In today’s world, 85 percent of a person’s success is determined by where they were born rather than their talent or drive. This fund was created to identify exceptional potential in underserved regions and to provide emerging entrepreneurs with the mentorship, capital, and network they need to build meaningful, scalable companies.

I founded First Flight Ventures after a career spent building technology companies and leading teams across global markets. As a serial entrepreneur, I have experienced how access—more than ideas alone—shapes outcomes. My work has included co-founding and leading Pactum AI, which introduced the concept of Autonomous Negotiations for large enterprises. Earlier in my career, I served as a Product Manager at Skype, built and exited VitalFields, a startup acquired by Monsanto, and later led Commercial Development for The Climate Corporation in Europe.

Through these experiences, I saw how innovation can unlock opportunity—but also how unevenly opportunity is distributed. First Flight Ventures is my effort to rebalance that equation by supporting talented founders who simply need a fair chance.

Martin Rand, Mentor & Founder

From The Founder