Search Diaries: Two WHU Alumni Share Their First Year As A Searcher
Finding and closing a deal takes around 20 months on average. WHU alumni Joshua Starke and Felix Wolters started searching earlier this year and are already in transaction processes. What has their search looked like so far, what have they learned, and what lies ahead as they work towards an acquisition?
Join Joshua Starke and Felix Wolters for a fireside chat hosted by Stefan Martinez (Investment Manager, evolutiq). As an investor in both searchers, evolutiq has supported their journeys from the start, and Stefan is in regular contact with both. Together, they will share a firsthand view of the search process, from choosing this career path to evaluating businesses and working with investors.
Stefan will open with a brief introduction to entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) and the different ways to pursue it, before exploring:
The decision to search: Their backgrounds, how they discovered ETA, and why they chose the traditional search fund model.
Building a search and finding the right business: How they approach deal sourcing, what makes a target attractive, and what they have learned along the way.
Working with investors: How they interact with Stefan and other investors, which skills searchers need themselves, and where outside support has complemented their profiles.
From transaction to leadership: What has the transaction process evolved so far, how they think about running a company, and how long they intend to stay.
When: Wednesday, Nov 4, 2026, 7.00 - 8.00 pm CET
Where: Online via Zoom
For everyone interested in ETA, considering a search fund, or preparing to start their own search.
(If you already signed up via In Praxi, you do not need to register again.)