Kyron, Patni Healthcare join Microsoft Ventures's CoInnovate

Microsoft Ventures in India on Wednesday announced partnerships with Citi India, Kyron and Patni Healthcare to provide start-ups direct costumer, market and investment access under its #CoInnovate programme at the Think Next 2015 forum.

Microsoft Ventures is a global initiative, which with its tailor-made offers to suit the needs of start-ups, tools, resources, knowledge and expertise at every stage of maturity, empowers entrepreneurs around the world on their journey to build great companies.

The #CoInnovate programme of the Microsoft Ventures in India connects mature start-ups with corporates -- that get access to innovative solutions for their business needs while providing greater market access for the start-ups.

#CoInnovate programme has three categories.

Firstly, the Market Access Programme (MAP) connects corporate to start-ups in the business vertical where their interests lie. Currae from Patni Healthcare Enterprise has signed on to the MAP programmes where Microsoft Ventures will connect them to healthcare start-ups.

These startups can work as solution partners for Currae hospitals and eventually help them scale there businesses.

"We as Currae understand technology and healthcare, and Microsoft understands the venture world. By coming together under #CoInnovate, we can truly find entrepreneurs who can create disruptive technologies which can change india's healthcare ecosystem and also take these solutions globally," Apoorva Patni, director, Patni Healthcare, said.

The second programme is the High Potential Programme (Hi-Po) where corporate nominate start-ups they want to work with to be accelerated at Microsoft Ventures in order to speed up their business potential.

Citi India is a Hi-Po partner under #CoInnovate. Through this partnership, Citi is seeking to reach out to new technologies and solutions created by start-ups that can address its clients' banking, e-commerce and transaction needs.

With third programme - Partner in Accelaration (PIA) - Microsoft Ventures helps organisations set up their own accelerator programme by sharing knowhow.

Microsoft Ventures will power Kyron's corporate accelerator, by sharing best practices, and providing access to its portfolio of startups and events.

This partnership will result in and expanded reach into the start-up ecosystem for both Kyron and Microsoft Ventures.

"Kyron's customers, most of them happen to be Fortune 500 multinationals, are seeking digital transformation and innovation in their businesses," Venkat Raju, managing partner, Kyron, said at the event.

"With its strong legacy of mentoring and promoting start-ups and a vast array of mentors, Microsoft Ventures is uniquely positioned to help our start-ups get exposed to a larger market and gain expertise" he added.

Microsoft Ventures has its centre in Bangalore, called accelerator, which empowers start-ups through mentor-driven accelerator programme designed to help top entrepreneurs get through the challenges of building a sustainable business, gaining customers, and scaling to global markets.