Entrepreneur First

Entrepreneur First takes a fundamentally different approach to startup building. Rather than investing in existing companies, EF invests in individuals before they even have a co-founder or an idea. The program brings together exceptional technical and commercial talent, helps them find co-founders through a structured matching process, and then supports the newly formed teams as they identify problems and build solutions.

The program runs in two phases. During the "Form" phase (roughly 8 weeks), individuals join a cohort and explore potential co-founder partnerships while developing startup ideas. Teams that form and show promise move into the "Launch" phase, where EF invests up to $250,000 and provides intensive support to build an MVP and find product-market fit. Not everyone who enters the Form phase will form a company — and that is by design.

Founded in London in 2011, EF now operates cohorts in London, Bangalore, Singapore, Paris, Berlin, and Toronto. The program has helped create over 700 companies with a combined valuation exceeding $10 billion, including Tractable (AI for accident repair, valued at $1B+), Magic Pony (acquired by Twitter), and Cleo (AI financial assistant).