Microsoft revamps startup programme, invests $500 mn for new technology

Microsoft has committed $500 million for a new programme to help nurture start-ups, offering resources such as Azure credits and sales support.

"Microsoft for Startups" will deliver access to technology, go-to-market and community benefits to help startups grow their customer and revenue base.

"We are committing $500 million over the next two years to offer joint sales engagements with startups, along with access to our technology and new community spaces," Charlotte Yarkoni, Corporate Vice President, Growth and Ecosystems at Microsoft, said in a blog post late on Wednesday.

Microsoft has over 40,000 sales representatives and hundreds of thousands of partners.

The programme provides dedicated resources to prepare startup marketing and sales teams to effectively sell their Cloud solutions to enterprise organisations in partnership with Microsoft's global sales organisation and partner ecosystem.

The programme provides startups with up to $120,000 in free Azure credits, enterprise grade technical support and development tools - supporting the languages of their choice.

"In addition, qualified startups also get access to productivity and business applications, including Office 365 and Microsoft Dynamics 365," the post said.

Microsoft "Reactorsa are physical spaces where entrepreneurs, developers, investors and the business community can come together to interact, learn and share.

"Over the next month (March), we will open the doors on new Microsoft Reactor spaces in London, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Shanghai and Beijing," Yarkoni said.