Deji Abe
Search Fund Expert | From Thesis to Close | Stanford GSB
751 followers
Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business
Works at Zeus Global
Available tomorrow at 9:30 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Deji's Offerings
Custom hourly · $350/hr
Get help with Board & Investor Management, Deal Sourcing, and .
Deji’s Search Fund & ETA Qualifications
Experience level: Executive
10+ people coached for Search Fund & ETA
I help aspiring entrepreneurs successfully navigate the Search Fund and ETA journey — from refining your thesis and sourcing high-quality deals to raising capital, running diligence, and closing with confidence. Whether you're pursuing a traditional or self-funded path, I coach searchers on how to evaluate businesses, craft investor-ready materials, and execute like an operator-in-waiting. As the Founder of Zeus Global, I’ve lived the path firsthand — launching a PE platform, sourcing proprietary deals, and leading end-to-end M&A processes across vertical SaaS and tech-enabled services. I’ve raised capital from family offices, PE firms, and strategic partners while managing every stage of the transaction, including modeling, legal structuring, and post-close value creation. My earlier experience includes investing roles at LeapFrog Investments, the Africa Finance Corporation, and a $5B family office. I hold an MBA from Stanford GSB. I’ve coached first-time searchers, career switchers, and non-traditional candidates — with a particular focus on helping them develop conviction, tell a differentiated story, and build trust with capital partners.
Deji can help with:
Board & Investor Management
Deal Sourcing
Due Diligence
Funding Strategy
Industry & Company Targeting
Investment Analysis
Investor Selection
Operational Strategy & Support
Process Roadmap
Thesis Development
Deji also coaches for MBA, Private Equity, Career Coaching, Investment Banking, and AI for Finance. View all.
About Deji
I started my career as an engineer and eventually found my way into investing, private equity, and entrepreneurship. It was not a straight line. Along the way, I worked at Schlumberger, GE, ExxonMobil, the Africa Finance Corporation, Leapfrog Investments and the George Kaiser Family Foundation before founding Zeus Global, where I now invest in and acquire software and technology-enabled businesses. I also earned my MBA from Stanford GSB and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in mechanical engineering. What ties all of those experiences together is curiosity. I have always enjoyed understanding how businesses work, why people make the decisions they do, and what separates a good opportunity from a great one. I also know what it feels like to have a background that does not fit neatly into one box. Sometimes the challenge is not whether you are qualified. It is helping other people understand the value of what you have done and where you are trying to go. That is one of the things I enjoy most about coaching: helping someone step back, see the pattern in their own story, and communicate it with more clarity and confidence.
Why do I coach?
I coach because I know how easy it is for talented people to underestimate themselves or to struggle to explain why their experience matters. My own path required a lot of reinvention. I moved from engineering into investing, applied to business school, navigated competitive recruiting processes, and eventually built my own investment firm. At several points, I had to learn how to make an unconventional background feel coherent and credible to someone seeing it for the first time. That experience shapes how I coach. I try to create the kind of support I would have wanted earlier in my career: honest, practical, thoughtful, and direct. I will help you see what is already strong, identify what is not yet working, and build the substance behind your story. That may mean sharpening your narrative, strengthening an essay, pressure-testing an investment thesis, improving your technical preparation, or helping you approach interviews with more confidence. My goal is for you to leave our work together with more than a better answer. I want you to understand your own value more clearly and know how to communicate it when the stakes are high.
Work Experience
Founder & Managing Partner
Zeus Global
2025 - Present
Technology investment firm targeting global middle market control and strategic growth investment opportunities.
Principal
George Kaiser Family Foundation
2021 - 2024
Head of Growth & Middle-Market Private Equity for $5B Family Office
Private Equity
Leapfrog Investments
2020 - 2020
Growth Equity
FullCycle Climate Partners
2020 - 2020
Private Equity
Africa Finance Corporation
2018 - 2019
Asset Manager
ExxonMobil
2013 - 2018
Associate
General Electric
2012 - 2013
Associate
Schlumberger
2010 - 2012
Education
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
2021
Covenant University
Bachelor's degree, Mechanical Engineering
2010
4 Reviews
Overall Rating