Amy Mason

[Seb Johnson @SebJohnsonUK]

Be Matt Clifford and Alice Bentinck:

> Meet at McKinsey in 2009
> Realise the top minds in the country are wasting their entering finance and consulting instead of building tech
> Spend 4 years running EF as a non-profit trying to make it work
> Raise £8.5m in 2015 to invest
> Back Magic Pony that gets acquired for $150m 18 months later.
> Instantly gain recognition in the industry
> Raise more money
> Back first unicorn
> Expand across the world
> Raise more money
> Undo Global expansion
> Double down on the US
> See revenue growth explode, time to raise shrink and valuations double
> Raise $200m and become a unicorn

In that time they've backed some generational founders including @Barney_H_Y, @jamesdacombe and @nikola_mrksic and MANY MORE.

Their portfolio companies are now valued at $15bn.

@Alicebentinck and @matthewclifford have transformed the ecosystem through sheer will.

And NONE of this includes all the work they've done outside @join_ef:

> Alice founded Code First Girls and has a book published
> Matt is Chair of ARIA, served as Adviser on AI to the PM after drafting an “AI Action Plan” for the UK and is now focused on making the UK rich again

Two of the greats and I couldn't be happier for them.

[Jonny Clifford @jonnyclifford]

Delighted to announce that @join_ef has raised $200m in fresh capital to accelerate the lives of some of the most extraordinary people around the world

[Alice Bentinck @Alicebentinck]

Today, we're announcing @join_EF's Series D: $200M of fresh capital, at a unicorn+ valuation.

We're in a golden age of entrepreneurship. More individuals than ever before are taking the leap, with the world's most transformative technology at their fingertips.

For over a decade, we've backed extraordinary people without asking what idea they're working on. We call this Talent Investing; believing in someone from Day 1 and giving them the peer group, environment, and capital to find their life's work.

And it works! Companies built through EF are now worth $16bn, up from $3bn at our last raise in 2021.

Thank you to our investors for their continued belief, the EF team for bringing this vision to life, and the founders who rejected the status quo to build globally important companies with us.

And, of course, a huge thank you to @matthewclifford, my exceptional cofounder.

[Seb Johnson @SebJohnsonUK]

BREAKING: Entrepreneurs First has raised $200m and has become Europe's newest unicorn.

@join_ef was founded in 2011 by @matthewclifford and @Alicebentinck and has since gone on to back some of the greatest founders of the last 10 years:

> @Barney_H_Y of @meetcleo

> @jamesdacombe of @CoMind_ and @OLIXComputing

> @nikola_mrksic of @polyaivoice

> @MattJonWilson of @JackandJillAI

EF are not a fund and instead invest off their balance sheet.

Today they have announced raising $200m from the likes of Reid Hoffman, John and Patrick Collison, Eric Schmidt, Claire Hughes Johnson, Charlie Songhurst, and Danny Rimer, alongside leading institutional investors including Greylock.

EF’s portfolio of companies is now collectively valued at over $16 billion, up from $3 billion in 2021 when they last raised.

What Alice Bentinck, Matt Clifford, Tom Shinner, Jonny Clifford (@jonnyclifford) and the team have built is insane and I COULD NOT be happier for them

We need 10x more people like Alice and Matt.

[Entrepreneurs First @join_ef]

🎙️LIVE in San Francisco: @AnthropicAI cofounder @jackclarkSF joins @Alicebentinck to open EF Demo Day.

Anthropic may be < five years old, but it’s already one of the world’s most exciting AI companies.
Before our founders take to the stage, Jack shares what it takes to build on the frontier of science innovation, AI policy, and ambition.

[The Bridge @jointhebridge]

The Bridge 2 is live.

After a wild summer in the Bückeburg castle, we’re changing settings: a 2-month Californian residency for European founders who want to build big.

Come with talent.
Leave with a cofounder, $250k from @join_ef, and a US company.

Starts April 2026. 40 spots. Applications are open.

[The Bridge @jointhebridge]

This summer: 35 top European founders. One castle. Zero distractions.

Our hacker house starts July 1.

2 months of product, traction &amp; pushing toward the US.

Only 5 spots left.

Apply now: https://t.co/QS4ScHrrNp

[Alice Bentinck @Alicebentinck]

We're hiring @join_ef in SF! Work with the world’s smartest technical talent —helping them shape ideas, build companies from scratch, and raise from top-tier VC. We’re looking for high-agency, fast-learning, and a natural networker. Esp. interested in former founders &amp; PMs. DM me

[Alice Bentinck @Alicebentinck]

We kicked off the April @join_ef Demo Day with the legendary @vkhosla sharing his thoughts on how founders should evaluate investors and what an AI utopia might look like - thanks for joining us Vinod!

[Matt Clifford @matthewclifford]

What a great interview with @Barney_H_Y - a legend in the making! Very lucky to have backed him from day zero at @join_ef 🚀

[Jimmy McLoughlin 🐑 @jimmym]

Barney Hussey Yeo @Barney_H_Y is the founder of @meetcleo , the fastest growing fintech in the UK 🇬🇧

They have done it through cracking America, and understanding the Gen Z culture.

In the latest @JimmysJobs

Went to a terrible state school in Sheffield; there was more stabbings than there was people going to Oxbridge.

How he played online poker at Uni, but almost lost £80k

How he joined @join_ef but how terrible customer sign ups were at the beginning.

What he would be studying at university today

How the UK Government should think about growth

And how in that crazy weekend at OpenAI - Barney went into recruit mode.

I say it every time, but I think this is one of our best @JimmysJobs yet

[Entrepreneurs First @join_ef]

Congratulations to all the founders who pitched at Demo Day in SF yesterday. You can now read all about them on our Online Investor Platform here:

https://t.co/gjuuQcrJbQ

[Entrepreneurs First @join_ef]

t = 0
Introducing the smartest, most ambitious individuals from across Europe.
With @stripe cofounder @patrickc helping @Alicebentinck kick Demo Day off in Dogpatch, San Francisco.

[Matt Clifford @matthewclifford]

Big day for @join_ef: our global demo day in San Francisco, with Alice and Patrick kicking off the event…

[Department for Science, Innovation and Technology @SciTechgovuk]

A new plan led by @matthewclifford will use AI to boost growth and improve our public services.

The AI Opportunities Action Plan will identify how to boost uptake of AI across the public and private sectors to increase productivity.

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[Amy Mason @amycwillis]

@British_Airways Hi team. I'm trying to get through to someone to confirm a held booking. I've been trying for 24 hours on https://t.co/flm8BQbsuo but it's just saying 'loading your flights' indefinitely. The hold expires today so I need to pay and confirm asap.

[Entrepreneurs First @join_ef]

Our cofounder, @matthewclifford, recently caught up with cofounder and CEO of @GoogleDeepMind, @demishassabis, at the @stripe Tour London.

Demis and Matt discussed def/acc and the importance of reconciling technological optimism with taking dangerous capabilities seriously.

Apps for our upcoming def/acc program close on July 17: https://t.co/7bpQ2EbSIQ

[Amy Mason @amycwillis]

@MrWayneyB 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯

[Amy Mason @amycwillis]

@MrWayneyB I’m switching to Fontaines now. . . 🩷