Alliance of Tech Founders Line up to Invest in the Next Generation of Global Innovators With $158m Series C Funding Round for Entrepreneur First
29.6.2022 09:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Entrepreneur First (EF), a scaleup investor in early stage founder talent, has raised a $158m Series C funding round from a group of veteran technology founders, including Patrick and John Collison, Reid Hoffman, Taavet Hinrikus and Matt Mullenweg.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220628005653/en/
Entrepreneur First co-founders Alice Bentinck and Matt Clifford (Photo: Business Wire)
Bucking the trend of mounting layoffs and diminishing venture capital volumes across the startup world, owing to fears of a looming recession, the host of successful entrepreneurs and founders are backing EF to unlock opportunities for a diverse set of new global founders.
EF’s impressive global roster of backers includes , John and Patrick Collison (co-founders of Stripe), Taavet Hinrikus (co-founder of Wise), Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn), Matt Mullenweg (co-founder of Wordpress), Tom Blomfield (co-founder of Monzo and GoCardless), Nat Friedman (former CEO of Github), Sara Clemens (former COO of Twitch and Pandora), Matt Robinson (co-founder of Nested and GoCardless), Patrick O’Shaughnessy (Positive Sum), Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman (co-founders of Deepmind), Claire Hughes Johnson, Sten Tamkivi, Elad Gil and Lachy Groom.
Founded in 2011 by Matt Clifford and Alice Bentinck in London, EF now employs 120 around the world. It operates as an early-stage investor, helping talented people find co-founders to partner with ahead of launching startups.
“Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. The idea of taking strangers and helping them start robust and ambitious companies is no longer radical but essential to power the next stage of innovation,” said Matt Clifford, CEO and co-founder of Entrepreneur First.
“The whole EF thesis is finding individuals who otherwise might not start companies and then trying to accelerate their journey to success,” he said.
“EF is completely unique in the early-stage funding landscape. Our whole effort focuses on talent rather than typical venture capital deal flow. We don't try and win deals, we don't pick deals, we find great people. That brings big strengths. The ability to partner before there even is a company is both a relationship and an economic strength,” he added.
Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and Entrepreneur First board member said: “We are entering a new era for venture funding, with a new generation of global founders needing support to build iconic companies from scratch. I’m excited to be part of this world-class syndicate. We’re all passionate about the power of entrepreneurship to change people’s lives and to change the world. Entrepreneur First represents a new way for talented people to access that opportunity and a new way to build startup ecosystems outside Silicon Valley.”
Alice Bentinck, co-founder of Entrepreneur First, said: “As the value of EF’s portfolio companies passes $10bn, we feel we’re just getting started. We want EF to have a product to enable every ambitious individual to find their co-founder. EF is already one of the world’s great talent communities and with this new funding and these new investors, we’re looking forward to partnering with thousands of more exceptional founders in the coming years”
The cash -- raised as a funding round, rather than a ‘fund’ -- will be used to make investments into new startups as well as allow EF a capacity to experiment, and innovate on how best to fund the next generation of entrepreneurs by launching new products aimed at up-ending the typical venture capital model.
EF is also announcing today that the aggregate value of companies created through its platform now exceeds $10bn. Notable alumni include Tractable (the computer vision unicorn focused on the insurance industry, funded by Insight and Georgian Partners); Omnipresent (the employment platform for remote work, funded by Tencent and Kinnevik); Aztec Protocol (the private transaction protocol, funded by Paradigm); Cleo (the financial management app, funded by Balderton and EQT Ventures); and Permutive (the privacy-compliant advertising infrastructure platform, funded by Softbank).
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220628005653/en/
Contact information
Ben Goldsmith
ben@goldsmithcomms.com
+44(0)7788295321
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Xtep-Sponsored Chinese Teenage Dancer Claims World Championship at Juste Debout Street Dance World Finals10.3.2026 20:46:00 EET | Press release
Xtep, a well-known sportswear brand from China, proudly announced that Xtep-sponsored Chinese teenage dancers delivered an electrifying performance at the Juste Debout Street Dance World Finals in Paris on Sunday, March 8, 2026, claiming top honors and showcasing a unique fusion of traditional Chinese culture with modern street dance. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310519224/en/ Chinese Teens Dance to Glory at Juste Debout World Finals Li Yongqiu, a 14-year-old from Southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality, made history by winning the Global Championship in the Junior Dance Tour, becoming the third Chinese dancer to achieve this feat. His explosive power and technical mastery, honed through years of training that integrates Kungfu elements, captivated judges and audiences alike. The Chinese contingent's success didn't stop there. Zhang Xinlan and Zhang Chuyi secured a Top 8 finish in the Popping Adult D
ATLAS Infrastructure Invests in H2O America, Backs Long-Term Growth Strategy10.3.2026 19:29:00 EET | Press release
ATLAS Infrastructure (“ATLAS”) is a specialist Global Listed Infrastructure investor managing funds on behalf of long-term infrastructure clients. Following the recent equity placement, ATLAS’s actively managed accounts hold ~10.8% voting and economic interest in H2O America (“H2O”). ATLAS was pleased to support H2Os long‑term strategy to invest in local water and wastewater utility operations through our participation in the recent equity raise. ATLAS recognises the disciplined approach from H2O management which focuses on organic investment in existing businesses alongside targeted and accretive transactions such as the acquisition of Quadvest which materially expands H2O’s regulated water footprint in a premium high‑growth jurisdiction. The upsized equity raise, anchored by ATLAS, supports the company strategy through providing significant balance sheet capacity and financial flexibility well into the Company’s 2026-2030 CapEx plan. “Increased investment in water utilities is essent
Svante and Integrated Packaging Company Advance U.S. Biogenic CDR Project to Feasibility10.3.2026 15:57:00 EET | Press release
Svante Technologies Inc. (“Svante”) announced today that its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project at a paper mill in the Southeast U.S. has progressed to the feasibility study phase. The project is being developed in partnership with an integrated sustainable packaging company, following an extensive screening and pre-feasibility study conducted across several of the partner’s mills. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310319382/en/ During the feasibility study phase, the companies will complete further engineering and design activities, cost and schedule estimates, and risk assessments required to evaluate commercial viability ahead of a future engineering study leading to final investment decision (FID). Svante’s subsidiary, Svante Development Inc., is co-investing in this phase with the mill owner. The project is designed to capture and permanently store more than 500,000 tonnes per year
Forbes 40th Annual World’s Billionaires List10.3.2026 15:43:00 EET | Press release
Forbes releases its 40th-annual World’s Billionaireslist, the definitive ranking of the planet’s richest people. Wealth surged to unprecedented levels over the past year, with fortunes climbing at a record pace. This year’s list features 3,428 billionaires, the most since the list’s inception in 1987. The world’s wealthiest people are worth a record $20.1 trillion combined, up from $16.1 trillion in 2025. Elon Musktops the Billionaires list for the second year in a row and is the richest person ever recorded, worth an estimated $839 billion. His net worth skyrocketed by half of a trillion dollars from last year, thanks to a rise in the value of Tesla, and SpaceX which is aiming to go public in 2026. Musk is the first person ever recorded to reach the $800 billion mark, as he moves toward becoming the world’s first trillionaire. “It’s the year of the billionaire,” said Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes Senior Editor, Wealth. “The planet added more than one billionaire per day over the past
Andersen Global Expands African Presence with Addition of Bravura10.3.2026 15:30:00 EET | Press release
Andersen Global strengthens its presence in Africa through a Collaboration Agreement with Bravura, a leading independent tax and financial advisory firm based in South Africa and Namibia. Founded in 1999, Bravura provides tax and financial advisory solutions to listed and private companies, entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth families across the region. Bravura combines deep financial expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset to deliver tailored strategies that drive value. The firm’s multidisciplinary team provides advisory services in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, corporate restructuring, and succession planning. Additionally, the firm offers tax and accounting strategy, international tax structuring, global mobility, and exchange control compliance solutions. “At Bravura, we’re driven to redefine standards and deliver bespoke, results-driven solutions that create lasting value for our clients,” said Ian Matthews, head of business development at Bravura. “Our collaboration
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom