Entrepreneur First: funding, terms & how to apply
The talent-first investor — apply before you have a company, get matched with a technical or commercial co-founder in FORM, then build toward funding and a San Francisco LAUNCH phase.
Investment
Up to $250K ($125K SAFE for 8% + $125K uncapped MFN SAFE)
Equity
8% if you pass the IC; ideation phase is equity-free
Program length
24 weeks (12-week FORM + 12-week LAUNCH in San Francisco)
Format
In person
Deadlines
Cohorts run per hub city on recurring schedules; apply ahead of your hub's next cohort
Acceptance rate
Not published
Facts last checked 2026-08-26. Deals and dates change — the official site is always the source of truth for the current application window.
What Entrepreneur First actually is
Entrepreneur First pioneered the 'talent investor' model: it selects individuals — often deeply technical people who haven't founded before — and runs them through FORM, a 12-week co-founder matching and ideation phase in their local hub. Teams that pass EF's investment committee receive up to $250K (an initial $125K SAFE for 8% plus a $125K uncapped MFN SAFE) and move to LAUNCH, a 12-week build phase in San Francisco.
EF is strongest for technical talent in deep tech and AI who want a systematic path from employment to founding. Like Antler, it's the wrong venue if you already have a product and users — the value is concentrated in team formation and first-check conviction.
What they look for
The bar you need to clear before the application is worth sending.
Technical or domain spikes — EF explicitly hunts 'the most ambitious people who haven't founded yet'.
Edge: unusual knowledge or capability that could seed a defensible company.
Willingness to co-found with a stranger and to kill weak ideas fast during FORM.
Ability to relocate — FORM is in-hub and LAUNCH is in San Francisco.
Before you apply
Most rejections happen before the interview — in the application itself
Every question Entrepreneur First asks — problem, traction, business model, team, market size — maps to work you can finish first. Build your startup profile in StartupKit, run the readiness score, and walk into the application with real answers instead of blank fields. Free, no card.
Build your startup profile freeApplication FAQ
Do I need an idea or team to apply to EF?
No — most people join solo and without a fixed idea. FORM exists to match co-founders and develop ideas; equity is only taken if your formed team passes the investment committee.
What does EF invest and for how much equity?
Teams that pass the IC receive up to $250K: an initial $125K post-money SAFE for 8%, plus a further $125K uncapped MFN SAFE. Living-cost grants during the program are equity-free.
Where does the program happen?
FORM runs in your local hub (London, Paris, Bangalore and others); LAUNCH — the post-investment build phase — runs in San Francisco.
Similar programs
Antler
Global · Invests only if you pass the IC (US: $250K at $2.75M post)
The 'day zero' investor — join a residency before you have a team or even an idea, find a co-founder inside the cohort, and pitch Antler's investment committee for first capital.
Y Combinator
North America · 7% on the $125K; the $375K SAFE converts at your next round
The accelerator every other accelerator is measured against — $500K on founder-friendly terms, four batches a year in San Francisco, and the strongest alumni network in tech.
HF0
North America · 5% for up to $1M; aimed at repeat founders
The monastery model — a 12-week live-in residency in a San Francisco mansion for repeat founders, trading distraction-free intensity and up to $1M for 5%.