Hi, we’re Seedcamp. We've invested in over 150 startups since 2007 & provide ongoing support to help them grow. AMA!

So, who's your favourite startup to go through Seedcamp?

Carlos: Taavet, that's quite the question from a Seedcamp founder isn't it? :) Surely you know all our companies are our favorites! On a related note... congrats on Transferwise's recent fundraise led by A16Z! ;) - http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/26/transferwise-58m-funding-peer-to-peer-foreign-exchange

Is introducing the strongest European startups to American investors good or bad for the growth and advancement of startup investment within Europe? Rather than having one all-powerful Silicon Valley, isn't it better to encourage the growth of many local tech communities?

Ricardo: Keeping strong relations with US VSs is very important for us at Seedcamp. The experience, connections and difference established US VCs can do for our founders is important, in particular if a company is looking at entering the US market and moving to the US. This is the reason twice a year, Seedcamp organises a US trip with 10 of our founders that are looking at moving to America: Check out some more info on our US trip: http://seedcamp.com/us-trip/ Having said that, there are obviously a number of excellent European VC firms and the investment volume of European venture capital is growing year on year. Finding the right VC is ultimately a choice the founder has to make, every firm has different advantages. It all depends on the individual match.

Hi guys,

Apart from having a great idea, how well developed and thought out should it be for you guys to be truly interested? (we are very open for feedback and changes on the product, yet in the very early stage of documenting it all)

Hi guys, Apart from having a great idea, how well developed and thought out should it be for you guys to be truly interested? (we are very open for feedback and changes on the product, yet in the very early stage of documenting it all)

Carlos: Thanks for the question! In effect, you're asking when is the right time to apply to Seedcamp... so, in that spirit:

*Make sure you have enough people and the right people to make the most of opportunities that come up *Pressure can be intense. Don’t apply if you’re not ready for that. *Product stage is never too early if the team is great (we recently invested in a startup that hadn’t yet figured out what its product was, because the founder was an experienced entrepreneur who had already founded a successful business) *Prototypes help make you stand out over other applicants *Our decision will be based on the unique circumstances and conditions of your company, so we wouldn’t discourage anyone from applying if they feel they’re going to benefit from being part of Seedcamp

Hope that helps!

3 questions:

1) Do you value B2B and B2C differently? Which model tends to gain a higher valuation & ultimately capital?

2) Do you consider startups outside of Europe? We are in ASEAN / SEA for reference

3) I noticed someone asked a similar question, but how advanced should the prototyping be, before you take discussions forward?

Carlos:

1) Your question has a few parts here.. in terms of the word 'value', we don't 'value' a company differently because of its B2x nature at the start as we are usually so early that it's too early to tell. However, It is true, that with progress, B2B and B2C companies are judged differently by follow-on investors. B2C companies are increasingly having more proof-of-traction-pressure by follow-on investors to really show that the market cares about the proposition.

2) We consider startups from all over the world! In fact, we've held events in Singapore, Mumbai, Israel and South Africa in the past to meet them! Please don't hesitate to apply!

3) The prototyping is really a function of the complexity of the product. For social services, for example, we'd expect something a little further along, if you were making a hardware product, things tend to be more towards the end of 'does the technology work'? In the end, it really is a case-by-case evaluation.

Hello and thanks for the AMA!

I've looked into SeedCamp before and it certainly sounds interesting enough that I am considering it possibly a little later on. I have dual citizenship (EU & US) but I don't have any interest in moving to the U.S. as you said many of your founders have done. However, I can't help but feel a bit skeptical of investors in the E.U. as they hear they are not willing to take much risk and sometimes want more equity or have higher demands than investors in the U.S. In addition, there are not as many investors in the E.U than in the U.S., or so I hear.

• What is your view on this? Has this changed at all or is the situation the same, better or worse than say, 5-10 years ago?

• If your founders had no need to move to the U.S. for funding related reasons, would you still recommend they move to the U.S.? If so, why? I ask you this since there are many different pros and cons to establishing a business in the U.S. or the E.U. For example, in the U.S. you pay higher for attorneys and some say you are more likely to deal with legal matters (lawsuits, etc) there. On the other hand, in the E.U. you pay less for attorneys and have less lawsuits to worry about but the cost per each employee can be drastically higher due to labor laws.

Thanks in advance!

Carlos:

Thank you for your question, and yes, lots has changed for the better in the last 5 years alone.. actually, in the last year, several new funds have launched, and thus, as more capital (and thus competition for investors) continues to enter the venture market globally, the easier it will be for founders to source capital.

Going to the USA to fundraise is something founders consider as some of the world's largest venture funds are based there, but as you rightfully pointed out, it does come with various complexities which can make raising locally more attractive. Thus its worth evaluating the overall impact of the decision vis-a-vis the tradeoffs. We wrote a blog post a while back on the subject, which can be found here - http://seedcamp.com/resources/in-which-country-should-i-incorporate-my-company/

How much do you typically invest? Is it equity or convertible debt? If equity how much do you take?

Tom: the economics (i.e. size and equity stake) of our initial investment for those Companies that apply through our Seedcamp Week process are available on our website (see here: http://seedcamp.com/our-deal-terms/), we also occasionally invest alongside investors (not as lead investor) in Seed financing rounds and for this we invest up to $250k at the terms of such round (one example of this type of deal that we announced recently was Property Partner, which is looking to democratise property investing) . The terms and provisions we look for are generally those that can be found in the open sourced termsheets we make available on Seedsummit (see here: http://seedsummit.org/blog/seedsummit-termsheet-v2-0/). For the investments we make in those Companies who apply through our Seedcamp Week process we have historically structured the majority as equity deals, however we generally look to optimise around the simplest and most efficient investment structure whether that be an equity priced round or a form of convertible.

I worked below you guys in TechHub in Campus for a while, and it was always cool to see people aspiring to get into Seedcamp.

I've had ideas and built prototypes, but always struggled with following through on full-time, excellent execution with no salary. I also don't want to get anyone else on board until I know it can work. Do you accept single founders? Am I being ridiculous to build things on my own?

Tom: Thanks for the question BryceLawrence. Firstly, we have backed sole founders in the past. However, taking on the challenge of building a startup on your own is difficult, as I'm sure you're more than aware from your time working downstairs in TechHub :-) and should you receive funding from Seedcamp then making the most of all that being a part of the Seedcamp family (i.e. Seedcamp Academy, our US Trip, Office Hours...to name but a few!) has to offer with a single founder team whilst balancing the day to day running of your startup can be challenging. My colleague Dave wrote a blog post recently on the topic of co-founders as this question has come up a few times before at some of our meet and greet events (check out his post here: http://www.davehaynes.co/5-reasons-to-seek-a-co-founder )

Carlos what are the most notable changes in tech venture financing that you have seen over the last 7 years in Europe ? How can founders take advantage of what's there today that wasn't there a few years back?

Carlos: Sal! Thanks for the question... I think the biggest change, is crowdfunding and the rise of AngelList syndicates.. access to capital is far better now than it was 7 years ago for sure! I'd encourage companies to look into these options.. you can read more about them here: http://seedcamp.com/resources/deciphering-crowdfunding-for-startups/

Hi Carlos, Tom, Ricardo and Oli, Thanks for the taking the time to conduct an AMA and I apologise in advance if you get asked this a lot, however may I ask a question about the types of company that you consider for the programme? Do you have a preference for sectors e.g. retail, financial services, gaming? Do your campers need to be software or have some form of "protectable" IP? Or can they be service configurations using existing or emerging technologies and hardware. The reason for the question is that I saw your company portfolio but note that mine would not fit any of these categories. Best regards, John

Ricardo: We are typically looking for ambitious founders that want to build big billion dollar businesses. Check out one of our podcasts with Carlos and Reshma who talk about what we look for in Founders: (https://soundcloud.com/seedcamp/reshma-carlos-take-on-what-we-look-for-in-founders) At our pre-seed stage companies are generally pre product market fit. We are sector agnostic but prefer capital-efficient business models.

What is an underserved market you're looking for startups to address? In other words, do you have any Requests For Startups?

Carlos: There are probably several ways to tackle your question.. there are sectors which aren't clearly obvious that they need evolution.. for example, retail brands.. there is a new wave of companies that are contesting the established brands across jewelry, clothing, etc. Secondly, there are likely vertical social networks that need further aggregation or coverage.. professional and personal (for example, we've invested in Fishbrain, a network for fishing, and Hole19, a network for Golfers, to name a few). Lastly, there are opportunities that need lots of work to start really shaking things from the incumbents. By "Lot's of Work' I mean opportunities that require regulatory approval for the company to even start operation. Look to those kinds of industries for innovation, where in the past, people have shy-ed away from tackling.

Hi guys! hope you're doing well

Quick and brief question. How it is the selection process from your perspective? I mean. Which are the first question you look at (team? market?) and which might be your wildcards in case of doubt?

2nd, how do you value previous submissions? Do you guys have a process for this

Cheers!

What you take, percentage-wise of any or all startups you seed money to?

Carlos: Thanks for the question Tiesport! In terms of previous submissions, yes.. it does matter, in particular if you've made progress or pivoted or hired new people. That's part of your narrative which really helps us understand you and your startup better.

Regarding what we look for, check out the question we just answered regarding ideas and execution for MrAndrew.

Hi guys! I have a few questions:

1. What are some qualities that you look for in founders?
2. What should be the first hire for startups?
3. Looking back on Seedcamp's development, is there anything you would change?

Thanks & keep up with the good work!

Carlos:

I'll answer your questions backwards to forwards:

3) I think we should have done AMA's earlier! :)

2) A first hire is so dependent on the team's original composition. Some of the links below for your first question will help you in answering this question as well.

1) Here are some links that might be of use for you to get an idea for what we look for:

*What we look for in founders (podcast) - (https://soundcloud.com/seedcamp/reshma-carlos-take-on-what-we-look-for-in-founders) *The perfect team slide and why it matters (http://seedcamp.com/resources/the-perfect-team-slide-why-it-matters/) *How does an investor evaluate a startup's team (http://thedrawingboard.me/2011/09/12/how-does-an-investor-evaluate-a-startups-team/) *Understanding the vision in a visionary founder (http://seedcamp.com/resources/understanding-the-vision-in-a-visionary-founder/)

What you take, percentage-wise of any or all startups you seed money to?

Tom: See the answer to malcontented for a bit more detail :) In summary, the economics (i.e. size and equity percentage) of our initial investment for those Companies that apply through our Seedcamp Week process are available on our website (see here: http://seedcamp.com/our-deal-terms/), we also occasionally invest alongside investors (not as lead investor) in Seed financing rounds and for this we invest up to $250k at the terms and economics (i.e. equity percentage) of such round (one example of this type of deal that we announced recently was Property Partner, which is looking to democratise property investing).

What's your biggest splurge?

Tom: Advancements in tech have reduced the cost it takes for founders to establish companies and scale up in a capital efficient way therefore we generally find that the initial investment we make into the startups we back provides them with a fantastic basis. However, our new fund (see here: http://seedcamp.com/seedcamp-launches-30m-fund/) allows us to follow-on and participate in future rounds our startups raise and is a potential further future source of capital.

Do you have any tips for the ideation phase? My team has a clear sector we want to do work in, and a host of ideas. We really want to get started with, well, actually doing things, but don't have the perfect idea yet.

Ricardo: Customer feedback and validation are critical in regards to identifying the actual product or the idea. Domain expertise and an MVP equally help testing fundamental business hypothesis. At Seedcamp we help founders on their product/market fit journey via our academy classes and our mentor network . Check out: http://seedcamp.com/learning/

Hi again, I note that you have a Berlin programme starting soon. 1) when is the next London programme and 2) would you consider a programme in New Delhi? Thanks, John

Carlos: Just to help clarify, we don't have a Berlin programme and a London programme. We just meet companies in Berlin and in London, but the programme is always in London at our Campus offices (https://www.campuslondon.com/). As for a programme in New Delhi... we've been to Mumbai (http://seedcamp.com/seedcamp-mumbai-finalists-announced/) so perhaps some time soon!

Hi guys! I've seen your comment about the importance of keeping ties with the US-VCs. I just wanted to ask what you guys recommend for tech startups that are beginning in Europe. Do you take a similar approach to Y-Combinator, in that you recommend companies move to SV in the US, at least for a period of time?

Carlos: Thanks for the question Smurro. It's a very relevant and timely one. For sure a large portion of the world's venture capital funds are based in the USA, and as such, the USA is a key hub for fundraising, particularly in later stage rounds. However, there are many other hubs of capital globally, and some that are starting to invest more and more (Asia, for example). As such, we've optimized Seedcamp around leveraging the best of all worlds and giving founders access to global pools of capital via our Seedcamp Week events in London and Berlin, our Academy program in London, and via our US-Trip (http://seedcamp.com/us-trip/) which spans the East and West coasts of the USA. Lastly, many of our founders do 'move' to the USA, however, they usually do it when the time is right for their company's development.

Hi Carlos, Tom, Ricardo and Oli, would you consider to invest in a ltd with 1 director/shareholder no employes but contractors who is teaming up with a tech provider to lunch a new product? The ltd is seeking for your support in structuring the partnership agreement with the tech provider, and it is already generating revenues with a similar product but needs funding for the prototype. The tech provider owns an IP on the tech that the ltd would subcontract for the development of the new product.

Please let me know if you need more details to answer the question Looking forward to hearing from you kind regards francesca brandolini

Carlos: Francesca, can totally appreciate the need to help move things along with external parties. The challenge, we've found, is the cash required to continually ship product iterations, which can prove to be difficult early on, hence why we prefer technical capabilities to be in the founding team. That said, to answer the rest of your question, prior to an investment, investors like to see the intellectual property being owned by the company they are investing in, and not an external party.

Thanks Carlos Would that be the reason why you would refuse such application?

The tech subcontracted it is necessary for the product to exist but the finished product including its development for the application and commercialisation channels are owned by the ltd.

The challenge at this initial stage is to define the relationship of the 2 entities and possibly integrate them, would that be something that Seedcamp could address?

The challenge for any investor is making sure that the technology that is being developed is owned by the entity they are also investing in. In that spirit, I would recommend that you make it easier for an investor to consider investing in your company by overcoming these kinds of challenges.

Hi Carlos / guys, thanks for taking the time to do this Reddit. I’m from musicgurus.com –we’re just raising a seed round and working hard on product / market fit (we have users and customers).

You talk a lot about how a great team is probably the most important element Seedcamp looks for. My question is - can you expand on what qualities (outside of complementary skills and the ambition to build a big business) you believe make for an exceptional start-up team?

Best Tom

Tom: Hi Tom, thanks for the question - happy to expand on this. We look for positive attitudes, people who can inspire others and who won't let setbacks set them back. Generally speaking, a good team understands their market, users/customers and also competition. Building on the positive attitude point, we like teams that are proactive and who execute (focused on the detail, not just the idea). Successful teams are often those that are great at building relationships and are therefore able to make the most of all that being a part of the Seedcamp family can offer.

What is the most common mistake you see from aspiring candidates?

And many thanks for the previous answer =)

Carlos: At such an early stage Tiesport, everyone is making mistakes.. so no need to worry too much in terms of how we view mistakes. Frankly the biggest mistake is likely not learning from past mistakes and making the same ones over and over again (ie, bad hiring/firing decisions, product development, budgeting, communication, etc)!

Hello, we are based in Italy, working and testing a mvp. The market for our startup is the EU. Do we need to be based in UK to receive money+network+mentoring from Seedcamp ?

Tom: Thanks for the question. We appreciate that teams that apply to Seedcamp often have commitments in their home jurisdiction and we're keen to back the best founders wherever they may be.

While we naturally have founders that work from their home country, we've found that companies and founders who have spent time in London soon after joining the Seedcamp family, get more out of the program early on as they develop stronger relationships with other founders and the Seedcamp team. Spending time in London at our offices, which we make available to all our founders, is a fantastic way to further leverage the power of the Seedcamp network as well, as there are certain less predictable side-benefits that arise simply by being present in the London tech eco-system (i.e. VCs often drop by or a fellow Seedcamp founder who had a successful exit may be in town and want to pop in to say hello). In addition to the time founders spend with us physically, we utilise technology to the greatest degree possible to ensure that each Seedcamp startup has access to all of the benefits that come with being a part of the Seedcamp family (i.e. Office hours, Seedcamp Academy).

Pre-accelerator, what are the most compelling things to have as a online marketplace startup style startup?

What'd stage of life would you feel most comfortable if they rocked up at an interview?

Tom: Thanks for the question. Generally speaking, the product-development stage is never too early for us if the team is great (we recently invested in a startup that hadn't yet figured out what its product was, because the founder was an experienced entrepreneur who had already founded a successful business). That being said, if you have traction that can be great as it shows that there is a latent demand for the product you're offering. Prototypes can help so you can also stand out amongst the other applications.

Hey,

I had a lot of questions, but the first one is this. We were confused by you next seed camp as it stated that it is only for software companies. As we are a Clean tech company would you have somthing for us to apply to coming up or should we apply to the next seed camp?

Carlos: Thank you for letting us know.. where did you find that it is only for software companies? We welcome all types of applications!

Carlos: This is the link I was speaking about. It stated "Seedcamp Week Berlin is a three day event aimed at connecting the 20 best web-tech, mobile and software talent with some of the leading Entrepreneurs, Developers, Experts and Investors from all across Europe and all over the world." http://seedcamp.com/events/seedcamp-week-berlin-may-2015/

Hydride, thanks for that... I can see where that is confusing.. It was meant to be more a generalization of the attendees than an 'exclusion' of other types of founders. So hope you still go ahead and apply!

Great, thank you for the information. One more question. We are only a team of two at this time and we are currently working with a university to creat our product. Once the research is completed the Lab stated that they will recomend one of there workers to be apart of our board when moving forward. As we are trying to raise money for this product development would you think this would be the best time to apply?

Tom: Product stage can never be too early for us if the team is great (i.e. made up of people with positive attitudes, who understand their market and have a strong track record of executing together) and provided you have enough/the right people to make the most of all the opportunities that being part of Seedcamp provides!

Hi Carlos, Tom, Ricardo and Oli! Thanks for taking the AMA. My question concerns is about the referrer question on the application form.

How much and what kind of info is advisable to provide in the answer? Would we need to ask our referrer to provide a written statement of some sort or is name and contact info enough?

Thanks again! Alex

Oli: Hi Schrembot, good question. If you know someone in the Seedcamp family - such as a mentor, investor or founder - it can really help your application along to put them down as a referrer. If that's the case, just their name is enough.

If your referrer is someone outside the Seedcamp family, then a little more info about who they are and their contact details is helpful.

Hey Seedcamp!

I had a strategy-related question:

We are building a B2B product that is solving a global problem with a much larger global market (compared to the U.S.) and is extremely scalable, we have signed up large early customers across 3 geographies. What do you say to your ambitious founders about managing a global operation from the get-go? Do early and strong global revenue figures even matter at that stage?

Carlos: All revenues (and validation) matter, but they matter more when done at the right time of the company's development. Early on in a company, focus and the effective use of its limited resources matters a lot!

If we were chatting in person, I would want to learn more about your business before elaborating on a complete answer. Taking into account how important resource optimization is, I'd want to know how much, at this early a stage, does your company need to have your team validating your product across all of these geographies (rather than just your local market). Effectively, during our conversation, I'd seek to understand what is necessary to validate before scaling it globally, and possibly after having raised the right level of capital to do so appropriately.

Why apply to Seedcamp rather than YC etc.?

It's a painfully challenging question - and I know you'd want me to ask the burning questions so that's why I've asked it. I do empathise with the challenge in answering it!

Carlos: Tdobson, thanks for the question. It is likely a question founders frequently consider when considering a program. I think one way of thinking about this is the way one applies to Ivy League universities. Each have their own character & pros and cons, but in the end, you'd have a good experience because the quality of the peers in the program is high.

Therefore, it's best then to consider what makes Seedcamp unique... aside from the successes and track record we have to date, we have the experience of personally being involved with all the companies we've invested in because of the smaller and more focused amount of investments we make per year. In addition to that, not all companies are designed to scale from within the USA. Many of our founders have teams that might be developing in different parts of Europe and the world for strategic purposes and have an HQ in London or elsewhere in Europe due to the convenience in timezones and proximity. Our program also incorporates accessing the best of the USA (investors, platforms, and partners) during our US Trip, but due to our Seedcamp Week events and Mini Seedcamps around the globe, we also have built relationships with investors and partners for our founders globally.

Lastly, our program is a lifelong one. We call it a family, because it is like one, we don't have a three month program or a six month program, we offer our Academy program to our companies for as long as they or their employees want to attend. Because not all founders can easily just pick up their bags and move to the USA at the drop of a hat, we also have quite a rich mix of ambitious founders that help each other out as part of the supportive environment we've created.

Hi Seedcamp, i have a great project working and it should be online at the end of this month, i would like to be in seedcamp and of course knowing how to be presented to seedcamp? Many thanks in advance

Oli: Hi Arnaudbaali! Perhaps a bit tight for you, but you could apply to Seedcamp Week Berlin - applications close this Sunday (http://seedcamp.com/events/seedcamp-week-berlin-may-2015/)

Otherwise a great way to talk to us about your idea is to come along to one of our Office Hours events. The next one is in Barcelona (http://seedcamp.com/events/office-hours-barcelona-may-2015/) but there will be many more across Europe throughout the year.

Hi, Any London office hours planned? Thanks!

Carlos: Thanks for asking! The best way to keep up to date on our upcoming events is to check our schedule of events here: http://seedcamp.com/events/ we update it about every two weeks so check back soon!

Oli: Hi Aysha. We may do something earlier, but we're looking at hosting London's next Meet & Greet in the first half of July. Either way, there will be plenty of time to talk to us before the next Seedcamp Week London!

What are some of your lesser-known biggest successes with Seedcamp?

What's your opinion on corporate accelerators?

Carlos: Two very good questions.

Regarding our previous successes that are public, follow this link - http://seedcamp.com/our-successes/

Regarding Corporate accelerators, as with all programs, they vary in quality and relevance for each startup. Hard to generalize.

The companies that are first to market with a new idea often aren't the first to capitalise on it - how do you differentiate to between a new idea and a not especially new idea that will succeed? Does that make you more sympathetic to cutting edge ideas or less?

Ricardo: One of the most important things we look for is the quality of the founders. The idea or technology itself is very often not primary: in the sense that execution is often far more important then the idea or technology. Having said that, we obviously like cutting edge ideas and are always on the look out for new technologies, ideally in combination with the right founding team.

Carlos: I agree with Ricardo in that execution and the founding team plays a substantial role in the likelihood of a company's success, but also market timing. Look at the rise of Meerkat/Periscope.. those ideas have existed before, but it wasn't until the right social-network density existed, as well as mass-market access to LTE that the idea was actually executable. We try and balance between founding team's view of the necessary product quality + execution with the market being ready for it.

Thanks for the AMA!

What are some good ways to compare the various accelerator and incubator programs available today? Objective and qualitative measures welcome.

Carlos: Neil, thanks for the question. It is a challenging one for sure because not all programs have their metrics out in the open. The best way, I think, is a two-pronged approach. The first is to look at the metrics (you can find ours here: http://seedcamp.com/seedcamp-in-numbers/). Metrics provide you a view on successes, but also on the program's experience in helping support companies. The second is, via your network, to reach out to as many of the founders within the programs your are considering and get a direct view of the value add the program provided them. The more you can get both perspectives, the better your feeling will be.