Entrepreneurs First

What Entrepreneurs First does

Entrepreneurs First (EF) is a London-headquartered talent investing company founded in 2011 by Alice Bentinck and Matt Clifford. EF identifies exceptional early-career individuals before they have a business, cofounder, or idea, and runs structured programs that convert this talent into funded technology startups. Its operations span hubs in London (headquarters), San Francisco, Bangalore, and Paris, with global outreach across Europe, North America, and Asia.

The core product surface consists of three sequential programs: FORM, a 12-week in-person program offering equity-free grants and systematic cofounder matching (reported 80% match rate within 8 weeks); LAUNCH, a 12-week San Francisco-based extension providing up to $250K in equity investment, office space, and pitch access at Demo Days attended by 200+ VC partners; and The Bridge, a newer eight-week US residency for European founders launched in October 2025 with applications for an April 2026 inaugural cohort. The underlying methodology is proprietary talent-screening, cofounder-matching, and investment-committee processes, supplemented by over $600K in partner credits from AWS, OpenAI, Anthropic, GitHub, Stripe, Datadog, ElevenLabs, and PostHog.

EF's business model is dual: (1) a regulated fund management arm (Entrepreneurs First Investment Manager LLP, FCA-authorised, SEC-registered) deploying LP capital into portfolio companies and earning carried interest and management fees, and (2) a direct equity investment model where EF takes equity stakes in companies formed during programs, with up to $5M in follow-on funding through Series B. Revenue from program operations is not publicly disclosed, and the company's economics are primarily driven by portfolio company outcomes rather than recurring fees. The portfolio is collectively reported at over $16B in valuation, including unicorns and exits (e.g., Sonantic to Spotify, Tractable backed by SoftBank).

Name

Entrepreneurs First

Legal name

Entrepreneurs First Operations Limited and Entrepreneurs First Investment Manager LLP

Website

https://joinef.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Entrepreneurs First is a London-based talent investor that identifies exceptional early-career individuals and converts them into funded technology founders through structured programs (FORM, LAUNCH, The Bridge), taking equity stakes and providing cofounder matching, capital, and Silicon Valley access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Open-End Investment Funds (525910)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Talent investing
• Startup accelerator
• Cofounder matching
• Venture capital
• Seed funding

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Portfolio Company Equity: EF invests in founders through equity-free grants and equity investment (up to $250K) in exchange for equity stakes in the companies formed. Returns generated through exits and value appreciation of portfolio companies.
2. Fund Management: EFIM (Entrepreneurs First Investment Manager LLP) is authorized and regulated by FCA and registered as SEC investment adviser, managing funds and investing LP capital in portfolio companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Entrepreneurs First is a talent investing accelerator that identifies exceptional early-career individuals and helps them found startups from scratch. Selected founders enter a 12-week FORM program for cofounder matching and idea development, receive an equity-free grant to cover living costs, and — if they pass Investment Committee — receive up to $250K equity investment, a 12-week LAUNCH program in San Francisco, and access to a Demo Day with 200+ VC partners. The Bridge program offers an 8-week SF residency specifically for European founders.

Product overview

Entrepreneurs First operates a talent investing accelerator program with two core stages: the FORM Program (12-week initial program with equity-free grants and cofounder matching) and the LAUNCH Program (12-week San Francisco extension with up to $250K investment and Demo Day). The Bridge is a newer eight-week US residency targeting European founders. The company also provides over $600K in credits from partners including AWS, Stripe, OpenAI, and GitHub. EF's portfolio of companies is collectively valued at over $16B, but this represents investment outcomes rather than a separate product offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Bridge: An eight-week residency program designed to fast-track Europe's most ambitious early-stage founders into the San Francisco Bay Area, providing full housing and board, visa support, up to $250,000 in initial funding, and access to $600,000 worth of credits from partners.
• FORM
• LAUNCH

Products and services

• FORM Program
• LAUNCH Program
• The Bridge

Quantifiable outcome

• Portfolio companies collectively valued at over $16B
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hugging FaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for community talent events including Hackathons and Build Retreats. Provides technical community engagement opportunities for EF founders.
• LovableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for community talent events including Hackathons and Build Retreats.
• MistralminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for community talent events including Hackathons and Build Retreats.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreOthersProvides cloud credits as part of the $600K+ credit package for EF founders. Azure credits of $350K included.
• OpenAIcoreOthersProvides API credits as part of EF's partner credit package ($250K+ from OpenAI, Anthropic, GitHub, PostHog, Datadog, ElevenLabs).
• AnthropiccoreOthersProvides API credits as part of EF's partner credit package.
• GitHubcoreOthersProvides developer tool credits as part of EF's partner credit package.
• StripecoreOthersProvides payment infrastructure partnership as part of EF's credits package.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the benchmark startup accelerator with biannual cohorts in San Francisco, standard $500K deals, and the largest alumni network in the industry. It competes directly with EF for top-tier founders and uses a similar Demo Day model to channel founders to investors. <parameter name="peer_description">
• Antler: Antler is a global early-stage investor and accelerator operating across 30+ cities, with a comparable model of recruiting exceptional individuals, providing equity investment and a residency. EF and Antler compete directly for talent in Europe, Asia, and increasingly the US. <parameter name="peer_description">

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Techstars is one of the largest global accelerator networks, operating industry-vertical programs in dozens of cities. It overlaps with EF in offering mentorship-driven cohort programs and equity investment, but does not specialize in talent-first, idea-stage investing. <parameter name="peer_description">
• Plug and Play: Plug and Play is a global innovation platform and accelerator running vertical-specific programs (fintech, health, insurtech) with corporate partners. It offers cohort programming and Demo Days similar to EF but is more corporate-partnership-led and less focused on cofounder matching from scratch. <parameter name="peer_description">
• 500 Global: 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups) is a venture firm and accelerator operating programs in over 60 countries. It overlaps with EF's global cohort model and pre-seed investment thesis, particularly in emerging markets like India and Southeast Asia where EF also has presence. <parameter name="peer_description">

Regional players

• Seedcamp: Seedcamp is a London-based seed-stage venture fund that originated Europe's earliest accelerator cohorts. It shares EF's European founder base and early-stage focus but operates a more traditional fund model rather than EF's talent-investing model. <parameter name="peer_description">
• Acequia Capital: Acequia Capital is an early-stage investor and partner of EF that focuses on technical founders. It represents a comparable capital-plus-talent model for US-based technical founders and overlaps with EF on shared portfolio investments. <parameter name="peer_description">
• Lakestar: Lakestar is a European VC that has backed EF's funds and portfolio companies. While primarily a fund investor rather than an accelerator operator, its European tech focus and prior partnership with EF makes it a relevant comparable for European founder access. <parameter name="peer_description">
• Mosaic Ventures: Mosaic Ventures is a London-based early-stage VC and prior investor in EF. It targets European founders at seed and Series A, providing a comparable European-focused capital channel that intersects with EF's portfolio funnel. <parameter name="peer_description">

Emerging players

• South Park Commons: South Park Commons is a community and talent-investing platform that helps exceptional technologists explore ideas before committing to a startup, similar in spirit to EF's pre-idea talent stage. It focuses heavily on AI/ML talent and is based in San Francisco, complementing rather than directly competing with EF's global footprint. <parameter name="peer_description">

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/join_ef
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Join_ef
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/entrepreneurs-first
• Instagraminstagram.com/join_ef
• Facebookfacebook.com/joinef

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds11 records

Investors17 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments530 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Entrepreneurs First