Entrepreneur First
The original talent investor — backing individuals, not companies.
Accelerators & Pre-Seed ProgramsFirmEurope, Asia & US
Target market
Exceptional individuals pre-team; funds sourcing technical founders
Typical check
$100K-$250K
Geography
Europe, Asia & US
Overview
Entrepreneur First pioneered 'talent investing': it selects exceptional individuals before they have a team or an idea, matches them into founding teams, and funds the companies they form. Founded in London in 2011 by Matt Clifford and Alice Bentinck, EF runs cohorts across Europe, Asia and the U.S., and its alumni companies are a distinctive pre-seed pipeline of deeply technical founders.
Key facts
- Invented the talent-investor model in 2011
- Founded by Matt Clifford and Alice Bentinck in London
- Backs individuals before teams or ideas exist