The Bridge Residency in San Francisco is a company-building program built by Entrepreneurs First (EF), a global talent investor and company builder. Designed for exceptional non-US founders at the earliest stages of their journey, the program gives participants the opportunity to live and build in San Francisco, find a cofounder, develop an idea, test markets, and begin building an ambitious venture-scale company.
Program Overview and Objectives
- San Francisco Residency: Participants spend eight weeks living and building in San Francisco alongside other selected founders.
- Stage 0 Focus: Applicants do not need an established company, fully developed idea, or cofounder. Participants may arrive pre-idea or pre-team, while others may already be exploring an early concept or founding partnership.
- Cofounder and Idea Development: Participants work on identifying potential cofounders, exploring markets and problems, speaking with users, testing ideas, and developing early products.
- Hands-on Company Building: Entrepreneurs First provides structured sessions, direct feedback, and individual support throughout the residency as founders work toward establishing a strong team, market, and company direction.
- Bay Area Access: The program places founders directly within the San Francisco technology ecosystem, providing exposure to founders, operators, customers, and investors.
Eligibility and Target Audience
The Bridge is intended for ambitious founders based outside the United States who want to build venture-scale technology companies and gain direct access to the Bay Area ecosystem.
- Founder Stage: Applicants can be pre-idea, pre-team, or already working on an early company concept.
- Candidate Profile: EF considers a broad range of founder profiles, including engineers, researchers, product builders, hackers, commercial operators, and people with strong abilities in leadership, distribution, growth, or sales.
- Geography: The program primarily serves founders coming from outside the main US startup ecosystem. Although the Fall 2026 residency is promoted particularly toward Europe-based founders, applicants are not strictly required to be European.
- Sector Focus: The Bridge is not restricted to AI, computer science, or deep technology. EF considers founders building across software, robotics, and other technology-driven areas.
- Commitment: Participants must be prepared to build intensively and in person in San Francisco throughout the residency.
Program Structure
The Bridge currently operates as a two-part company-building program.
- Residency: All selected founders begin with an eight-week residency in San Francisco. During this period, participants live and build together, explore potential cofounder relationships, speak with users, develop ideas, ship early products, and determine which markets and problems they want to pursue.
- Investment Committee: At the end of the residency, teams that are ready can pitch to Entrepreneurs First's Investment Committee for pre-seed investment.
- Company Building: Teams selected for investment remain in San Francisco for an additional three months. During this stage, they build full-time from the Entrepreneurs First San Francisco office, receive hands-on company-building and fundraising support, and prepare to raise their next round.
Financial Support and Benefits
The Bridge is free for selected participants, with Entrepreneurs First covering the core costs associated with the residency.
- Residency Costs: EF covers housing, workspace, food, and participation in the program during the eight-week residency.
- Cofounder Access: Participants live and work alongside a carefully selected group of other aspiring founders, creating opportunities to identify complementary cofounders.
- Hands-on Support: Founders receive direct support on cofounder formation, idea development, user validation, company building, and fundraising.
- San Francisco Network: Participants gain access to Entrepreneurs First's broader network of founders, operators, advisors, and investors within the Bay Area and internationally.
- Visa Support: EF assists participants with the visa process required for the residency.
Funding or Investment Terms
Entrepreneurs First provides pre-seed investment to the strongest teams emerging from The Bridge.
- Pre-seed Investment: EF invests $125,000 through a SAFE for 8% of the company.
- Additional Investment: Teams can receive an optional additional $125,000 through an uncapped MFN SAFE.
- Total Potential Investment: Eligible teams can therefore receive up to $250,000 in pre-seed funding.
- Post-investment Support: Funded teams continue building in San Francisco for an additional three months and receive support preparing for their next fundraising round.
There is no separate $10,000 stipend stated for The Bridge Residency under the current program structure. Instead, Entrepreneurs First covers the core residency costs for participants.
Key Dates and Application Details
- Fall 2026 Application Deadline: August 30, 2026.
- Program Start: October 2026.
- Residency Duration: Eight weeks in San Francisco.
- Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California.
- Selection: The program is highly competitive and is designed for individuals who demonstrate exceptional founder potential and a serious commitment to building an ambitious company.
The Bridge Residency provides founders at the earliest stage with an opportunity to begin building directly from San Francisco before they necessarily have a finalized idea, company, or cofounder. By combining an intensive residential environment, cofounder and idea development, hands-on company-building support, covered residency costs, and potential pre-seed investment, the program is designed to help exceptional non-US founders establish the foundations for venture-scale companies.