We answer the Friday night texts, field the Saturday morning calls, and offer unwavering support to every searcher on their journey to acquire a great company.
Imagine tens of thousands of emails and calls. You’ll repeat your story endlessly, face drawn-out negotiations, and spend months closing your deal. It’s frustrating and challenging.
Many CEOs tell us that searching is harder than running a company. Most investors give plenty of support to searcher CEOs after they buy a business, but that leaves today’s searchers overlooked.
It doesn’t have to be that way. We focus on searchers and their search funds before they make an acquisition. We think it’s so important that we put it in our name.
Imagine tens of thousands of emails and calls. You’ll repeat your story endlessly, face drawn-out negotiations, and spend months closing your deal. It’s frustrating and challenging.
Many CEOs tell us that searching is harder than running a company. Most investors give plenty of support to searcher CEOs after they buy a business, but that leaves today’s searchers overlooked.
It doesn’t have to be that way. We focus on searchers and their search funds before they make an acquisition. We think it’s so important that we put it in our name.
"I cannot overemphasize how helpful and supportive Saumil has been during my search. From the early days of learning about search during business school, to the middle of my search journey, he's always willing to dedicate time and dive into the details with me. We've looked over investor agreements together, adjusted my sequence during the search, and dived into the financials of companies I'm approaching. I feel empowered knowing he has my back."
“Saumil is willing to roll up his sleeves in a way that other firms are not... Saumil is the best in the search community when it comes to all of the high stakes, but subtle details a searcher needs to master in order to close a deal.
I knew he was going to pick up the phone, and I knew he was going to do it right since he’s done it dozens of times before. I'm glad Saumil was my copilot.”
"Saumil was the MVP in my search’s first months. From strategy to tactics, he’s the ultimate utility player in ETA. In my first weeks, we sat down and mapped out processes and priorities. As my search progressed, he saw around corners and saved me precious time.
He’s now my default first text to test a sourcing idea or diligence tactic. No question is too dumb or too nuanced. He knows details make a difference, and his joy for problem-solving is infectious."
"Saumil was absolutely instrumental in getting my deal done. It was almost a year from when I first called my seller to when I closed my deal. Saumil was with me every step of the way, from reviewing the original deal teaser up through sitting on my board. When I worked through my financial modeling and credit agreement negotiation, he was always the person I called first. He’s one of the best people in the search community to have on your cap table."
"The most important attributes of a search fund investor are pattern recognition, thought partnership, and searcher emotional support. Saumil has all three in spades. He is a value-added investor and a true partner who will motivate you through the highs and lows while providing candid, insightful and actionable feedback. He understands that each searcher’s journey is different, and his advice is unique to your specific situation. He has seen it all before and can be in the weeds on details with you one minute, while helping you with high-level strategy the next."
"Before my search, I did several reference checks with searchers to evaluate investors for my cap table. Two came back with the same glowing message: Saumil as an individual adds as much value as many of the institutional investors out there. Saumil has lived up to the high praise, and is someone who genuinely is enthusiastic to work alongside you. He's the guy who you'll call at 8:00pm, and he'll stay on the line as long as you have questions to ask him."
"Saumil provided us with critical and transparent feedback as we reviewed opportunities in the healthcare services space, helping us identify and avoid meaningful pitfalls in the process. We can always rely on Saumil for good advice, and we are fortunate to have him as a coach and friend through our search."
"Saumil has been one of my most reliable, valuable investors throughout my search. Saumil's input is specific, tactical, and always helps me make progress; he answers far more questions than he asks. When I’ve wrestled with how to structure offers, he has relied on his extensive deal experience to help develop creative solutions that work for business owners and Big Cove’s investors. He’s transparent, immensely helpful, and, like a true partner, always looking out for the searchers he backs."
"Saumil's exceptional insight into how to run a search, structure a deal, and facilitate comprehensive due diligence proved to be invaluable over my search and deal process. Rather than just checking boxes, he thinks deeply and creatively about what fosters a good investment. Additionally, Saumil is hyper-responsive and always available when you need him."
"It’s critical to find a trusted advisor and coach as early as possible in the search journey. Saumil made the effort to get to know us personally and develop a relationship that went beyond the parameters of search."
"Because of his deep involvement with the searchers he’s supported in the past, Saumil brings perspective that not every investor in the community can boast about. Whether you’re in your own headspace and need someone to be deeply analytical with you, or you have a simple question that you may be too embarrassed to ask your full cap table on, he’s a great go-to. Don’t believe me? Ask five random searchers he’s worked closely with on what it was like working with him, I can guarantee, you’ll hear great things."
"Saumil stays true to the original search fund ethos of supporting searchers deeply and meaningfully acting as an accelerant to their success. Saumil's superpowers are empathy, communication, and working really, really hard. He's solution-oriented, and he has deep search fund expertise.
I call Saumil as a sounding board for legal documents, industry thesis discussions, navigating search investor relationships, and a long list of other things that everyone faces in their search journey."
"Whether it's critiquing deals at a moment's notice, refining outreach language, or walking me through search pitfalls and success stories, Saumil is always there for me. He's responsive. He's not reactive—he's proactive. That support and relationship started even before I finished my fundraising! His approach to search investing lives up to the name of his fund: it's focused on founders like me."
"Saumil was instrumental in getting my deal across the line. He was a calming presence, as he's mastered the search process from end to end. He helped me get up the learning curve quickly, was able to teach complex concepts in plain language and wasn't afraid to roll up his sleeves and help. He gets the searcher journey as well as anyone in the community."
Founder
Saumil is on a mission to help 1,000 future CEOs acquire small businesses: 50+ down, 950 to go. That means helping searchers "get tough deals done" by sharing insights from nearly a decade of search fund investing, private equity investing, and private equity due diligence consulting.
Prior to launching Feta Fund, Saumil worked as a search fund investor at Trilogy Search Partners. Previously, he worked at Charlesbank, a multi-billion dollar private equity firm. Saumil began his career at Bain & Company as a consultant specializing in private equity due diligence. Saumil attended the Wharton School for his undergraduate degree.
Saumil is a board member of Velox, a medical device services rollup. He previously was on the board of a gastroenterology practice rollup and two fast-growing SaaS companies.
Saumil often speaks about search funds at top business schools. He is also a regular panelist at search fund industry conferences, such as the Harvard conference in 2023, the Wharton conference in 2024, and the SEETA conference in 2021, 2022, and 2023. He also spoke at the Stanford GSB conference in 2023 about diversity in search.
Saumil lives in Seattle with his wife Nandita and son Niam. He’s solemnly vowed to be first in line for season tickets once the Supersonics come back.
