Entrepreneur First raises £8.5m to scale its startup creation programme.
The funding round was backed by Index Ventures partner Robin Klein, Zoopla CEO Alex Chesterman, Encore Capital, and Infocomm Investments.
Entrepreneur First is a London-based organisation that recruits technical graduates to build technology startups from scratch before they have a team or an idea.
Entrepreneur First has secured £8.5m to scale its pre-team, pre-idea model for nurturing technology startups. The funding comes from backers including Index Ventures partner Robin Klein, Zoopla chief executive Alex Chesterman, Encore Capital, and Singapore's Infocomm Investments.
Founded in 2011, the organisation provides technical individuals with initial backing and a structured programme to form teams and build companies over six months. The fresh capital will support its goal of backing hundreds of technologists annually across Europe.
The programme has previously helped launch dozens of companies that have collectively raised significant venture backing and achieved substantial valuations since inception.
From the founder
"This fund will see us becoming one of the highest frequency investors in Europe and what’s most exciting is that the 200+ people we invest in will all be focused on cutting edge technology,"
Alice Bentinck
Co-founder at Entrepreneur First
Investor perspective
"The UK and Singapore both prioritise the contributions that entrepreneurs play in tackling important challenges in areas such as healthcare, transportation and energy. We believe EF is leading the way in helping great technical talent become great entrepreneurs. As Singapore builds itself into a Smart Nation, we want to work with the best talent around the world."
Steve Leonard
Chairman, Infocomm Investments
Investors
About the company
Entrepreneur First
Entrepreneur First helps technical talent build startups from scratch.