Ian Splinter

Entrepreneurs First invests in exceptional individuals to build startups from scratch. We bring together talented outliers to develop their most ambitious ideas and raise money from the world’s best investors. Since pioneering Talent Investing in 2015, we’ve learned to recognize individuals with extraordinary futures before anyone else, embedding them in a community of ambitious peers and giving them the tools they need to succeed, fast. We back them before they have a company, a team, even before they have an idea, based purely on talent. EF’s portfolio is now collectively valued at over $16B, and includes companies such as Aztec, Cleo, Magdrive, Neptune, Omnea, Opply, PolyAI, Tractable, and many more. EF is backed by some of the worlds leading founders and investors, including Founders Fund, Greylock, John Collison (founder – Stripe), Patrick Collison (founder – Stripe), Reid Hoffman (founder – LinkedIn), Eric Schmidt (former CEO - Google), Demis Hassabis (founder – Google DeepMind ), Taavet Hinrikus (founder – Wise), Matt Mullenweg (founder – WordPress), Charlie Songhurst (Board member – Meta), Christa Davies (Board member – Stripe), Lachy Groom (founder – Physical Intelligence), Aidan Gomez (founder – Cohere), Mati Staniszewski (founder – ElevenLabs), Danny Rimer (Partner - Index Ventures), Matt Cohler (former General Partner - Benchmark). We exist to make great companies happen that otherwise wouldn’t. For more information about Entrepreneurs First, visit www.joinef.com Were hiring! Join our global team and experience firsthand the workings of a globally unique talent investor working with cutting edge entrepreneurs on world changing technologies: https://www.joinef.com/about/careers

At ZapMetals, we offer lightning-fast metal prototyping and manufacturing services that can produce parts in as little as 3 days. Were developing advanced manufacturing automation technology allows to automate the prototyping and low-run manufacturing process so you can get the parts you need, when you need them.

Founded in 1670, HBC is North America’s longest continually operating company and is headquartered in New York and Toronto. HBC is a holding company of investments and businesses that operates at the intersection of technology, retail operations and real estate. It wholly owns Saks Fifth Avenue, the entity that operates Saks Fifth Avenue’s physical locations, O5, the operating company for Saks OFF 5TH stores, and Hudson’s Bay, Canada’s preeminent multi-category retailer. In addition to owning world-renowned brick and mortar operators that carry high-end brands and styles, HBC is the majority owner of iconic ecommerce companies: Saks, a leading online destination for luxury fashion, and Saks OFF 5TH, a premier luxury off-price ecommerce company offering top brands at the best prices. Both businesses were established as separate operating companies in 2021. The company has also expanded its holdings to include a majority stake in Convene, a hospitality company that designs and manages premium meeting, event, and flexible office spaces. With assets spanning top markets and prime locations across North America, HBC owns or controls—either entirely or with joint venture partners—approximately 42 million square feet of gross leasable area. HBC Properties and Investments, the company’s dedicated real estate and investment portfolio business, manages these assets. Streetworks Development, its property development division, leads the planning and execution of projects that modernize HBC-owned properties to unlock value-enhancing opportunities across the portfolio.