First Concepts, a London, UK-based AI-powered workspace for early-stage creative work, has raised $1 million in pre-Seed funding. 

Investors  

The round was led by Arāya Ventures alongside Antler, with participation from Jez Jowett, Nathan McDonald, Sean Williams, Sam Winward, and Hugo Rodger Brown.  

Arāya Ventures is a London-based venture capital firm that specializes in backing mission-driven founders in health, fintech, commerce, and the future of work. Founded in 2022, they invest in pre-Seed and Seed-stage startups globally.  

First Concepts Use of Funds  

The funding will be used to develop the company’s AI-native workspace further. 

About First Concepts  

Founded by Conor Hoey, Polina Sali, and Marin Godechot, First Concepts is a company that builds AI software to help creative teams develop ideas and manage context across creative workflows. Its platform introduces an AI layer that coordinates multiple tools and models through a shared context and taste framework. Key components include a Creative DNA engine that learns preferences, a unified interface centered on context, and a tool-agnostic infrastructure that integrates with existing creative tools. First Concepts’ mission is to transform creative context from something fragile and ephemeral into a structured, compounding asset.  

Funding Details  

Company: First Concepts  

Raised: $1.0M  

Round: Pre-Seed  

Funding Date: March 2026  

Lead Investor: Arāya Ventures  

Additional Investors: Antler, Jez Jowett, Nathan McDonald, Sean Williams, Sam Winward, Hugo Rodger Brown   

Company Website: https://firstconcepts.co/  

Software Category: Creative AI / Workflow Software  

Source: https://tech.eu/2026/03/17/first-concepts-raises-1m-to-develop-ai-native-os-for-creative-work/