Matt Clifford
Co-founder of Entrepreneur First; UK deep-tech investor and government technology adviser.
Last refreshed: 22 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why is a deep-tech VC angel-backing a synthetic gas plant?
Timeline for Matt Clifford
Angel-invested in Rivan's £25m fundraise
UK Startups and Innovation: Rivan raises £25m for Europe's biggest SNG plant- Who is Matt Clifford and what is Entrepreneur First?
- Matt Clifford is the co-founder and CEO of Entrepreneur First (EF), a London talent-investor programme that matches individuals into co-founder pairs and backs resulting companies at pre-seed. He co-founded EF with Alice Bentinck in 2011.
- Why did Matt Clifford invest in Rivan?
- Clifford joined a £25m round for Rivan's Project Steadfast, a 15MW synthetic natural gas plant in Wiltshire, in April 2026. The investment signals his thesis that net-zero Energy infrastructure is the next frontier for technology angels.Source: Lowdown
- What companies has Entrepreneur First backed?
- EF's portfolio includes Magic Pony Technology (acquired by Twitter), Cleo, and Tractable, among others. The programme runs cohorts in London, Paris, Berlin, Singapore, and Bangalore.
- What is Matt Clifford's government role in the UK?
- Clifford serves as co-chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) board, making him one of the few private-sector figures with a formal advisory role in UK science funding.
Background
Matt Clifford angel-invested in Rivan's £25m Project Steadfast round on 20 April 2026, joining Thomas Wolf and Markus Villig in backing Europe's largest planned synthetic natural gas facility in Wiltshire. Clifford is one of the most influential figures in the UK's deep-tech funding ecosystem, and his participation signals that energy-transition infrastructure is entering the orbit of technology angels previously focused on software and AI.
Clifford is co-founder and CEO of Entrepreneur First (EF), the London-based talent-investor programme he started with Alice Bentinck in 2011. EF recruits individuals before they have a co-founder or idea, matches them into founding pairs, and backs the resulting companies at pre-seed. The portfolio includes Magic Pony Technology (acquired by Twitter), Cleo, and Tractable. EF has run cohorts in London, Paris, Berlin, Singapore, and Bangalore. Clifford also serves as a government technology adviser, including as co-chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) board.
His cross-cutting role as builder, backer, and policy actor makes Clifford a useful proxy for the UK's deep-tech policy ambitions. His decision to back Rivan alongside institutional investors IQ Capital and Plural illustrates how the UK angel ecosystem is extending from software into Energy infrastructure as net-zero pressures mount.