At Entrepreneurs First we back early career talent; this extends to our team as well as founders.
Every year we back up to three people who are at the earliest stages of their careers to spend two years with us learning the ropes of venture capital, building out their startup network and getting an inside view on what world class company building looks like.
At the end of the two years, we back the fellows to take their next step by actively helping them secure roles as either a full time investor, a startup operator or a founder.
Previous fellows have gone on to become Partners at EF (Elspeth Lawson), work in Tier 1 VC (Zefi Hennessy Holland), become startup operators (Mahmoud Serewel, Rishabh Chaudhary), run government agencies (Pippy James) or founded their own companies (Lisa Wehden, Eden Banon-Lagrange, Sahil Tapiawala)
What you'll do
Work across the three core aspects of EF’s business: Talent, Form and Launch
Talent: You will spend approximately eight months of the year working intensely on finding great people that we want to invest in. You will source them through doing deep work in both online and in person communities and you will hone your skill in convincing people to take the leap into founding
Form: You will spend approximately three months of the year supporting the people we’ve invested in to build their founding teams and figure out the ideas they want to work on
Launch: You will spend a week in person in San Francisco supporting the founders you’ve worked with as they prepare to raise their first round of investment after EF
Find outliers: develop and execute theses on where extraordinary talent emerges (your “next Homebrew Computer Club”)
Sharpen your judgment: continuously update your mental model of what exceptional founders and world-changing companies look like
Be a trusted partner to exceptionally talented people: advise on career moves, company creation, and fundraising
Influence investment decisions: contribute to EF’s selection of founders and teams for the portfolio You will spend approximately eight months of the year working intensely on finding great people that we want to invest in
What you’ll learn
Talent spotting: how to assess raw potential before it’s obvious
Company building: team dynamics, idea validation, customer development, fundraising
Technical literacy: applied tech fluency across multiple fields
Investment thinking: pattern recognition, conviction building, and portfolio construction
Outcomes you can aim for
VC: Graduate into an associate role either at EF or externally, after building a rare edge in pre-seed sourcing and founder assessment.
Operator: Join a fast growing startup in a high-leverage role with a deep network of technical founders.
Founder: Use EF as your launchpad to start your own company with exceptional co-founders. We will invest in the company that a Venture Fellow builds if they complete their fellowship with us
Who you are
Early in your career (graduated within the last two years), hungry to learn by doing and ambitious. You likely recognise yourself in most of the below:
Intellectually curious: you dig for first principles, self-teach, and range across domains
Relentlessly driven: you find creative ways through walls; you own your outcomes
Network builder: you build meaningful relationships with exceptional people, peers and seniors alike
Discerning judge of talent: high standards; optimistic yet realistic about people’s potential
Tech-impact oriented: fascinated by how technology, especially via startups, changes the world
Who this role is not for
You want a structured 9-5pm job: Venture Fellows are network builders. This means they will need to attend and host events in order to meet the most exceptional people, and travel both nationally, and potentially internationally, to immerse themselves in talent clusters.
You want a clear career path: The diversity and malleability of the role creates an unusual level of optionality. Some Talent Investors progress at EF to running their own sites. Some move onto traditional VCs such as Sequoia, Balderton, or EQT, whilst others go on to be founders or founding members of early stage startups.
You want to be managed closely: You will be given an incredible degree of autonomy and creative control from a very early stage. The freedom allows you to explore various technologies and industries at will, and to build a network with smart and interesting people however you see fit. You will receive apprenticeship from experienced investors and senior TIs with years of exposure working with many founders.
What success looks like in by the end of your fellowship
You’ve built a repeatable sourcing engine for exceptional early-career talent.
Founders trust your judgment; you’ve shaped multiple successful EF teams.
You contribute confidently to selection and investment debates with clear, evidence-based views.
You’ve mapped your next step (VC, operator, or founder) and have credible options
How we’ll back you
You will directly influence capital deployment decisions within the first 12 months of your fellowship
You will receive direct mentorship from seasoned investors and advisors
You will get direct access to the EF alumni and investor network
We will find you your next step in your career
Process
First Interview with a Principal/Partner (30 minutes - online)
Second Interview with a Principal/Partner (30 minutes - online)
Task Interview with Principal/Partner (45 minutes - online, pre-work required)
Selection Day with London leadership team (3 hours - onsite)
Overall timeline: three weeks from first interview