Last year Facebook announced that it will be working to help Y Combinator companies create “transformative social experiences”, giving them preferential treatment and access to company resources. By no means a guarantee for success, but still a big deal.
Today Facebook is announcing a partnership with European startup accelerator and fund Seedcamp. Seedcamp startups will receive product, technical, and design support as well as early access to beta products and programs on the Facebook Platform. Since many of its portfolio companies use parts of Facebook’s offerings, being able to talking to the people working on FB products directly will be of huge advantage. Seedcamp companies will also be able to get an early look at what is coming up from Facebook, and get additional support, since Facebook will now become a Platinum Seedcamp Founder Sponsor. Corporate ‘mentors’ like Facebook are a key offering for Seedcamp.
Facebook and Seedcamp are making this announcement at Berlin HACK, the first ever hack event outside the US, where hardcore developers will build “social from the ground up” experiences using Facebook Platform. Seedcamp will run a Mini Seedcamp Day in Berlin next month.
Meanwhile, rumour has is that Seedcamp is moving to the ‘Silicon Roundabout’ area of Shoreditch to huddle with some of it’s invested startups.