You are here: Home / FAQ

FAQ

How can I get funding?

You can learn about the application criteria and how teams will be selected to receive funding here. The application system handles applications for Seedcamp Week and mini events. Dates of upcoming events are listed in our calendar.

How does Seedcamp work?

Here’s more detail on the Seedcamp programme.

Broadly speaking, Seedcamp invests several times a year through Mini Seedcamps and the Seedcamp Week in September held in London. Generally, every event includes 20 startup teams selected from all over EMEA to attend and compete for seed funding and garner world-class connections for startups plus 60-80 mentors. The first step is to apply to a Mini Seedcamp.

What happens at a Mini Seedcamp?

Seedcamp may invest through the interview processes at any of the Mini Seedcamps or through the Seedcamp Week in September. After a Mini Seedcamp, we work closely with the winners. The non-winners are encouraged to reapply to a future Mini Seedcamp if they are interested in going through Seedcamp again.

What happens after a Mini Seedcamp?

The winning teams will be invited to stay in London for a further 3-month period to work on building their business idea and product further. This is an optional component, but we heavily encourage it: The startup and VC activity in London is higher than anywhere else in Europe.

Teams coming to London also have the opportunity to spend time at Campus, the new startup building in Shoreditch, as a soft landing.

What happens after the Seedcamp Week?

Seedcamp Week is a longer and larger version of the Mini Seedcamps. At the end of the week, we continue working with the teams and generally the pace picks up even more from here. Even if a team doesn’t win, we stay as close to teams as possible and invite them to as many events as possible during the following year.

What is the selection process?

For the Mini Seedcamps, a team of experienced VCs and angel investors, plus the Seedcamp team will review the initial on-line applications. 20 teams will then be selected and invited to attend the event. As we are short-listing towards the 20 teams, we may request a phone or in-person interview with the teams. For Seedcamp Week, we select and invite 20 best startup teams from the Mini Seedcamps.

What do you mean by network of mentors?

We believe that beyond funding, critical to a company’s success is an active and vibrant market in which a company operates. There are many indirect and direct players in the market that companies work with and through to build successful businesses. We call this the network of mentors, ranging from serial entrepreneurs and technology experts to lawyers, VCs, and marketing experts. Follow this link to see a list of our mentors.

How much funding do companies receive and for what stake?

The winning companies will receive up to €50K per team to support living and operational expenses in London for three months, in exchange for a small minority stake (8%-10%) in the company with a straightforward set of terms. We strongly believe that companies must be nurtured at the early stages and not burdened with onerous rights and terms.

Who is behind this?

Seedcamp is founded by a group of experienced angel and VC investors across Europe. Unlike similar individual projects in other countries, this group of people has come together across Europe to seed fund the greatest next generation of startup teams. Follow this link to see a list of our investors.

Who are these mentors?

When we refer to mentors, we are talking about experts across various areas of technology and business that are integral for the development of a startup technology company. These mentors believe in the vision of working together to improve entrepreneurship in Europe. These founders, lawyers, product experts, accountants, and recruiters will bring such immensely valuable experience to Seedcamp that we know all the invited teams will be excited to partake. Follow this link to see our mentors.

What is a mentoring session?

A core element of a Seedcamp are the intense mentoring sessions which bring together the startup teams with experienced entrepreneurs, investors, product experts and developers to give advice and support based on their expertise.

To find out more details of how they are run have a look at our guide for mentors and teams for Seedcamp Week.

Do I have to stay in London for the 3 months after winning Seedcamp Week?

We strongly encourage teams to stay in London and are providing the investment sum of up to €50K towards this. We will continue to push with the speed and access you experience during Seedcamp for the course of the 3 months and the year ahead. As such, the best way to take advantage of interacting with the various experts and having the benefit of your co-winners will best be realized by staying on in London.

Where will we live in London?

Seedcamp will support the investees with an introduction into various parties that can provide temporary housing/office space. In many instances teams find it easier to work and live in the same place. We believe teams should make the decisions on where they live as per their own interests and circumstances.

What does Seedcamp support actually mean?

After winning Seedcamp, you will work and function as an independent company. This is your baby and we expect you to run ahead full force with it. Here is a longer description of what the support entails. We expect that after being part of our year-long programme, and particularly after the first 3 months, you will have built a strong network for yourself and your company and will be healthy and happy Seedcamp graduates.

To give you a sense of what has happened historically: out of the 22 Seedcamp companies from 2007-2009, 85% received follow-on funding or were acquired and in most cases the range of investment in the next round is between €250K-€1.5M. In 80% of these cases, at least 1 Seedcamp investor or mentor has invested in the follow-on round.

What else does Seedcamp provide?

Additional support that Seedcamp provides includes relationships with preferred partners. We are working closely with specific vendors across website development and hosting, legal company set-up and much more.

I am very excited. How do I apply?

We are glad you are so excited. Please go into the application system to apply. Also, have a look at the Application Criteria for more information. We have built an online application process to facilitate a better and faster application experience.

When is the application deadline?

Application deadlines vary for Mini Seedcamps. For a particular Mini Seedcamp, check it’s micro site details. Applications received after a deadline will not be reviewed.

Where is Seedcamp located?

The Seedcamp team is based in London but frankly we feel like we live all across Europe because we’re in a new city every month. We host Seedcamp Week in London as we wanted to hold this event in a vibrant and thriving technology community.

Are you looking for investors or mentors?

We appreciate the support of both potential investors and mentors. If you are interested in either, please reach out to us at info@seedcamp.com

Is this only open to European people?

This event is open to entrepreneurial teams within and outside Europe. The key criteria are that the teams be committed to building their business in Europe as a starting point.

If I already have funding or am incorporated, can I apply?

We recommend that you do not incorporate if you have not already done so. That said please do apply even if you have already formed a company.

Do I need a prototype?

We believe it is important that ideas have been through a vetting process by entrepreneurs. As such, we strongly advise you to apply if you have a prototype that you have started to build or already built. We are definitely interested in big ideas and we want to see some of how you put idea into practice. We also see teams that have a product in beta stage, full launch, and with Revenue. One thing they all have in common is that they are at the startup stage of the business.

Do I have to be full time?

We understand that you may be working on other things right now. We do expect that if you are selected as a company to receive investment, then you will work on your business full time.

How are you different from Y Combinator and TechStars?

Y Combinator and TechStars have provided a great example to Seedcamp in their progress to date. Seedcamp is very different in some important ways:

• We are a collective rather than an individual initiative by members of the VC community, serial entrepreneurs, mentors, and angel investors
• We have a global event model that brings companies and mentors together immediately through a Mini Seedcamp or Seedcamp Week. So, a startup gets value with its first interaction with Seedcamp
• We incorporate the challenges specific to European entrepreneurs in starting up businesses

When will the next Seedcamp happen?

Mini Seedcamps take place during the whole year; the calendar of events can be found here.