Elly Yates-Roberts |
Microsoft is launching a new programme that will provide support to startups in the UK. The organisation is investing US$500 million to support its Microsoft for Startups initiative globally, with a proportion of that money being used to help early-stage firms in the UK.
The company is offering businesses help with sales, access to new community spaces and Microsoft technology, including Office 365 and Dynamics 365, development tools, technical support and a share of US$120,000 in free Azure credits.
“We’re excited to announce Microsoft for Startups, a new programme that delivers access to technology, go-to-market and community benefits that helps startups grow their customer and revenue base,” said Charlotte Yarkoni, corporate vice-president of Growth and Ecosystems at Microsoft, in a recent blog post.
“We are committing US$500 million over the next two years to offer joint sales engagements with startups, along with access to our technology, and new community spaces that promote collaboration across local and global ecosystems,” added Yarkoni. “Startups are an indisputable innovation engine, and Microsoft is partnering with founders and investors to help propel their growth.”
Microsoft’s global network of 40,000 sales representatives and hundreds of thousands of partners will also help startups in the programme. Yarkoni said that this network will help “drive adoption of Microsoft cloud solutions into companies of all sizes and industries worldwide.”
“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,” she added.