Entrepreneur First London

Entrepreneur First (EF) doesn’t follow the traditional investor playbook. Founded in London in 2011 by Alice Bentinck and Matt Clifford, EF boldly flipped the venture model by investing in exceptional individuals—even before they have a team or an idea. Rather than hunting existing startups, EF creates them, serving as a matchmaker of entrepreneurial talent in a structured environment designed to transform promising individuals into ambitious startup founders.

EF operates like a rigorous matchmaking service. Participants join an intensive, three-month program, pairing up to test ideas and form teams under the close guidance of EF’s talent investors. At the end of this intense phase, teams pitch to EF’s investment committee, and successful groups receive initial funding—typically around $125,000 from EF for an equity stake of about 8%. EF’s rapid timeline means founders go from strangers to funded startup in just months, a pace that demands full dedication and readiness to pivot swiftly.

EF’s unusual model has yielded some impressive results. Its alumni include Magic Pony Technology, a visual AI startup acquired by Twitter just 18 months after formation; Bloomsbury AI, acquired by Facebook; and Sonantic, whose hyper-realistic voice technology captured headlines after being acquired by Spotify. AI powerhouse Tractable—now a unicorn valued around $1 billion—and popular fintech app Cleo also emerged from EF’s distinctive co-founder pairing process. Such stories underscore EF’s knack for spotting raw talent capable of global impact.

Unlike investors who specialise narrowly, EF remains deliberately sector-agnostic. Its London programmes produce startups spanning fintech, biotech, artificial intelligence, and even space tech. What matters most to EF isn’t sector fit but founder potential—the ability to develop highly scalable ventures built around a technical or intellectual edge.

Yet EF’s uniqueness goes beyond just funding. It takes a deeply hands-on approach, actively mentoring founders through dedicated "Talent Investors" and intensive workshops. The support continues after investment, with EF leveraging a powerful global network of alumni and investors to aid in subsequent funding rounds. Founders benefit from practical advantages, too: free office space, significant AWS and Stripe credits, and visibility via EF’s renowned Demo Days.

Perhaps most compellingly, alumni consistently highlight EF’s transformative impact. Barney Hussey-Yeo, founder of Cleo, credits EF with fundamentally shifting his ambition and confidence: “Entrepreneurs First completely reframed what I thought I could achieve so early on in my career... it put me on a different trajectory”. This impact, echoed by many EF founders, defines the investor’s distinct value.

Yet the EF experience isn’t for everyone. Founders must embrace its intensity and pace—decisions move quickly, and the pressure to rapidly evolve from idea to investable venture is substantial. However, for talented, ambitious individuals comfortable with such a rapid journey, EF offers not just funding, but an extraordinary opportunity to create ventures that might otherwise never exist.