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; the biennial Barcelona conference and electives are priced separately (7th conference scheduled October 2026).
- 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.