The Lab is for people who have decided to buy and operate a business. You can be preparing to search, already looking at deals, or under LOI today.
Start with a free five-minute application. If the basics line up, you’ll talk with a Member-Owner about your plans, your readiness, and whether the Lab can actually help. Nobody at the Lab earns a commission if you join.
Still wondering if ETA is right for you? Join a live roundtable.
There is no perfect point in the search to join the Lab. Some members come in before their first broker call. Others show up with a live deal.
You will need a realistic timeline, enough capital to participate in an acquisition, and the intention to operate what you buy. If those pieces are still hypothetical, the free side of the Lab is a better place to start.
The process is straightforward. You’ll complete a short application, talk with a Member-Owner about your plans and readiness, then receive a decision. If accepted, you’ll choose your start date.
The application takes about five minutes and asks about your goals, capital, timeline, and plans for ownership.
If the basics don’t line up, we’ll tell you before asking you to spend more time on the process and point you to resources that can help you figure out your next step.
You’ll talk with a Member-Owner who joined the Lab, completed a search, and bought a business.
This is the time and place to get your questions answered. Ask them what worked, what didn’t, and whether they think the Lab fits what you’re trying to do.
Remember: Your Member-Owner earns nothing if you join. Their job is to have an honest and direct conversation about whether joining the Lab makes sense.
You’ll receive a decision within 48 hours based on your application and admissions call.
If we think the Lab can support what you are trying to do, you’ll receive an invitation and next steps.
If not, we’ll tell you why and point you to resources that can help.
Keep in mind that membership with the Lab is selective, but not exclusive. There is no penalty for talking to us. If you’re not invited, you can reapply once your situation changes.
If accepted, you can select an upcoming onboarding date that fits your schedule and the stage of your search. You don’t have to pick the next available date.
Cohorts are capped at 23 members to keep the onboarding experience focused and personal.
We put real time, people, and infrastructure behind every member we accept. That starts during the search, with Advisors, deal reviews, sourcing, and the broader support available throughout Membership.
Because that commitment begins before anyone buys a business, admissions are built around fit rather than volume. Member-Owners lead the process and help to determine who can join based on a mix of intent, funding, and timeline.
In select cases, we also put capital into the business itself. Our Fund can invest alongside members, giving the Lab an economic stake in what happens after close.
We don’t invest financially in every acquisition, but we do anticipate that our relationship with most members will last well beyond their initial search, and our model is built for that long-term relationship.
If you’re accepted, you’ll choose the onboarding cohort that works for your timeline. You don’t have to take the next available seat just because it is there.
Onboarding runs for about a month and gives everyone the same foundation for working with Advisors and other members. Each cohort is capped at 23 people.
If you are already looking at a live deal or under LOI, don’t wait for onboarding to catch up. Advisor support for your deals will start while you’re working through the onboarding flow.
There is no application fee and no charge for the admissions call.
Membership costs $12,500 for lifetime access, so you’ll have access to the Lab whether your search takes six months or six years.
If you join and decide the Lab is not what you expected, you have 30 days to ask for the money back.
No annual dues. No renewals. Full refund available for 30 days.
View pricing details
The Lab is for people who have already decided to buy and operate a business.
If you’re still deciding whether this path is right for you, stay on the free side for now. Attend a Roundtable, read our guides, and get a clearer view of what ownership actually requires before you apply.
Roundtables are free and open to anyone. Hear from Members and Operators, ask what you actually want to know, and get a less polished view of what the path requires.
Sign upIf you’ve decided to buy and operate a business, start your application.
It takes about five minutes. From there, you’ll talk with a Member-Owner and decide whether the fit works in both directions.
Not ready to apply? Join a live Roundtable.