Entrepreneurs First is a global talent investor founded in 2011 by Alice Bentinck and Matt Clifford, originally in London and now operating from San Francisco, London, Paris, Bangalore, and New York. Rather than investing in existing companies, EF backs exceptional individuals before they have a team or idea, bringing them together to form co-founder pairs and build startups from scratch. The combined portfolio of companies built through EF is now valued at over $16 billion.
EF has no sector restriction. The firm focuses on identifying individuals with exceptional technical, scientific, or entrepreneurial potential and helping them build companies at the frontier of technology. Recent cohorts have produced companies in AI infrastructure, biotech, climate, fintech, and deep tech.
EF announced a $200 million raise in March 2026 to continue scaling its talent investor model globally. The round brought in a remarkable collection of tech founders and operators including Reid Hoffman, Patrick and John Collison, Eric Schmidt, Demis Hassabis, Mustafa Suleyman, Aidan Gomez, and institutional investor Greylock. The raise reflects EF's expanding geographic footprint, with particular growth in its India program, where pre-seed companies are now relocating to the Bay Area with time-to-raise halved and valuations doubled compared to earlier cohorts.
Leadership
Alice Bentinck is co-founder and CEO, having taken over the CEO role from Matt Clifford in 2023. She previously co-founded Code First Girls, which has taught over 250,000 women to code for free, and was awarded an MBE for services to business. Matt Clifford is co-founder and Chairman, and has served as the UK Prime Minister's AI Adviser and led preparations for the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park. Together they co-authored "How to be a Founder," named Best Startup Book at the 2023 Business Book Awards.
Investment Strategy
EF recruits candidates based on founder potential before any company exists. Participants go through a 12-week FORM program where they test co-founder partnerships, develop ideas, and raise first funding. EF writes the first check into companies it helps form and follows on selectively. Portfolio companies backed by EF subsequently raise from Sequoia, a16z, SoftBank, Khosla Ventures, and other top-tier investors.
Notable Investments
EF has helped build over 600 companies. Notable portfolio includes:
Other
EF operates in London, Paris, Bangalore, New York, and San Francisco. The India program now provides a direct pipeline to the Bay Area for top technical talent from the subcontinent. EF's FORM program is open to applications from individuals at any stage of their career, not just recent graduates.
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