Three seats
An idea only moves forward when all three seats are taken.
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Partners
People with a proven track record. They bring experience, practical know-how and contacts, and they share in the value they help build.
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Investors
People who share the risk. Each one decides case by case and invests directly, on the same terms as everyone else at the same stage.
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Ideas
Small teams who know their business from the inside. They bring the problem and the route to market.
How it works
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Step 1: Agree the milestones
Before any investment is made, we set out in writing the conditions for moving forward and the reasons for stopping.
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Step 2: Test fast
A short, low-cost test to obtain concrete evidence from the market.
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Step 3: Fund in stages
Each stage is funded only once the previous stage's milestones are met. The risk remains limited and shared.
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Step 4: Record the findings
Every test ends with a written review: what worked, what did not and why, whatever the outcome.
What we share
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Returns
Those who take the risk share the results.
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Risk
No one bears it alone.
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Experience
Partners' contributions are recognized, and every lesson is shared with the network.
Principles
Evidence before capital.
The market decides, not the pitch.
The bar is set before we start, and it does not move.
Stopping early is a result, not a failure.
Failure, honestly acknowledged, is also experience.
We back only a few ventures at a time, so we can follow each one closely.
Frequently asked questions
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What is Be First?
Be First brings together three kinds of people: those with ideas, those with capital and those with business and management experience. Put the three together and you have a business, tested fast and backed together.
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Who can join?
Be First works by invitation, but the door is open: anyone with an idea, an interest in investing or experience to offer can introduce themselves through the contact form. Each introduction is considered on its own merits.
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What happens after I send the form?
We will contact you to present what we do and how we do it, and to understand which role you see for yourself (idea, capital or experience) and how you would like to collaborate.
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How do investors take part?
They choose the ventures they wish to join and invest directly in the business, on the same terms as the other investors at the same stage. They are kept informed at all times and take an active part.
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Is Be First an investment fund?
No. Be First does not manage other people's money or pool capital into a fund. It brings the right people to the same table; each investor decides for themselves and invests directly in the business they chose. Nor is there a group vote: no one invests in a venture they did not choose.
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What are the terms for taking part?
No amounts or terms are set in advance. The model is open and assessed together with everyone involved: everything is decided only after an initial conversation and once the collaboration has been structured.
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I have an idea. How do I start?
Introduce yourself through the contact form. If there is mutual interest, a small team is formed, agrees the milestones and runs a short market test before any further investment is made.
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What do partners do?
They are people with a proven track record: they bring experience in business, management, technology or sales, along with their contacts. They share in the value they help create, on terms agreed for each venture.
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What if the idea does not work?
The project is stopped early, before further investment is made. What was tested, what failed and why is recorded, and that lesson is shared with the network.