of the sharpest operating environments in recent years. After helping launch Getir as its first international employee on the ground, Melda brought that experience into a searc...

What does it take to build a healthcare platform from first principles, and what does that journey reveal about buying, scaling, and operating in ETA?  We caught up with Yoni Wehbe, co-founder and co-CEO of Kinetico Health, where he leads the group’s operational growth and helps evaluate new partners for the platform. Before Kinetico, Yoni built experience across consulting, investment banking, an...

What separates search funds from PE giants - and how can searchers win in succession deals?  We sat down with Dr. Thomas Buehler of Valmaris Private Investors, a 37-year PE veteran who co-founded Afinum Management, raised €1.8 billion across seven funds, completed 100+ acquisitions, and invested in 95 search funds. Now channeling his expertise into dedicated ETA backing, Thomas shares battle-teste...

What does it take to build an institutional-grade ETA investor from first principles - and why does it matter for every searcher, operator, and investor in this space?  We caught up with Kieron Chalder and Dr. Gernot Eisinger, returning guests from season 1, who together with Professor Ivana Naumovska and Lukas Krauss, founded INSETA. INSETA is a dedicated platform supporting search fund entrepren...

Alexander Simmons doesn't do polish - and that's exactly why this conversation matters. We had to cut some real gems on account of Kudirat's maniacal laughter. Alex is the founder of Voyager Equity, Australia's very first traditional search fund, launched in 2019 when the model was virtually unknown Down Under. After raising capital, conducting a rigorous search, and navigating COVID-era complicat...

In Season 1, Episode 1, Monika joined the INSEAD Entrepreneurship-through-Acquisition & Search Funds podcast as Poland’s first female-led search fund founder, sharing her early fundraising and search journey. In this Season 2 follow-up, we catch up in person at the INSEAD ETA Conference in Singapore (November 2025), just after she completed the acquisition of Rolfroz.​This is an extra in-depth...

In this episode of the INSEAD ETA & Search Funds Hub podcast, host Kudirat Olateju speaks with Rob LeBlanc, co-founder of Ambit Partners, about the roles of entrepreneurship through acquisition and small business in driving economic change and positive impact. In Rob’s journey around the world, he has seen how search funds can be powerful vehicles for directing private capital into shallow mar...

The search fund model is no longer a North American story. In this episode of the INSEAD ETA & Search Funds Hub podcast, host Kudirat Olateju speaks with Andrew Locke and Neil Wyma; both INSEAD alumni and partners at Ambit, about how they're backing exceptional entrepreneurs across Europe, Latin America, APAC, and the Middle East. Their journey began at INSEAD, where they first heard Will Thor...

Launching a search fund is never a straightforward path - especially in smaller ETA markets like Italy. In this episode of the INSEAD ETA & Search Funds Hub podcast, we sit down with Daniele and Giulio of Napolillo Industry, to explore how they built their partnership, shaped their investment thesis, and faced the uncertainty of fundraising and deal-making. Beyond the transaction, Daniele and...

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is a rapidly evolving path for entrepreneurs looking to build and scale companies, yet it comes with a host of challenges. While the potential to acquire and transform a business is immense, success requires sharp focus, credibility, and a relentless drive to execute. In this episode of the INSEAD ETA & Search Funds Hub podcast, host Kudirat Olateju s...

What happens when over 350 of the sharpest minds in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition gather in one room? Pure entrepreneurial gold. For our Season 1 finale, we're bringing you the highlight reel from the INSEAD ETA Conference 2025 - six power-packed segments that distill hours of insights into your personal 30-minute masterclass. From Fontainebleau's historic halls, we captured the conversatio...

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) can feel like a roller-coaster of strategy, capital, and heart. In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Black - Managing Director of VetCare Canada and architect of a 50-clinic veterinary roll-up - to unpack how he turned a thesis on “mission-driven pet care” into a nationwide platform.   Andrew pulls back the curtain on:  Finding the right industry fit:...

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is a path that requires equal parts strategy, adaptability, and relationship-building. In this episode of the INSEAD ETA podcast, we sit down with A.C. Goh, founder of Garlic Equity Capital, Singapore’s first traditional search fund, to explore his journey and the unique challenges of navigating the search phase in Southeast Asia. A.C. shares how his care...

Entrepreneurship often begins with a bold leap, and for Kieron Chalder, that leap meant transitioning from a corporate career to pursuing his entrepreneurial vision through acquisition. As co-CEO of Emotion and founder of the search fund Iberica Cap, Kieron’s journey is one of resilience, adaptability, and innovation. In this episode of the INSEAD ETA podcast, we delve into Kieron’s experiences, f...

As an evolving pathway that blends strategic vision with hands-on business leadership,  Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is growing in popularity. For aspiring entrepreneurs,  investors, and advisors alike, understanding the nuances of this field is critical to success. In this  episode of the INSEAD ETA podcast, we speak with Dr. Gernot Eisinger, a leading voice in the ETA  space and a...

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is becoming an increasingly popular career path for recent MBA graduates and mid-career professionals. The entrepreneurial route of acquiring and scaling a business holds immense promise, however the journey is anything but straightforward. In this episode of the INSEAD ETA and Search Funds podcast, we speak with Monika Wincel, founder of CEDO Capital and...