Seedstars World

What Seedstars World does

Seedstars World S.A. is a Swiss private company founded in 2013 by Pierre-Alain Masson and Alisée de Tonnac, operating the world's largest startup competition focused on emerging markets. Its core offering, the Seedstars World Competition, runs an annual tiered structure: local competitions in 85+ cities between May and November, five regional summits in Africa, Asia, Latin America, MENA, and CEE, and a Global Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the winner can receive up to USD 500,000 in equity investment. The company states it has reached 90+ emerging markets with 250,000+ community members and approximately 16,000 startup applications per year, with an alumni network of 275 startups of which approximately 85% remain operational and which have collectively raised more than USD 250 million. The product surface beyond the competition includes a virtual 14-week Seedstars Growth Program (USD 50,000 participation plus potential follow-on funding) for selected competition winners, the Seedstars Community Portal connecting entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors, and a dedicated Seedstars Mobile Application for event booking, scheduling, and chat. Group-level subsidiaries extend the offering into adjacent verticals — Seedstars (programmatic activities), Seedspace (co-working hubs), Seedstars Life (programming/media), and the Seedstars International Fund (investment vehicle for accelerated startups). The company reports 225 employees spanning 39 nationalities across operations.

Revenue is generated through (i) tiered event sponsorship and partnership packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) sold to corporate partners, and (ii) prize co-sponsorship, where organizations such as the Financial Times, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, DOEN, and TRECC co-organize thematic challenges in their areas of interest. A flagship partnership with the Financial Times produced the FTxSDG Challenge, a Sustainable Development Goals–themed competition with six global winners. The customer mix splits into early-stage startups from emerging markets (the primary segment, free to participate) and corporate partners and institutional investors (the paying segment). Distribution is event-driven (85+ cities, 300+ events historically) and community-led (the 250,000+ member portal), with no direct monetization from startup applicants, no public pricing disclosure, and no enterprise SaaS pricing model.

Name

Seedstars World

Legal name

Seedstars World S.A.

Website

https://seedstarsworld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seedstars World operates the world's largest startup competition in emerging markets, running annual local events in 85+ cities across five regions and connecting early-stage startups with investors, mentors, and corporate sponsors through a 250,000+ member community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Competition and Emerging-Market Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA), Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

Keywords

• Startup competition
• Emerging markets
• Entrepreneur acceleration
• Venture scouting
• Startup ecosystem

Headquarters

HQ city

Carouge

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Event Sponsorship and Partnership Packages: Partner packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) offering visibility and access to global talent at Seedstars events. Sponsors gain brand exposure, networking opportunities, and connection to emerging market ecosystems.
2. Prize Sponsorship: Companies co-organize industry-specific challenges with Seedstars, creating prizes in their area of interest. Partners include TRECC, DOEN, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Seedstars World runs the world's largest annual startup competition in emerging markets, sourcing early-stage startups through local competitions in 85+ cities across Africa, Asia, Latin America, MENA, and CEE, progressing to regional summits and culminating in a global summit in Lausanne, Switzerland where the Global Winner can receive up to USD 500,000 in equity investment. The core offering is augmented by the Seedstars Growth Program (14-week virtual acceleration with USD 50,000 participation), a Community Portal connecting 250,000+ members, and a Mobile Application for event engagement.

Product overview

Seedstars World operates a multi-tiered startup competition and acceleration ecosystem for emerging markets. The core offering is the Seedstars World Competition, an annual event traveling to 85+ cities across 5 regions (Africa, Asia, Latam, MENA, CEE) that sources promising early-stage startups. Winners progress through local, regional, and global stages to compete for up to USD 500,000 in equity investment. The ecosystem includes the Seedstars Community Portal for member networking and resources, the Seedstars Mobile Application for event engagement, the Seedstars Growth Program providing 14-week virtual acceleration with USD 50,000 participation for winners, and the annual Seedstars Summit in Switzerland as the global finale.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seedstars World Competition Annual startup competition for early-stage tech-enabled startups (with less than USD 500,000 raised) from emerging markets, traveling to 85+ cities across Africa, Asia, Latin America, MENA, and CEE. Winners progress through local, regional, and global stages, with the Global Winner receiving up to USD 500,000 in equity investment.
• Seedstars Growth Program Virtual acceleration program for selected Seedstars World winners, providing 14 weeks of structured content, USD 50,000 participation, and the chance for follow-on funding.
• Seedstars Community Portal Online community platform connecting 250,000+ entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors from emerging markets, providing access to investments, knowledge, connections, resources, and spaces for business growth.
• Seedstars Mobile Application Mobile application that allows Seedstars event participants to book meetings, organize their event program, chat with other participants, and receive real-time updates on events.
• Seedstars Summit Annual global event held in Lausanne, Switzerland bringing together 60+ regional competition winners from emerging markets to pitch for the title of world's best startup and compete for the Global Winner prize.
• FTxSDG Challenge Startup competition launched in partnership with Financial Times in 2021, split into thematic challenges aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, designed to find and empower impact-driven entrepreneurs from emerging markets with global winners receiving up to USD 500,000 in investments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Startups in alumni network still operational after participation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Financial TimescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Launched FTxSDG Challenge - a startup competition split in thematic challenges based on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. The partnership empowers impact-driven entrepreneurs in emerging markets with knowledge, skills, and funding opportunities through the Seedstars global community.
• The Next WebmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Media partner for the Grand Finale of the Online Seedstars World Competition 2020/21 broadcast on May 20, 2021. One of the most important media and event creators in the startup world.
• TRECCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized educational challenges with Seedstars. TRECC (Transforming Education in Crisis Contexts) works to improve education outcomes in challenging environments.
• DOENmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized challenges with Seedstars. DOEN is a Dutch foundation supporting sustainable, social, and cultural entrepreneurs.
• Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized challenges with Seedstars focused on impact-driven entrepreneurship and global development issues.
• HEG-FR (Haute École de Gestion Fribourg)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the EdTech prize at the Seedstars World Competition 2020/21.
• MADA (MENA Accessibility and Digital Inclusion)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the ICT Accessibility Prize at the Seedstars World Competition 2020/21.
• UNICEF VenturesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSunita Grote from UNICEF Ventures serves as Speaker at Seedstars Summit. Partnership focused on innovation for children and youth in emerging markets.
• LuminatemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganized online pitching competition with Seedstars for startups from Ukraine.
• TAG HeuerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss luxury watchmaker supporting Seedstars in its commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. Sylvain Verdon serves as Swiss Market General Manager.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• MassChallenge: Global zero-equity startup accelerator with programs in multiple emerging markets. Comparable in its annual competition-driven cohort model, though without the equity-investment overlay Seedstars offers winners.
• Antler: Global early-stage VC and founder-builder platform active across Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Combines a residency-style accelerator with seed investment — directly overlapping Seedstars' competition-to-equity model.
• Endeavor: Non-profit supporting high-impact entrepreneurs across 40+ emerging markets with selection, mentorship, and investor access. Highly comparable mission and geographic footprint to Seedstars' emerging-markets focus.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator operating across 100+ cities with a structured program to launch fundable startups. Comparable in city-by-city program model and global emerging-market presence.
• Startup Bootcamp: Global network of industry-focused accelerators operating across multiple emerging and developed markets. Provides mentorship, seed funding, and corporate partnerships — comparable in structure to Seedstars' multi-tier program.
• 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups): Early-stage venture firm and accelerator with deep emerging-markets presence across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Runs accelerator programs, invests in early-stage startups, and operates in many of the same geographies as Seedstars.

Broad incumbents

• Y Combinator: The world's best-known startup accelerator; runs twice-yearly cohorts and provides seed funding plus Demo Day exposure. Explicitly cited by Seedstars as a peer benchmark for alumni outcomes and follow-on rates.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network running 50+ programs annually across multiple geographies. Directly comparable to Seedstars' competition-plus-acceleration model and the benchmark Seedstars uses for its 40%+ follow-on funding rate.

Regional players

• African Leadership Network / AfriLabs: Pan-African networks supporting innovation hubs and entrepreneurs across the continent. Directly overlaps with Seedstars' Africa footprint and emerging-market founder-support mission.
• Innovate UK (Knowledge Transfer Network / Global Incubator Programme): UK government-backed emerging-market innovation programs that connect startups to international ecosystems. Comparable in mission of supporting emerging-market founders but operates from a single national policy base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/seedstarsworld
• Facebookfacebook.com/seedstarsworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seedstars-world

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments5 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Seedstars World