IESE International Search Fund Center
At a Glance
The essential second dataset: read it alongside the Stanford study before deciding what the search-fund model does and does not promise.
- Pricing
- Free, Research reports download free, with the 2020 and earlier editions as direct PDFs; the 2024 edition sits behind an invitation form since a September 2026 read. The biennial Barcelona conference and electives are priced separately, and the 7th conference (October 15 and 16, 2026) is at full capacity with applications closed, by its own page.
- Best For
- Anyone considering a search outside North America, and US searchers who want a rigorous dataset on how the model performs outside North America
- Roadmap Stages
- 1. Learn & Choose Your Path
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The international counterpart to the Stanford study, produced with the same discipline
- Free to download, with fund-stage breakdowns rather than headline numbers alone
- The center also runs the international conference and a Women in Search forum, so the research connects to a live community
Cons
- Biennial cadence means the data can be two years old late in the cycle
- Traditional-search-fund lens; self-funded and SBA-financed paths are outside its frame
- International returns run below the US study's, which the report itself is candid about
What Searchers Say
Cited alongside the Stanford study wherever international search comes up; IESE's search-fund faculty are among the model's original academic champions. For US-only searchers it is context rather than a playbook.