Insights
South Highland Ventures shares perspectives on operator-led buyouts, ownership succession, lower-middle-market acquisitions, and the practical work of building enduring private businesses.
Press Releases
May 14, 2026 - South Highland Ventures Announces First Close of SHV ETA Fund I and Addition of Megan Manning as Venture Partner
South Highland Ventures announced the first close of SHV ETA Fund I, LP, an operator-led acquisition fund focused on acquiring and growing established lower-middle-market businesses facing succession challenges. The firm also announced the addition of Megan Manning as Venture Partner.
Additional Resources
INSEAD - Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition & Search Funds Hub
INSEAD describes ETA and search funds as a pathway for entrepreneurs to acquire, manage, and grow businesses, including in situations involving succession challenges.
NextGen Growth Partners - ETA Resource Library
NextGen Growth Partners maintains a practical ETA resource library with articles, books, podcasts, and videos related to entrepreneurship through acquisition and search funds.
These resources are provided for educational purposes only. Inclusion of third-party resources does not imply endorsement by South Highland Ventures or any affiliation with the listed organizations.
Search Funds
A search fund is an investment vehicle through which investors financially support an entrpreneur’s efforts to locate, acquire, manage, grow, and exist companies usually struggling with succession. The search fund was invented in the mid 1980’s at Stanford University, and per Stanford’s research, the asset class has averaged over 30%IRR (pre-tax) during a 40 year period. Please see the following links from around the globe to learn more about Search Funds.