[Archive] Seedcamp Mentoring

Published in June 2014

At Seedcamp we’re here to help our startups grow into high-value global companies; we believe that even the best Founders will increase their chances by drawing on Seedcamp’s Network of expertise across Europe, the US, and beyond.Together, our Mentors provide our Founders with access to a level of support that money can’t buy. Made up of Entrepreneurs, Operators and Investors, these are the inspirational individuals who built companies like Google, Yandex, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype, Spotify, and more.

Our Network is over 1,000 strong and covers the key functions of Product, Branding, Marketing, Sales, Biz Dev, Technology, Legal, HR, and Finance. Plus we have a Network of over 500 Investors consisting of Angels, VCs, Corporates, and Crowdfunding Platforms. Seedcamp is a lifetime Partner to our Founders – from startup to growth and beyond, they will always be learning. Therefore, as a Mentor, you will interact with companies at varying stages of their development.

The relationships Mentors build with our Founders are fluid and often evolve into something new. Previous Seedcamp companies have been introduced to Operators who become Investors, Investors who become Customers, and Customers who become Operators.

Seedcamp Week Mentoring Days

Seedcamp Week is our flagship event where we bring a selection of our startups together to meet the European startup ecosystem. Seedcamp Week usually involves 20 teams and nearly 200 Mentors over one to two days. Mentoring sessions build on the presentations given in the morning so it’s recommended to be present for the whole day. The sessions are 40 mins each, and you will be grouped with up to four other Mentors. You’ll be assigned five of our startups and will have time to chat with the remaining teams that you would like to meet after all sessions have ended.

Seedcamp Academy

Academy is our lifelong learning programme. It is constantly evolving to ensure we equip our startups with not just the essentials, but all of the latest techniques, tools, and know-how to grow a billion dollar businesses; this spans everything from finding Product/Market fit to building initial Traction and starting to grow and scale their company. Academy Days are scheduled monthly and are structured around a series of masterclasses covering four key areas:

  • Product Development & Design
  • Marketing & Distribution
  • Building a Network
  • Company Building & Fundraising

Sessions can be conducted in either presentation or workshop format, and usually last an hour. Each session will be attended by a group of 10-15 founders and/or their team members; a deep-dive into the latest or most successful tactics along-side inspiring stories tends to be a winning formula here.

Office Hours

Office Hours are one-on-one closed-door session between Mentor and Founder and are opportunities for honest feedback and discussion.

The format is informal; each Founder you meet will come with his or her own set of questions. Usually a Mentor will come to our office for a few 30-45min slots with the Founders, spanning around three hours in total.

Interesting in joining us as a Mentor?

If you’re keen to pay it forward and join us as a Mentor please provide us with the following details and email info@seedcamp.com:

  • First Name
  • Surname
  • Job Title
  • Company
  • Area of Expertise
  • LinkedIn profile [also twitter and AngelList]
  • An indication of your time available