Entrepreneurs First
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Entrepreneurs First firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Entrepreneurs First
- Legal name
- Entrepreneurs First Operations Limited
- Website
- http://www.joinef.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Entrepreneurs First industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Incubation / Talent Investing
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA), Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)
Keywords
Where Entrepreneurs First is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Entrepreneurs First business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Portfolio company equity returns: EF invests equity-free grants and up to $250K into early-stage founders. They participate in follow-on funding through Series B, generating returns when portfolio companies succeed or exit. Portfolio companies collectively valued at over $16 billion.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Equity-free talent investment grant |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Up to $250K equity investment |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Up to $5M follow-on funding |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Entrepreneurs First product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Entrepreneurs First is a talent investor and startup builder that identifies exceptional individuals aged 18–30 before they have a cofounder or idea, and supports them through a structured 12-week FORM program followed by a 12-week LAUNCH program in San Francisco. EF provides equity-free grants during ideation, up to $250K seed investment upon company formation, and up to $5M follow-on funding through Series B, plus over $600K in technology credits and Demo Day access to 200+ VC partners.
Product overview
Entrepreneurs First operates a talent investment and company-building platform rather than a traditional software product. The core offering is a structured program combining the FORM program (12-week talent identification and idea development) with the LAUNCH program (12-week San Francisco-based acceleration), supplemented by The Bridge (8-week US residency for European founders). Founders receive equity-free grants during ideation, up to $250K seed investment upon forming a company, and up to $5M in follow-on funding through future rounds. The platform provides over $600K in technology credits, cofounder matching services, and culminates in a San Francisco Demo Day where founders pitch to 200+ venture capital partners. The company focuses on identifying exceptional individuals before they have an idea or cofounder, building globally significant companies with reported portfolio valuations exceeding $16 billion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Bridge: An eight-week US residency program for Europeans who want to start massive companies in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- FORM
- LAUNCH
Products and services
- FORM Program 12-week talent investing program delivered in local hub cities (London, Bangalore, Paris) for exceptional individuals aged 18–30. Helps participants find cofounders through a systematic matching process, develop startup ideas, and includes an equity-free grant for living costs during the program.
- LAUNCH Program 12-week San Francisco-based program for founders who have passed the Investment Committee. Provides up to $250K equity investment, office space, visa and relocation support, and prepares founders for US fundraising via quarterly Demo Days attended by 200+ VC partners.
- The Bridge Eight-week US residency program for European founders wanting to start companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Includes full housing, visa support, up to $250K initial funding, and access to Silicon Valley advisors in a dedicated Hacker House.
Quantifiable outcome
- Portfolio companies collectively valued at over $16 billion
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Entrepreneurs First
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Entrepreneurs First technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability12 records
Entrepreneurs First partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OpenAIcoreEF receives $250K+ in credits from OpenAI as part of portfolio company support. Jack Clark, founder of Anthropic, hosted Demo Day fireside chat in October 2025.
- AnthropiccoreEF receives credits from Anthropic for portfolio companies. Jack Clark (Anthropic founder) hosted Demo Day fireside chat.
- GitHubcoreEF receives $250K+ in combined credits from GitHub and other partners including PostHog, Datadog, ElevenLabs for portfolio companies.
- Microsoft Azurecore$350K in Azure credits provided to EF portfolio companies through partnership.
- Plymouth (Visa Services)minorVisa firm recommended to founders for O-1 visa processing to support U.S. relocation.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Entrepreneurs First competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Seedcamp: Seedcamp is Europe's leading early-stage seed fund with a strong London base and portfolio across Europe. It is geographically comparable to EF's London operations and competes for the same early-stage European technical founders, though its model is more traditional seed-fund led than talent-investor led.
- StartX: StartX is a Stanford-affiliated accelerator that supports founders from the Stanford ecosystem through cohort programs and follow-on capital. It is comparable to EF on the talent-pipeline and accelerator dimensions, but draws from a single university ecosystem rather than EF's multi-hub model.
Broad incumbents
- 500 Global: 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups) is a large global venture firm and accelerator running seed programs across emerging markets. It overlaps with EF on pre-seed investing and global hub strategy, though its portfolio is far larger and more diversified.
- Techstars: Techstars is a large, established global accelerator network with mentor-driven 13-week programs across dozens of verticals and geographies. It overlaps with EF on the accelerator/investor model but is more sector-diversified and brand-driven than talent-first.
Direct peers
- Antler: Antler is a global talent investor that, like EF, backs individuals before they have an idea or cofounder and runs cohort-based programs in multiple hubs worldwide (including London, Singapore, Bangalore, and San Francisco). It is the most operationally similar peer to EF in terms of thesis, structure, and customer.
- On Deck: On Deck operates community-led "fellowship" programs that recruit top operators and founders and connect them with peers, capital, and programming. Its model overlaps materially with EF's community/network thesis, though it leans more community-as-a-service than pre-idea company creation.
- Founder Institute: Founder Institute runs a structured, multi-stage pre-seed accelerator program that validates and funds aspiring founders globally. It shares EF's pre-idea founder-development focus and equity-for-program model, though with a more education-led structure.
- Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the original and largest startup accelerator, running two batch cohorts per year with a standard $500K-for-7% deal. It is the closest direct competitor to EF, targeting similar early-stage technical founders with a comparable program-then-Demo-Day structure and global brand.
Emerging players
- Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA): ERA is a New York-based early-stage accelerator and investor that runs cohort programs and Demo Days. It is structurally similar to EF's LAUNCH program but smaller, more regional, and more sector-agnostic.
- Pioneer.app: Pioneer operates a curated community and pre-seed program for ambitious operators and founders, with a fellowship model similar in spirit to EF's pre-idea talent investment. It targets a similar persona (technical, ambitious, early-career individuals) but with a community-first rather than program-and-equity-first structure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Entrepreneurs First social profiles
Digital presenceEntrepreneurs First financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Entrepreneurs First leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Entrepreneurs First funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors17 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Entrepreneurs First M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments537 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Entrepreneurs First
What does Entrepreneurs First do?
Entrepreneurs First is a talent investor and startup builder that identifies exceptional individuals aged 18–30 before they have a cofounder or idea, and supports them through a structured 12-week FORM program followed by a 12-week LAUNCH program in San Francisco. EF provides equity-free grants during ideation, up to $250K seed investment upon company formation, and up to $5M follow-on funding through Series B, plus over $600K in technology credits and Demo Day access to 200+ VC partners.
Is Entrepreneurs First a public or private company?
Entrepreneurs First is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Entrepreneurs First founded?
Entrepreneurs First was founded in 2014. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Entrepreneurs First based?
Entrepreneurs First is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Entrepreneurs First make money?
One revenue line is on record: portfolio company equity returns.
Who are Entrepreneurs First's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Seedcamp and StartX. Broad incumbents are 500 Global and Techstars. Direct peers are Antler, On Deck, Founder Institute and Y Combinator. Emerging players are Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) and Pioneer.app.
Does Entrepreneurs First have an API?
No public API is recorded for Entrepreneurs First.
What industry is Entrepreneurs First in?
Entrepreneurs First's product category is Startup Incubation / Talent Investing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated), with a secondary code of FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed). Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 8742.