The course will benefit those who intend to become entrepreneurs through acquisition, want to work in Private Equity, Venture Capital, M&A, Corporate Venture or want to learn more about acquiring private companies. Acquiring companies is becoming a helpful skill in current corporate jobs as well, as Corporate Venture Capital and Corporate M&A pop up around the world and big companies like Google, Microsoft, or Apple, for example, are constantly acquiring other businesses.

As a researcher on the topic and an active investor in the Search Fund, I strive to make the course as accurate as possible. We will use the so-called "bible" of Research Funds (Search Fund Primer, Stanford, 2021) as our leading reference guide, as well as videos and quizzes to learn the main concepts behind Entrepreneurship through Acquisition. Finally, you will be able to develop your Business Plan (called PPM in Search Funds) throughout or after the course.

Learning is cumulative. Therefore, each module will introduce new concepts and vocabulary while reinforcing previously discussed topics without being repetitive. The course is structured to include mainly practical explanations but also a few theoretical ones. By the end of the period, students will be intellectually equipped and experienced to enrich or lead projects within the domain of Entrepreneurship through Acquisition.

Structured in 4 modules plus a Final Presentation, the course will cover the following:

1) Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (EtA) and economics behind it.

2) Country and industry assessment, criteria for acquiring and raising Search Capital.

3) Search, conduct due diligence and raising Acquisition Capital.

4) Management, value creation, new acquisitions, and exiting the acquired business.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After the program, students should have developed a new set of skills and knowledge:

1. Students should be able to identify critical aspects of Entrepreneurship through Acquisition, becoming able and motivated to critically analyze the opportunities to acquire a business in an entrepreneurial way throughout their professional lives.

2. Students must be able to use the basic vocabulary used in Entrepreneurship through Acquisition.

3. Students should be able to estimate what skills or knowledge they may lack to initiate a Search Fund, management buyout, or corporate M&E strategy.