Comparison · 17 material differences
Baby Bathwater Institute vs Searchfunder
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Invitation-only community
Verified September 2026 Baby Bathwater Institute
Founders and owners of consumer, e-commerce and digital-service businesses, plus a smaller share of investors and advisers.
Investment community
Searchfunder
Search fund entrepreneurs (searchers), the investors who back them, plus lenders, business brokers and advisers working in the lower middle market
What the records say
- Role or title: Baby Bathwater Institute: Founder, co-founder, CEO, other C-suite, or strategic adviser; Searchfunder: No published role or title.
- Minimum company revenue: Baby Bathwater Institute: Guideline minimum of US$1M+ in revenue; Searchfunder: No published minimum company revenue.
- Minimum capital raised: Baby Bathwater Institute: Alternative guideline of US$3M+ raised, or an equivalent equity milestone; Searchfunder: No published minimum capital raised.
- Annual dues: Baby Bathwater Institute: $12,500 a year; Searchfunder: $228 a year.
Side by side
| Baby Bathwater Institute | Searchfunder | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Invitation-only community | Investment community |
| Founded | 2014 (The organization's About page says it "began back in 2014 with one unforgettable party...and not a single business plan in sight". It was co-founded by Hollis Carter and Michael Lovitch.) | Not documented |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
| Geographic footprint | Events are held across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe; past locations include Croatia, Cabo San Lucas, Colorado, South Carolina, Louisiana, Idaho, California, Utah, New York and British Columbia. | Online, global; members are concentrated in the United States with regional discussion groups for other markets |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed on the organization's own pages, which describe "a few hundred founders". A December 2025 published interview with co-founder Hollis Carter cites "250+ active members". | Not publicly disclosed: Searchfunder states that "over 80% of those involved in searchfunds maintain a Searchfunder account" but publishes no member total |
| Chapters | No chapters; the community is organised around events plus an app-based platform. | Not applicable: Searchfunder is an online platform with no chapters |
| Primary audience | Founders and owners of consumer, e-commerce and digital-service businesses, plus a smaller share of investors and advisers. | Search fund entrepreneurs (searchers), the investors who back them, plus lenders, business brokers and advisers working in the lower middle market |
| Typical member | The organization publishes a member composition breakdown: 65 per cent own seven- to nine-figure business-to-consumer businesses, 25 per cent provide digital services such as marketing, branding and growth, 5 per cent are influencers and up-and-comers, and 5 per cent are investors and mentors. | Members are searchers pursuing entrepreneurship through acquisition, search fund and independent sponsor investors, lenders, brokers and service providers. The site notes that many members come from dedicated ETA programmes at Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB and Chicago Booth, while also saying that searching is no longer limited to those routes. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Founder, co-founder, CEO, other C-suite, or strategic adviserRoles offered on the application form.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published role or title |
| Minimum company revenue | Guideline minimum of US$1M+ in revenuePublished as one of three alternative business guidelines (US$1M+ revenue, US$500K profit, or US$3M+ raised or equivalent equity milestone). The organization states these are "guidelines, not a checklist".verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum company revenue |
| Minimum capital raised | Alternative guideline of US$3M+ raised, or an equivalent equity milestoneOne of three alternative tests; the application form also offers routes for businesses under US$3M that have raised at least US$3M or had a prior seven-figure exit.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum capital raised |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | A four-step process: a five-minute application covering the business; a personal review by the team; a two-way call described as a genuine conversation about fit; and then, on approval, an invitation with onboarding. The organization says every application is reviewed and that unsuccessful applicants receive feedback on fit rather than silence. | Users register an account directly on the site. A free account gives limited access; a paid subscription unlocks the member directory, the search fund list, research reports, contact credits and posting rights. No sponsorship, interview or committee review is described. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. No acceptance rate is published; the organization states that members are vetted for character as well as revenue and that the published business minimums are guidelines. | Not publicly disclosed: no vetting or approval process is described on the public pages |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $12,500 a yearSingle published membership rate. The membership page states: "That's the whole number. No tiers, no a la carte add-ons, no surprise fees once you're in." Members also receive 50 per cent off all flagship, mastermind and adventure events.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $228 a yearAnnual subscription, quoted on the homepage as "$19 / month" billed annually, $228 for twelve monthsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Monthly dues | $1,250 a monthMonthly alternative to the annual rate, published on the same page.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $79 a monthMonthly subscription, quoted on the homepage as "$79 / month"verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Membership pricing is published; individual event ticket prices are not listed on the organization's events page. | Not publicly disclosed: no joining fee is published; basic registration appears to be freeverified September 2026 |
| Event costs | Third-party reported figures: a December 2025 interview with co-founder Hollis Carter quotes live events at US$12,500 for non-members and US$6,250 for members. The organization's own events page lists no ticket prices; the 50 per cent member discount is confirmed on the membership page.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Prices are as published on the Searchfunder homepage. The annual figure is derived from the site's own "$19 / month" annual-billing quote. |
| Membership term | One-year initial term, then month-to-month with 45 days' cancellation notice | Monthly or annual subscription, or a one-off lifetime purchase; continuous accounts over four years convert to permanent access |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Three to four flagship events a year (100-200 attendees), one to three masterminds (12-25 members) and one to three adventures (12-20 members), plus virtual sessions | No organisation-run meeting calendar; members post and attend third-party events such as the Stanford and IESE search fund conferences |
| Peer forums | Small-group hot seats with peers at a similar stage, plus The Tub app community and brokered one-to-one introductions | Public and topic-based online discussion threads, including geography-specific groups; no confidential small-group forums |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed; the organization publishes a no-pitching rule covering members, speakers and the organization itself | Could not be independently verified: much of the platform's content is public and no confidentiality regime is published |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused, Virtual | Virtual, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Partial |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Partial |
| Leadership development | Partial | No |
| Retreats | Yes | No |
| Travel | Yes | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | No | Yes |
| Philanthropic component | Not documented | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | High | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Baby Bathwater Institute · Searchfunder