Seedcamp London calls for applications

Australian start-ups are being encouraged to apply for Seedcamp London, a one-day event that claims to give start-ups access to a world-class network of advisors and a direct route to seed capital.

Seedcamp London, which is part of Seedcamp, is aimed at connecting web-tech, mobile and software start-ups with entrepreneurs, developers and experts from around the world.

“An astonishing number of start-ups have already applied… Then again, it’s not just the entrepreneurs looking forward to rolling up their sleeves,” spokesperson Kirsten Campbell says.

“The mentors are pretty keen to get stuck in too. We were super fortunate to have hit 100 mentor sign-ups.”

At Seedcamp London, start-ups will gain access to the likes of Anthony Hicks from PayPal, James Bilefield from Condé Nast, Liam Carroll from ASOS and Simon Cross from Facebook.

The event is sponsored by iStockphoto and partnered by eOffice, while yearly sponsors include Microsoft BizSpark, Google and QualComm. The event will be held on January 31.

The day consists of five-minute presentations by the teams, panel discussions, and one-on-one mentoring. The format is designed to maximise interaction between the teams and mentors.

“To give the selected teams another helping hand, we have a goodie bag… to give to all the finalists, containing freebies and discounts from the likes of Amazon,” Campbell says.

“Applications close at midnight on January 12.”

Seedcamp was founded by a group of angel and VC investors across Europe. The ultimate aim of the organisation is to provide seed funding for “the greatest next generation of start-up teams”.

At Seedcamp’s monthly events, held throughout Europe, start-ups present their ideas, network, receive mentoring, and compete for investment by Seedcamp.

“Yearly, we invest in about 20 companies this way. Our standard investment is 50,000 Euros (about $62,400) in return for a 8-10% stake in the business,” Seedcamp says on its website.

“We bring companies to the next level through hands-on support, our network of awesome mentors and partnership.”

Successful recipients are encouraged to relocate to London for three months to participate in intense mentoring sessions, with the funding to go towards living and operational expenses.

“We will continue to push with the speed and access you experience during Seedcamp for the course of the three months and the year ahead,” Seedcamp says.

“The best way to take advantage of interacting with the various experts and having the benefit of your co-winners will best be realised by staying on in London [beyond the initial three months].”

“We expect that after being part of our year-long program, and particularly after the first three months, you will have built a strong network for yourself and your company.”

“To give you a sense of what has happened historically, out of the 22 Seedcamp companies from 2007-09, 85% received follow-on funding or were acquired.”

“In 80% of these cases, at least one Seedcamp investor or mentor has invested in the follow-on round.”