Talent investor Entrepreneur First unveils latest batch of deep techs

TALENT investor Entrepreneur First has unveiled its sixth cohort of 19 deep tech startups from Singapore, Bangalore and Hong Kong.

The startups dabble in technologies across various applications, such as using platforms to monitor the performance of electric-vehicle batteries.

Entrepreneur First generates companies by matching individuals with deep expertise in their various fields to each other to form a founding team. Each startup then pitches to investors at the end of the programme for venture-capital funding.

The investor day for the sixth cohort, which had been scheduled to take place on Feb 13, was cancelled due to concerns over the Covid-19 outbreak.

"Flying in so many people from across infected areas and then putting them all in one room seemed like a bad idea," said Matt Clifford, co-founder of Entrepreneur First.

The startups are instead pitching to investors directly.

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Of the new cohort, four companies are graduates of a joint programme between Entrepreneur First and startup accelerator HAX that focuses on hardware development.

Nine startups in the sixth cohort are from Singapore. They include Quantship, which has developed a price-prediction technology for freight and charter rates for bulk shipping companies, and TeOra, which programs smart microbes to replace synthetic materials with natural and sustainable products.

"Singapore remains one of the most compelling places to build deep tech companies globally, given the robust network of venture partners and the government's commitment to infrastructure and investment, contributing significantly to the growth of Singapore's deep tech nexus," said Bernadette Cho, general manager of Entrepreneur First Singapore.

Entrepreneur First has contributed to 31 per cent of the angel and seed deals in Singapore over the past three years, according to the company's internal data.

Since its entry into Asia in 2016, it has helped over 600 co-founders build more than 120 companies across the region. More than 20 venture funds - including 500 Startups, Vertex Ventures and Wavemaker - have led funding rounds for portfolio companies, and more than half of these teams have gone on to raise average seed funding of US$1 million.

Entrepreneur First announced the US$115 million first close of its new global fund in 2019. The fund will allow it to invest in more than 2,200 individuals across the globe over the next three years.