As we start etching our way across Europe in 2009, Paris will be our next destination on our Mini Seedcamp tour de force. We were so impressed with the web tech start-up talent from France in 2008, which saw the likes of Stupeflix going on to be a 2008 Seedcamp Week winner, that we decided to come back for more. This time, Mini Seedcamp Paris is extending its search and inviting fresh and fantastic talent from beyond France to include Spain and the Benelux region. By doing so, we hope to unearth even more promising start-up teams that are itching to break through the surface and build a kick-ass business.

Following on form, Mini Seedcamp Paris will put 20 of the best early stage web tech start-ups from the region face to face with over 50 industry leading and highly experienced entrepreneurs, investors and developers from the region and across Europe to participate in a day of mentoring, panel discussions and presentations.

The teams will benefit from engaging with and listening to esteemed mentors and industry leaders from product designers and marketing specialists and venture capitalists to serial entrepreneurs. Through a series of interactive panel discussions and informal 1:1 sessions, the selected teams will gain invaluable insight and a solid foundation to help kick-start a viable business in Europe today. Not to mention being inspired by fellow entrepreneurs and a chance to broaden their scope within the European start-up ecosystem.

The teams will again be invited to apply for Seedcamp Week in September 2009 held in London, whereby 20 teams are selected from around the EMEA to attend and compete for seed funding and garner world-class connections for start-ups. Along with this, Seedcamp may also invest locally into a start up team that has an exceptionally winning formula.