Global Talent Investor Entrepreneur First Funded 21 Tech Startups in India During the Pandemic, 34 Total Since Launch

Bengaluru: Global tech talent investor firm, Entrepreneur First funded 34 cutting edge tech startups in the last 2 years, of which 21 emerged during the Covid -19 Pandemic. The firm is set to launch its latest, six-month paid programme for Indian entrepreneurs, aspiring to build technology start-ups. The final date for submission of the application is 15th July and the cohort will begin from August 30th 2021.

The firm is set to launch its latest, six-month paid programme for Indian entrepreneurs, aspiring to build technology start-ups
The final date for submission of the application is 15th July and the cohort will begin from August 30th 2021
Since the launch in India in 2019, Entrepreneur First (EF) has supported over 200 Indians on their entrepreneurial journey and invested in 34 cutting-edge tech start-ups
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It’s a dream opportunity for aspiring Indian entrepreneurs keen to build innovative and disruptive tech start-ups! Entrepreneur First (EF), UK-based global talent investor, is inviting applications for its sixth cohort in India, scheduled to kick-start on 30th August, 2021 in Bengaluru.

Since the launch in India in 2019, EF has supported more than 200 Indians on their entrepreneurial journey and invested in 34 cutting-edge tech start-ups across the country. In fact, 21 of these Indian start-ups emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, testimony of the potential that the Indian market has when it comes to tech-driven innovation, and EF’s commitment to support tech innovation even in challenging times.

Positioned as ‘the best place in the world to meet your co-founder and build a startup from scratch’, EF is looking for people with exceptional skills – either in a field of technology or product, or in business. The company is seeking talented people who are outliers – not satisfied with the status quo and hungry to make an impact.

Esha Tiwary, General Manager at EF India, said, “Over the last two years, we have received a phenomenal response to EF India’s bi-annual cohorts, with application numbers having doubled since we started. Despite the lockdowns and socio-economic challenges that have emerged due to the global pandemic, we have witnessed great resilience and excitement among aspiring entrepreneurs who’re eager to start with us and build innovative products that solve real world problems. Aspiring entrepreneurs are now realizing that these unprecedented times bring unprecedented opportunity – new problems to solve and the ability to scale rapidly given the global proliferation of digital solutions. We also saw an unprecedented investor interest when we revealed our last cohort in February 2021, with over 200 investor meetings being set up with entrepreneurs. For our upcoming cohort, we are looking forward to working with some of the brightest entrepreneurial minds in the country.”

EF pioneered the concept of talent investing – finding and funding talented individuals – pre-company, pre-team, and most often, even pre-idea. It provides a unique platform to aspiring entrepreneurs by connecting the best minds in tech to the best minds in business and supporting them with the right mentorship and financial backing.

Through EF’s paid six-month programme, aspiring entrepreneurs have the opportunity to meet an exceptional co-founder and develop a business together. Dedicated advisors and venture partners help turn the aspirant’s competitive advantage into a start-up. At the end of the programme, EF introduces the cohort to its network of investors, thereby helping them raise their first round of investment.

“There has, perhaps, never been a better time to become an entrepreneur. Pandemic uncertainties notwithstanding, the rewards of embarking on an entrepreneurial journey today are much greater. There is a definite first-mover advantage in untapped markets as businesses respond to changes in consumer behaviours,” Esha added.

In India, the pandemic has accelerated the use of technology to build an innovation-led entrepreneurial ecosystem, powered by Artificial Learning (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Virtual Reality (VR) and other cutting-edge technologies. From the evolution of the digital content space and supply chain reinvention to smart solutions that facilitate remote working and telehealth, entrepreneurs today are using automation and data analytics to offer scalable solutions to a diverse range of issues across industries.

While start-ups from EF like Unbox Robotics, LightspeedAI Labs and Qzense have raised follow on rounds from leading early-stage investors, several startups have been recognized in leading Accelerator and early funding programs in the country like Chiratae Innovators Program, Jio GenNext, GE Edison Accelerator, with two of them also being recognized in the Top 100 global start-ups in Enterprise Singapore’s Slingshot 2020. Many of them are working on cutting edge technology and have had their work published in international journals of high repute such as Nature.

As a leading talent investor, with a presence in six global markets, EF has built over 250 deep technology companies and created more than 3000 jobs worldwide since its inception in 2011. If one is talented, ambitious, and looking to found a company with the fastest path to success – EF is for them.