Microsoft Ventures announces opening of applications for sixth Accelerator batch

Microsoft has announced the opening of applications for the sixth batch for the Accelerator Program of Microsoft Ventures in India. Starting October 10, 2014 till November 30, 2014, Microsoft will receive online applications from technology startups. The names of shortlisted companies will be announced in a few weeks after applications close and they will be invited for a face-to-face session with a jury panel. The final list of startups will constitute the summer batch of calendar year 2015 and will begin the four-month acceleration program at Microsoft’s office in downtown Bangalore in end January, 2015. Their graduation day will coincide with Think Next event in June 2015, where the startups will get an opportunity to showcase their ideas to key industry influential, eminent investors, mentors from India and abroad as well as the leadership team of Microsoft Ventures.

Ravi Narayan, Director, Microsoft Ventures in India, said, “The continued success of our Accelerator Program reiterates India’s strength as a potential hub for startups and as an ecosystem of global importance. Along with the access to Microsoft technology, mentors and investors, we also provide opportunities to our startups to connect with customers, partners and world class entrepreneurs.”

For the sixth batch, Microsoft Ventures is again looking for a mix of Indian and international companies—Indian startups which are ready for the next stage of accelerated growth and want to have access to global markets as well as international companies that are interested in Asian markets. Young companies, which are at the ideation stage and have extremely high potential, will also gain from the program.

As part of the program, Microsoft and industry mentors provide startups with hands-on expertise in key areas they need help on most—namely technology architecture, user experience/ design, product roadmap, business model development and connections with early adopters. Each startup pursues three tracks simultaneously – customer development, product development and deepening market traction. The Accelerator program team tracks their progress every week and shares the report with mentors who provide them valuable feedback. The first four batches saw 51 companies graduating from the program after achieving an average of three times customer traction.

The winter batch of 2014, which is the current batch of startups at the Accelerator, has global startups from Singapore, Australia and the US. This batch will graduate on November 25, 2014.