Interested in pitching your company for investment?

Apply by October 12th! Investment Application Link

*** * APPLICATION WINDOW HAS CLOSED * *** Review our investment criteria here.

Note: The application offers the option to submit for consideration by First Row’s main pre-seed fund, too. Your choice does not affect either process.

What is The Ensemble Fund?

The Ensemble Event Fund is a six-week investment process for knowledgeable angel investors in the PNW and beyond to collaborate on diligence and decision making to select a single company for a group investment of $150k to $200k by early December 2023. The broad investment criteria allow the group be opportunistic and flexible.

Watch a recording of our founder information session:

Founder Information Session

How is the Ensemble Event Fund different from an angel group?

We are “one and done! ” offering this opportunity annually, at most.

This education-infused opportunity brings founders in front of 15-20 active Angel investors who pooled capital and are making a group investment decision. Over the six weeks, First Row Founding Partners Yoko Okano and Minda Brusse guide the investor group through screening and diligence. Our promise to all participants is “swift and thorough!”

Time is the one resource founders can never replenish, so First Row’s entrepreneurial strategy resources accompany each step in the process. As your opportunity advances in our process, the resources become more personalized and 1:1.

There is no cost for founders to apply or participate. ~~Apply here~~ by October 12, 2023.

The selected investment will be professionally managed and advanced as a First Row portfolio company alongside our core portfolio. That means up to 20 new angels invested in your success, and adds only one entity on your cap table. You’ll join our portfolio company Slack channel and gain access to the resources and discounts we offer to advance startups.

While the final investment is managed by First Row Partners alongside their core portfolio, companies are not restricted to First Row’s thesis for consideration.

Participating in the Ensemble Event Fund means access to entrepreneurial resources:

While only one company will “win” the group investment award, your application and participation includes immediate access to useful entrepreneurial and company-building resources we do not share publicly.

• All applicants: Access to First Row Partners’ workshop lecture videos on startup strategy setting, accessing investor capital, Angel Investing 101, founder-led selling, and more.
• All applicants: We invite everyone experience the investor side of the table. Opt-in to the email invite announcement list for Deals & Drinks, our popular bi-monthly Zoom gathering where founders and funders review and discuss a live founder startup pitch. Limited to 30 participants, it often fills quickly!
• Semi-Finalists: Those not continuing will receive specific investor feedback on what we heard and what affected our choices. Semi-finalists can schedule office hour time with First Row Partners and subject matter experts. We host a 11/3 “pitch prep session,” so you can make the most of your 10 minute window with the investors.
• Finalists: Semi-finalists not continuing and all finalists will receive specific investor feedback on what we heard and what affected our selections. This includes investor survey responses and group discussion summaries. Office hours continue to be offered to finalists.
• Finalists: Receive the book of your choosing from our Reference Bookshelf as our version of “swag.” The Bookshelf is an ever expanding list of resources about entrepreneurship, business strategy, economics, inquiry-based thinking, art and more. And, if you’re in Seattle, please join us for the investor group celebratory dinner.

Application deadline: October 12th, 5pm PT.