FIRST (EF) entrepreneurs is launching a new baptized program The Bridgean eight -week residence in the Bay of San Francisco, intended for European founders upstream of their project. The objective is to provide them with immediate access to the American ecosystem.
The program will host in April 2026 a first cohort of aspiring entrepreneurs selected before the training of their team and their concept. For two months, participants will live in a hacker house in the Bay of San Francisco, where EF will take care of the accommodation, catering and visa procedures. The challenge is to allow the formation of founding pairs or trinoma, the validation of a common idea and the rapid launch of a startup.
At the end of this program, each team may request up to $ 250,000 in initial funding from EF. The projects selected will then have access to additional towers of up to 3 million dollars, as well as $ 600,000 in technological credits from partners such as Openai, Anthropic or Github. The system also provides support by founders and investors of Silicon Valley, with a Demo Day in front of a panel of American players.
This launch extends Bückeburg’s experience in Germany and the program Launch Open in San Francisco in 2024. EF already observes a measurable effect: European startups having integrated its American program have obtained valuations with 85 % higher priming for British and 68 % for French women. For EF, it is a question of lifting the logistical and financial brakes which slow down the access of European entrepreneurs in San Francisco, while capitalizing on the dynamics of the AI.
Entrepreneurs FIRST, founded in London, has consolidated its European activities around its London office, with a team of scouts based in Paris to cover key ecosystems such as Munich, Stockholm and Zurich. Directed by Alice Beninki, EF claims a business portfolio valued at $ 13 billion and provides for several annual cohorts of 40 to 50 entrepreneurs as part of The Bridge
