Seed Camp - A YC style startup bootcamp for Europe

http://www.seedcamp.com/

by danw • 19 years ago

19 14 19 years ago

pg2• 19 years ago

Oy, another one. Its advantages compared to YC:

1) it is a collective rather than an individual initiative by members of the VC community, serial entrepreneurs, mentors, and angel investors and 2) it incorporates the challenges specific to European entrepreneurs in starting up businesses.

Number 1 is not an advantage. We're entrepreneurs, mentors, and angel investors. The only thing we're not is VCs. But including VCs in a seed funding operation is a bad idea. It means any startup that doesn't get a follow-on funding offer from those VCs will be marked as a loser to all other VCs. Techstars has the same problem.

I'm not sure what number 2 means exactly, but it is unfortunately worded. "Incorporating challenges" sounds like they mean it will be more difficult for a startup to succeed in London than in the US. That's probably not what they mean, but it's probably true.

sethjohn• 19 years ago

Paul seems to have a negtive attitude towards every one of the recent crop of YC clones. (Of course, perhaps I'm simply misjuding his tone due to insufficient use of emoticons! ;)

Is he worried they will crowd the marketplace and diminish the success rate of YC companies? Does he think they are so poorly constructed that they will harm the young people who get involved? Or is it just a spirit of competetiveness?

corentin2• 19 years ago

Judging by his essays, Paul is clearly for more startups, not less startups.

But you have to admit that, e.g. YEurope is just a cut and paste from YCombinator: from the name, to the website (same Heysan rolling stuff!), the amount they offer, the percentage they take, the application form, etc.

Seriously, who would want to be funded by guys who just copy and can't create even their own ideas and thoughts? It may explain why european startups are just copying US startup concepts to adapt them to european markets...

cbetta• 19 years ago

Interesting view. I am currently at Essential Web 2007 in London with Saul, and I might confront him with your issues.

rms• 19 years ago

They have the best approach to interviews out of all the YC style companies.

There is a one-week intensive learning experience, a week long Startup Camp. At the end, they pick 5 teams to invest E50,000 for a 10% stake. One week will give them enough time to really get a sense for the team members. The rejected applicants still get the benefits of the one week program.

edit: Seems to add extra characters in front when I use the character

Seed Camp - A YC style startup bootcamp for Europe

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