Entrepreneur Futures Network
Entrepreneur Futures Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs and delivers managed mentoring, acceleration, challenge/prize, and training programs for entrepreneurs, universities, and government agencies through a 500+ volunteer mentor network spanning 45+ nations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Entrepreneur Futures Network does
Entrepreneur Futures Network (EFN) is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2003 at UC Berkeley and headquartered in San Anselmo, California, that designs and manages entrepreneurial mentoring, acceleration, challenge/prize, and training programs on behalf of universities, accelerators, government agencies, and international partners. Core offerings include fully managed and customized mentoring programs (anchored since 2013 by its Mentorship Partner role at the Rice Business Plan Competition), the Empower Innovation Network (a global cleantech platform co-managed with the California Energy Commission, Navigant Consulting, and iCatalysts, serving 4,000+ members), EFN Learn (a video-based training library on 20+ topics), and EFN Online (a Yammer-based community of 500+ volunteer mentors). EFN also operates the African Entrepreneurship Award with BMCE Bank of Africa and serves as a Power Connector in the U.S. Department of Energy's American Made Challenges.
EFN's underlying technology is modest and program-management oriented rather than product-oriented: collaborative platforms (EFN Online / Yammer, Vimeo-based EFN Learn) and proprietary program frameworks such as the Venture Assessment Tool and the Kauffman Foundation-funded Mentoring in Startup Ecosystems research study (820 respondents, 34 partner organizations). The mentor network of 500+ vetted volunteers across every continent is the principal asset underpinning delivery, supplemented by a 35,000+ contact database and a network spanning 100+ universities and 4,000+ organizations across 40+ U.S. states, 45+ nations, and 6 continents.
EFN's business model is nonprofit and multi-stream: tax-deductible individual donations ($50, $100, $250, $1,000 tiers; one-time, monthly, or annual), foundation grants (Kauffman), federal contracts (U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of State including the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs in Korea, Spain, and Australia), state government contracts (California Energy Commission, State of Queensland), and university/accelerator contracts (Rice, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Michigan, Caltech, Princeton, Duke, NYU, ESADE). Programs are provided free to entrepreneurs and students, while institutional clients pay for managed program design and delivery. A small paid staff of approximately five (Executive Director Thomas Jensen, Engagement Director Cassie Coravos, Editorial Lead Lee Bruno, Web Designer Jamie Horowitz, plus a Pulitzer-winning photographer consultant) executes operations supported by 500+ volunteer mentors.
Entrepreneur Futures Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Entrepreneur Futures Network
- Legal name
- Enterprise Futures
- Website
- https://entrepreneurfutures.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Entrepreneur Futures Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs and delivers managed mentoring, acceleration, challenge/prize, and training programs for entrepreneurs, universities, and government agencies through a 500+ volunteer mentor network spanning 45+ nations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Entrepreneur Futures Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entrepreneurial Development Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE), Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
Keywords
Where Entrepreneur Futures Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Entrepreneur Futures Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: EFN is a 501(c)(3) public charity (registered as Enterprise Futures) that accepts tax-deductible donations. Donation amounts include $50, $100, $250, $1000, and custom amounts. One-time, monthly, and yearly donation options are available. Each $100 donated is stated to mentor and train four students.
- Program and Contract Revenue: EFN earns revenue through managed program contracts with government agencies (U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of State), universities (Rice, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Michigan, etc.), and organizations (NREL, American Made Network). Services include mentoring program design and management, training, accelerator coordination, and outreach. Funding comes from foundations, state governments, and federal agencies.
- Grants and Government Funding: EFN receives grant funding from organizations such as the Kauffman Foundation (for mentoring research), U.S. Department of State (for women entrepreneur programs), and U.S. Department of Energy (for cleantech programs). The State of California has also provided funding through the California Energy Commission.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time donation | Individual Donation - $50 |
| Other | Monthly | Individual Donation - $100 |
| Other | One time donation | Individual Donation - $250 |
| Other | One time donation | Individual Donation - $1000 |
| Other | Monthly | Custom Donation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Entrepreneur Futures Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Entrepreneur Futures Network (EFN) is a global 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs, manages, and delivers entrepreneurial mentoring, acceleration, training, and challenge/prize programs for universities, accelerators, government agencies, and entrepreneurs. Its core services include managed mentoring programs (e.g., for the Rice Business Plan Competition), accelerator design and execution, structured training on 20+ entrepreneurship topics (via EFN Learn), and challenge/prize program management for federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of State.
Product overview
EFN operates as a global non-profit entrepreneurial ecosystem builder offering a portfolio of programs and platforms rather than a single software product. At its core, EFN provides managed mentoring and acceleration programs, challenge/prize program management, and training services for universities, accelerators, corporations, and government agencies. Key named offerings include EFN Learn (video-based training modules), the Empower Innovation Network (a global cleantech platform with funding and partnership matching), iCatalysts (EFN's accelerator bridging university entrepreneurs to commercial markets), the Mentoring Program for the Rice Business Plan Competition, the African Entrepreneurship Award, American Made Challenges, and the Mentoring in Startup Ecosystems research study. EFN also operates the EFN Online platform connecting its network of 500+ mentors, 100+ universities, and thousands of startups across 40+ states, 45+ nations, and 6 continents.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mentoring & Acceleration
- Challenges and Prizes
- Training Topics
- EFN Learn
Quantifiable outcome
- 5,000+ entrepreneurs mentored across 40+ states, 45+ nations, and 6 continents
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Entrepreneur Futures Network
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Entrepreneur Futures Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Entrepreneur Futures Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
27 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship (Rice University)flagshipSince 2013, EFN has served as the Mentorship Partner for the Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC), the world's largest and richest graduate-level student startup competition. EFN co-founded the Mentorship Program with Rice, trains and matches mentors with 42 finalist teams, and manages the mentoring process. RBPC alumni have raised over $3.16B.
- Stanford UniversitycoreEFN provides mentors and advisors supporting teams in Stanford's Venture Studio (a campus-wide acceleration program housed at Stanford Business School) and partners with BASES (Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students) for the Social Impact Incubator where students compete for a $25,000 grand prize.
- University of MichigancoreSince 2013, EFN has provided mentoring and training solutions to the University's premier fall technology commercialization practicum at the Ross School of Business. Over 12 years, the program has accelerated 160+ startups, of which 45+ have achieved venture financing and/or liquidity events.
- Caltech (Resnick Sustainability Institute)coreEFN is the mentorship partner for Caltech's FLoW energy, clean tech and sustainability competition program, which engages experts to mentor teams from Caltech, Stanford, UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and other universities nationwide.
- Princeton UniversitycoreEFN supports TigerLaunch, Princeton University's multi-university national collegiate entrepreneurship competition, which is the largest student-run competition in the US engaging 800+ student entrepreneurs at 92 universities. EFN provides mentors to competition teams.
- New York University (Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship)coreSince 2013, EFN has supported NYU's Entrepreneurs Challenge competitions run by the Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship in the Stern School of Business.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)coreSince 2020, EFN has led 15 projects with NREL to engage, train and coach innovators and community and university leaders to develop climate and clean energy solutions. Services include accelerator design and planning, grant and prize application training, fundraising advice, and partnering support.
- Empower Innovation Network (Initiative of California Energy Commission)flagshipEFN is a major outreach partner and co-creator/co-manager of the Empower Innovation Network, a global cleantech platform managed by Navigant Consulting and iCatalysts. The network matches over 4,000 members to billions in innovation funding and to customers, solution providers, and partners. The network has over 120 funding and development opportunities updated weekly.
- American Made NetworkcoreThe American Made Network (AMN) has provided over $100M in funding since its founding. EFN has had 13 projects supporting innovators competing for funding in carbon capture, electrification, geothermal energy, grid innovations, energy storage, microbatteries, and local community energy innovation. EFN is a Power Connector in this program.
- NuleepcoreEFN partnered with Nuleep (Los Angeles-based) to organize the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs: Korea program. Nuleep focuses on leadership and workforce programs in AI, startups, entertainment, cleantech, ESG, supply chain, and healthcare. Nuleep's team has supported top accelerators and VC firms including LACI, Techstars, HBCU.vc, and 2080 Ventures.
- ESADE Entrepreneurship Institute (ScaleUp & Growth Strategy Center)coreSince 2022, EFN has partnered with ESADE (one of Europe's top business schools) in Spain to run the Jump Startup Women Accelerator for women entrepreneurs. EFN and ESADE also partner to develop other programs in Europe. The program was supported by the U.S. Embassy in Madrid and the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona.
- ActivatecoreActivate is a nonprofit that partners with funders and leading research institutions to support the Activate Fellowship. EFN and Activate are outreach partners: EFN promotes Activate's fellowship programs through its network, and Activate promotes EFN's training programs to its community. Since 2015, Activate has supported 50+ innovators resulting in 30+ companies that raised $100MM+.
- UC DaviscoreEFN partners with UC Davis to mentor innovators who attend UC Davis Entrepreneurial Academies covering biomedical engineering and general technology coming out of all UC campuses.
- Cyclotron RoadcoreCyclotron Road is an early-stage cleantech accelerator at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Fellows receive funding, mentorship, and access to Berkeley/Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Cyclotron Road has awarded more than $15 million to 41 fellows who have generated more than $80 million in follow-on funding. EFN promotes Cyclotron Road through its network.
- Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)coreLACI's Energy Innovators Program helps clean energy startups in Southern California navigate regional resources. LACI has helped 73 portfolio companies raise $184M in funding, $220M in revenue, create 1,700 jobs, and deliver more than $379M in long-term economic value. EFN promotes LACI programs through Empower Innovation.
- CalSEEDcoreCalSEED (California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development Initiative) is an early-stage grant funding and professional development program offering as much as $600,000 per team. Administered by CalCEF Ventures/New Energy Nexus. EFN promotes CalSEED through its Empower Innovation Network.
- BlueTech Valley / Valley VenturescoreBlueTech Valley and Valley Ventures accelerator program helps ventures in the energy-water-agriculture space develop sales, marketing, and funding. EFN promotes these programs through its Fresno State partnership and Empower Innovation Network.
- Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN)coreSCEIN is a program for startups in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Imperial counties developing solutions to help California meet its energy goals. Managed by Cleantech San Diego. EFN promotes SCEIN through its network.
- Duke UniversitycoreEFN has partnered with Duke University for five years to provide expert judges and mentors for Duke's startup competition, which includes approximately 100 student teams and 20-30 alumni teams competing for cash prizes.
- Thunderbird School of Business (Arizona State University)coreThunderbird School of Business provides its '100 Million Learners Program' online curriculum for EFN's international women entrepreneur programs, including Academy for Women Entrepreneurs: Korea. The program covers strategic planning, financial management, funding, marketing, intellectual property, and social entrepreneurship.
- U.S. Embassy SeoulcoreU.S. Embassy Seoul hosts the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs: Korea program, providing funding and institutional support for women entrepreneurs in South Korea to develop technology-based startups.
- U.S. Embassy Madrid / U.S. Consulate General BarcelonacoreThe U.S. Embassy in Madrid and U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona supported the Jump Startup Women Accelerator for 40 women entrepreneurs in Spain, in partnership with ESADE and EFN.
- U.S. Mission to AustraliacoreThe U.S. State Department via the Australian Embassy funded the Empower Queensland women's entrepreneur mentoring program. The program was executed by EFN in partnership with the State of Queensland.
- University of Michigan (Ross School of Business)coreEFN co-conducted the Kauffman Foundation entrepreneurial mentoring research study with the University of Michigan. The Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity, led by Dr. David Brophy, served as a co-principal investigator and research partner.
- Global Social Venture CompetitioncoreSince 2004, EFN has served as the mentoring partner for the Global Social Venture Competition and the Global Social Entrepreneurship Challenge, both sponsored by the Gates Foundation.
- Social Ventures FoundationminorEFN members mentor and advise finalists in the Social Ventures Foundation's EPIC Challenge (End Poverty Innovation Challenge), a virtual event for Social Ventures focused on market creation at the Bottom of the Pyramid.
- The Tech Museum of Innovation (San Jose)minorEFN partners with The Tech Museum of Innovation on the Tech Challenge, a national youth tech education program. EFN connects its members as volunteers, judges, and mentors for pre-college age inventors in annual design challenges.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Entrepreneur Futures Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Village Capital: Village Capital is a nonprofit that uses a peer-selection model to find and support entrepreneurs typically underserved by traditional VC, with strong emphasis on mentorship and training. EFN's work with women entrepreneurs and international founders aligns with Village Capital's mission to democratize entrepreneurship support.
- SCORE: SCORE is the largest U.S. nonprofit network of volunteer business mentors, providing free mentoring and training to small business owners. Like EFN, SCORE operates on a volunteer mentor model funded by the SBA and donations, serving entrepreneurs across the U.S. with comparable training and coaching programs.
- MassChallenge: MassChallenge is a global nonprofit accelerator that partners with corporations, governments, and foundations to support early-stage startups. Similar to EFN's accelerator work, it provides mentorship, training, and investor connections to founders without taking equity, with comparable international footprint and industry-specific cohorts.
- gener8tor: gener8tor runs a national network of startup accelerators and mentorship programs, including partnerships with universities and corporate sponsors. It offers comparable accelerator programming, mentor matching, and venture development support to EFN's managed mentoring and acceleration services.
- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): NFTE is a nonprofit that provides entrepreneurship education to young people, particularly in underserved communities, through curriculum, teacher training, and mentorship programs. EFN shares NFTE's mission of building entrepreneurial capacity through education and mentorship, with comparable university partnerships.
- Build.org (BUILD): BUILD is a nonprofit that teaches entrepreneurship to high school students from under-resourced communities, helping them launch real businesses through mentorship and experiential learning. EFN's university- and student-focused programs share BUILD's ethos of entrepreneurship as a vehicle for opportunity creation.
Broad incumbents
- Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the world's most prominent startup accelerator, providing mentorship, training, and seed funding to early-stage founders. Like EFN's programs, it routes founders through structured mentorship and curriculum, but operates at vastly larger scale with a for-profit equity model.
- Techstars: Techstars is a for-profit global accelerator that has supported thousands of startups through mentorship-driven programs. While EFN participated in the Kauffman research study with Techstars accelerators, Techstars operates as a scaled commercial entity with a much larger mentor network and equity-based model, representing a more established incarnation of the same mentor-led accelerator model.
Regional players
- Echoing Green: Echoing Green is a nonprofit that supports emerging social entrepreneurs through fellowships, coaching, and a network of peers. While geographically focused (founded in NYC), its programming parallels EFN's Empower Innovation and social venture work in providing structured mentorship for impact-oriented founders.
Others
- InBIA (International Business Innovation Association): InBIA is the global membership association for accelerators, incubators, and entrepreneurship support organizations. EFN operates in the same ecosystem-building space that InBIA serves, with overlapping university and accelerator partners, though InBIA is an industry association rather than direct service provider.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Entrepreneur Futures Network social profiles
Digital presenceEntrepreneur Futures Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Entrepreneur Futures Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Entrepreneur Futures Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Entrepreneur Futures Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Entrepreneur Futures Network
What does Entrepreneur Futures Network do?
Entrepreneur Futures Network (EFN) is a global 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs, manages, and delivers entrepreneurial mentoring, acceleration, training, and challenge/prize programs for universities, accelerators, government agencies, and entrepreneurs. Its core services include managed mentoring programs (e.g., for the Rice Business Plan Competition), accelerator design and execution, structured training on 20+ entrepreneurship topics (via EFN Learn), and challenge/prize program management for federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of State.
Is Entrepreneur Futures Network a public or private company?
Entrepreneur Futures Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Entrepreneur Futures Network founded?
Entrepreneur Futures Network was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Entrepreneur Futures Network based?
Entrepreneur Futures Network is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Entrepreneur Futures Network make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are program and Contract Revenue and grants and Government Funding.
Who are Entrepreneur Futures Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Village Capital, SCORE, MassChallenge, gener8tor, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and Build.org (BUILD). Broad incumbents are Y Combinator and Techstars. Echoing Green is listed as a regional player. InBIA (International Business Innovation Association) is listed as an others.
Does Entrepreneur Futures Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Entrepreneur Futures Network.
What industry is Entrepreneur Futures Network in?
Entrepreneur Futures Network's product category is Entrepreneurial Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAMAN, Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAMAHAE, Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.