Entrepreneur First
AcceleratorBengaluru · Pre-Seed–Series B · 22 people tracked
Also known as Entrepreneur First (Global) · Entrepreneur First (Singapore) · Entrepreneur First Next Stage · ENTREPRENEURS FIRST INVESTMENT MANAGER LLP
Investment thesis
Entrepreneur First backs founders early — often before they have a company — and supports them in building startups and breaking into the world's top startup ecosystems. Its program includes customer-development workshops for the US market, three months of central San Francisco office space, hands-on fundraising and pitch/deck preparation, Delaware C Corp incorporation and relocation guidance, and bespoke introductions to leading investors. Companies typically pitch at EF's San Francisco Demo Day, attended by 200+ VC partners, and raise roughly $1-7M shortly afterward, with backers including Founders Fund, Sequoia, a16z, Index Ventures and many others.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 7, 2026.
Team · 22 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 26 of 61 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×15Enterprise Software ×9SaaS ×9Healthtech ×6Biotech ×5Fintech ×4Data & Infrastructure ×3Developer Tools ×3
HQs:United Kingdom×6United States×5India×3
Portfolio companies · 61 tracked
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really like
Revalia uses AI to transform donated human organs and tissues into biological datasets and clinical insights for drug and device development.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechNew Haven, US
Greg Tietjen(Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer)Jenna DiRito(Co-Founder)Kourosh Saeb-Parsy(Co-Founder)
BoardBrian Wilcove(Director)
Board seatMilad Alucozai· per SEC Form D · $17M raise · filed Nov 2024
Automata provides lab automation and data management tools, enabling researchers and technicians to generate accurate data at scale through intuitive workflow creation.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareHealthtechLegalTechRoboticsSaaS
Mostafa ElSayed(CEO and Co-Founder)Suryansh Chandra(Co-Founder)
Autonomous semiconductor wafer fab optimisation.
CloudNC develops CAM Assist, software for machine shops that automates programming, quoting, and tool selection to reduce manual work and increase productivity.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Mimica provides AI-powered process mining and mapping software that analyzes user interactions to automatically generate process maps and identify automation opportunities for large enterprises.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Hirebolt provides access to a curated global network of verified engineers specializing in software, ML, data, and AI implementation, enabling companies to quickly identify and hire technical talent for building AI products.
AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesEnterprise SoftwareHR TechLondon, GB
Alex Zhou(Founder)in
Juno is an AI health assistant that helps people with chronic illness track symptoms, identify patterns, and create reports for medical appointments, based on university research and user feedback from over 1,000 patients.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechWellness & FitnessSan Francisco, US
Juno is a family-focused healthcare provider offering primary care, urgent care, women's health, pediatrics, mental health, rheumatology, and weight management services in a modern, welcoming environment with transparent pricing and extended hours.
Digital HealthHealthtech
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Ochre Bio develops RNA therapeutics and drug discovery platforms targeting liver disease, combining proprietary human liver datasets with AI-driven causal prediction and human tissue validation models.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesLondon, GB
Quin Wills(Founder/CSO)in
BoardChinwe UkomaduElaine SullivanEliot ForsterJack Castle
Permutive develops a privacy-first advertising platform that enables publishers to collect and activate first-party data and allows advertisers to access audiences through direct publisher relationships, replacing third-party cookie reliance.
AdTechData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechLondon, GB
PolyAI builds an AI dialog platform that enables enterprises to deploy voice agents for handling complex customer service conversations at scale.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSNew York, US
Nikola Mrkšić(Co-founder & CEO)Shawn Wen(Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer)Eddy Su(Co-founder & SVP Engineering)
Scope is a platform that helps software products become discoverable and usable by AI agents through monitoring how agents interact with products, analyzing their behavior and errors, and recommending improvements.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Anand-Arnaud Pajaniradjane(Founder)in
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Entrepreneur First invest at?
- Entrepreneur First invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B stages.
- What is Entrepreneur First's typical check size?
- Entrepreneur First typically writes checks of $1M – $7M.
- What sectors does Entrepreneur First focus on?
- Entrepreneur First focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Consumer, Deep Tech, Enterprise Software, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Entrepreneur First located?
- Entrepreneur First is headquartered in Bengaluru, IN.
- Does Entrepreneur First lead rounds?
- Entrepreneur First typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
From the blog
visit blog ↗Entrepreneur First has reported on its portfolio's recent funding rounds and milestones across diverse sectors including robotics, aerospace, biotech, and defence technology, with companies raising capital for AI-powered industrial applications, autonomous systems, and next-generation semiconductors. AI summary
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamCEO of Entrepreneur First Matt Clifford Interview at the Oxford Union - YouTube
OxfordUnion · Matt Clifford
Matt Clifford: Entrepreneur First - Ambition and Power - YouTube
Summation with Auren Hoffman · Matt Clifford
#42 - Women in Tech Special #2: Alice Bentinck, Co-founder Entrepreneur First - YouTube
The Tech Leaders Podcast · Alice Bentinck
Entrepreneur First’s Matt Clifford on why the UK shouldn’t have allowed DeepMind to be sold - YouTube
Sifted · Matt Clifford
Matt Clifford (Co-founder & CEO, Entrepreneur First) on how to be a founder - YouTube
Airtree · Matt Clifford
Matt Clifford - CEO of Entrepreneur First | Promo Clip - YouTube
The Ivy Podcast · Matt Clifford
Images
Co-investors · 97
Andreessen Horowitz's Strategic Partnerships page describes collaborations that connect its portfolio companies with established institutions to help scale and deploy their technology.
Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm that partners with founders to build technology companies, with a strong current focus on artificial intelligence.
Founders Fund is a venture capital firm that invests in technology companies across sectors, backing companies such as Anduril and Palantir.
Craft Ventures is a venture capital firm founded and run by former founders, operators, and investors who provide startups with hands-on support, senior talent access, and proven scaling playbooks.
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm known for backing bold, contrarian bets in world-class teams that can reshape entire industries.
First Round Capital is an early-stage venture firm that partners with founders at the earliest stages of company creation, pairing active partners (many former founders) with functional teams for go-to-market, recruiting, and other support.
Uber is a technology company operating multisided platforms that connect consumers with ride services, transit, delivery of food and groceries, and freight shipping across more than 70 countries and 15,000+ cities.
DCVC (Data Collective) is a venture capital firm that backs founders building companies which apply technology to major challenges across areas such as energy, biotech, agriculture, and machine learning.
Atomico is an international venture capital firm that invests in growth-stage technology companies across multiple geographies. The firm focuses on scaling disruptive technology businesses globally.
Susa Ventures operates two early-stage technology funds that invest in companies leveraging data, network effects, and economies of scale.
Goat Capital is a venture capital firm. Its public homepage lists its founders and a contact email but provides limited additional detail.
Mayfield Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm that positions itself as the first institutional investor for AI founders, with the majority of its investments beginning at company inception.
▶85 more co-investors
Partech VenturesPioneerInnovation EndeavorsLookout VenturesAfore CapitalAdditionBowery CapitalBuckley Ventures Management Company LlcPoint Nine CapitalAtlas VentureKindred VenturesEQT VenturesUncorrelated VenturesSpeedinvestCausal7percent VenturesARCH Venture PartnersAcequia CapitalShaan All Accessfoobar.vcEarl Grey CapitalLocalGlobeWhite Star CapitalHoxton VenturesMotier VenturesOctopus VenturesVitalStage VenturesAlven305 VenturesNotation CapitalRadical VenturesSweet CapitalProject A VenturesStealth CapitalWormhole CapitalBackedSpace Tech Ventures50 PartnersEpisode1Toyota VenturesCrane Venture PartnersTet VenturesBreegaBuilders VCIsaiPiton Capital LLPredalpineRuna CapitalAllen Institute for Artificial Intelligence Incubator (AI2)SingularRebel FundMarathon Venture CapitalAt One VenturesLOWERCARBONSprout Social, Inc.Amino CollectiveHambro PerksOlima VenturesE12 Venture Capital, LlcBeyond CapitalSofinnova VenturesFounders FutureGSV VenturesNYU Innovation Venture FundDynamo VenturesWave Digital AssetsAir Street Capitalbacktrace capitalExceptional VenturesTalis Capital42CAPAnzu PartnersPrime VenturesPNCBee PartnersBCF VenturesFaberFox CorporationHarmonix FundCloudflightLifeforce CapitalGlobal Health Investment CorporationBoxOne VenturesDEPO VenturesHG Ventures
Firms observed investing alongside Entrepreneur First, from public investor directories.
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