Seedcamp London 2011, our new calendar, and changes afoot at Seedcamp

As you can tell from some of our recent news here at Seedcamp (new people, new money),we’ve been focused on changes that allow us to reach more entrepreneurs around the world. Today we’d like to share a couple more updates and release our 2011 calendar, kicking off with a Seedcamp event in London next month.

We’re excited to start the New Year with a full day Seedcamp on January 25th, where 20 teams will descend on London for a day of intensive mentoring and networking. Applications are now open, and we’re already excited to see some of the things you’re building, making, and developing. We’ll be back at NESTA offices in the city, where one of the first Seedcamps took place in 2008.

The usual rules apply – we are looking for technically focused teams with great ideas and big ambitions, with a stellar team and a product to show off. After seeing an incredible number of applications for our last Mini Seedcamp in London, we can’t wait to see what this year brings. If you want more information, check out the dedicated page for Seedcamp London. As a team, be prepared to spend a high-powered day with some amazing mentors from the European and international tech scene, providing important introductions and insight that will accelerate your business ‘by months, if not more than a year’, as we heard from a recent Seedcamp participant.

As you’ve probably noticed, Seedcamp has been expanding in terms of number of events each year, and number of companies that we invest in. There are so many great businesses being built that we want to change our structure so we can officially back innovative businesses throughout the year, not just after Seedcamp Week in the fall. What this means in practical terms is that three Seedcamp events will be added to the calendar, following which we will evaluate investment opportunities immediately. The first of these will be the Seedcamp London in January mentioned above.

In accordance with this new decision process, we will extend our support for companies coming to London year-round, hosting lunches and dinners, inviting industry experts, and holding office hours. All of this will be possible with our extended team and the experience we have built over recent years of running Seedcamp. We are excited to be taking these steps to fund more entrepreneurs, be timelier in our decisions, and thereby build an even stronger ecosystem.

Our calendar for 2011

We are also taking the wraps off our 2011 calendar today, which includes the addition of some new destinations – like New York, where we are going in June. We wanted to share the schedule early so you can start planning, but this means that dates and locations aren’t finalized in every case. We’re excited about the expanded geographic reach of our program this year and the opportunity to revisit some of our favorite places in Europe.
Connecting different geographies is a big part of building an ecosystem, and we really love the diversity we see (16 different countries were represented at Seedcamp Week this year). As you can see, we are making a great leap forward, so we are extremely excited to see how the year develops!