The Lab

Buying a business is hard, but doing it alone is harder

Most first-time buyers have to assemble the people and resources around an acquisition while they are already trying to buy a business.

The Lab gives you one place to work through deals with Advisors, members, and professionals who understand acquisition entrepreneurship.

Start your application Start for free →

Not ready to apply? Join a live roundtable.

Test a deal before you bet your house on it

Inside the Lab, you’ll be able to pull the deals apart and take a hard look before your money is committed.

Experienced Advisors and community members will challenge the assumptions, the risks, and the parts you might be explaining away.

Meet the Advisors →

Don’t take our word for it

Hear from members who brought challenging deals to the Lab, change course, and made smarter choices with better information.

Even the perception of that is enough for me to say, ‘You should probably back out.’
David Graf
Danhard

David almost bought from a seller he couldn’t fully trust. Lab Advisors kept pushing until he walked away.

Read David’s story →
Without the Lab, I never would’ve had the guts to pull this off.
Scott Meier
Budsies

Scott almost passed on a custom plush company. Pressure-testing the deal with other Lab members gave him the confidence to buy Budsies, which he still runs today.

Read Scott’s story →
That very healthy challenge of, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ And, ‘Here are all the reasons why you shouldn’t and how it could go wrong,’ really built confidence in me.
Jeremy Fremin
Certified Boom Repair

After 15 years in the intelligence community, Jeremy bought a decades-old, family-run crane repair business on his first LOI. Lab members helped him test the deal from every angle so he could close with confidence.

Read Jeremy’s story →
Two members in conversation at a Lab summit

Meet other Lab members before you join

Explore member success stories for a closer look at the decisions behind real acquisitions.

If you want the unfiltered truth about the Lab and how things work, join a live roundtable and hear from members directly.

Read Success Stories → Join a live roundtable →

Embark on your ETA journey with us

The Lab, its people, and its resources are built around the full acquisition journey.

Learn, find, test, fund, close, and operate in one place, with deeper access available when you join.

Learn

The Lab’s full learning library is free and open to anyone. Joining the Lab adds live onboarding, member sessions, and Advisor access when the concepts meet a real deal.

Explore Learn →

Find

Search the full on-market deal feed for free. Lab members get earlier access to deal details, buy-box alerts, and sourcing support for opportunities that match what they are looking for.

Find a Business →

Test

Bring live deals into the Lab for Advisor feedback, peer review, and the tools members use to pressure-test assumptions before they commit.

See how the Lab works →

Fund

Lab members can pitch a live deal to the Fund or pursue committed capital before the right business appears. These programs are optional and aren’t required for admission.

Explore Fund →

Close

Once a deal moves under LOI, the Lab can help you assemble the lenders, attorneys, QoE providers, and other specialists needed to get it closed.

Those providers are optional, but they help members avoid building their team from scratch.

Operate

Operate supports the financial handoff after acquisition and can continue as the company’s ongoing finance team.

This is a separate, optional service available to both Lab members and other owners.

Explore Operate →
Members around a table at a Lab roundtable
“It came down to the feel of the organization and frankly, the lack of pressure. Other organizations are trying to get you to join… that selectivity was a draw.”
Jeremy Fremin

Search with people who know the stakes

The Lab brings together acquisition entrepreneurs at different stages of the same path.

Some members are preparing to search. Others are already under LOI. No matter where they are in their acquisition journey, every member is committed to buying and operating a business.

We’re selective, not exclusive

The Lab supports acquisition entrepreneurs who intend to buy and operate what they acquire.

If that describes you, start with a short application. From there, you’ll speak with a Member-Owner about your plans, readiness, and whether the Lab is the right fit for your search.

See how admissions works →

Get on the same page before the real work starts

Every new member begins with a month-long onboarding cohort built around the language and frameworks used throughout the Lab.

Already under LOI? You’ll start working with Advisors immediately while you complete onboarding.

View onboarding dates →

We only profit after you own a good business

The price to join is $12,500, paid once upon admission. There are no application fees, annual dues, or renewal costs.

We use that fee to cover the cost of Advisors, sourcing, onboarding, tools, events, and the team behind the Lab.

Our profit comes from the support services we offer after a strong acquisition, and from our Fund investments, not from pushing members toward a transaction.

The bet is yours.

Choose your people

Start your application Start for free →

Not ready to apply? Join a live roundtable.