On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on the TechTO stage in 2021. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Matt ↗
In their words
Entrepreneur First is a talent investor. We find individuals — maybe like you — who want to start companies, and help them find co-founders and build companies from scratch.
We have been live in Toronto for about a year now, and we're very excited that we'll be unveiling our first cohort — the first group of companies to graduate through our program.
More from TechTO ×1
Quick answers
What is Entrepreneur First?
A talent investor that backs individuals before they have a company or a co-founder, then helps them pair up and build from scratch. Clifford co-founded it, was CEO from 2011 to 2023, and is now non-executive chair.
What was EF doing in Toronto?
Running a Canadian cohort. Clifford told the TechTO audience in May 2021 that EF had been live in Toronto for about a year and would unveil its first graduating cohort that May, with the next Canadian cohort starting in September.
What does he do now?
He chairs ARIA, the UK's £1.4bn agency for funding breakthrough R&D, and sits on the boards of Code First Girls, the Kennedy Memorial Trust and Accurx. He was the Prime Minister's adviser on AI in Number 10 until summer 2025.