With more than $300,000 in benefits and technology from Microsoft and partners, Microsoft will support startup founders in Asia at each stage of their journey.
Despite the hurdles posed by the COVID-19 epidemic, Asian startups have continued to innovate and flourish over the last two years. Today, Asia has become a hub of invention, with a thriving startup environment on every corner.
Asia was the leading market for global venture deals in 2021, according to CB Insights. As more unicorns are created, funding has increased by 89 percent since 2020. In fact, Asia currently has three of the top 10 nations in the world in terms of the number of unicorns formed year on year, with China, India, and South Korea leading the way. India, in particular, is moving at the quickest speed, with a unicorn being created virtually every week. According to a recent Bain research, Indian SaaS players might control roughly eight percent of the market by 2025.
As a result, Microsoft has launched the Microsoft for Businesses Founders Hub in Asia, with the goal of empowering startups’ goals and fueling innovation to create economic and societal development in Asia and beyond. The new all-inclusive platform provides over $300,000 in perks and credits, providing startups with free access to the technology, tools, and resources they need to establish and operate their businesses.
In reality, the Microsoft cloud is the platform of choice for enabling entrepreneurs’ ambitions, whether consumer or B2B SaaS products, to grow across Asia and beyond. Microsoft, for example, has sponsored the creation of over 700 start-ups in China over the last ten years.
The startup hub is designed to inspire entrepreneurs to create and expand by linking them with mentors who will give them with industry, business, and technical help as they navigate their next business milestones. Founders will also get access to Microsoft Learn as well as a selection of startup and unicorn programmes to help them connect with clients and drive their growth.
The platform, which is particularly designed for early-stage businesses, is now open to all entrepreneurs in Asia, including those without third-party funding, as part of Microsoft’s commitment to boosting startups’ goals to push innovation from Asia to the rest of the globe.
According to Jesus Martin, Chief Strategy at Microsoft Asia, creativity and innovation are boosting Asia’s position as the world’s startup hub. Microsoft, as a trusted partner, wants to help entrepreneurs grow from an idea to a unicorn.
“As a platform company, our cloud services and solutions are designed to empower founders to concentrate on what they do best – innovate at their own pace. Our aim is to give startups access to the technology that will power their innovation, connect them with customers, and an ecosystem of developers, partners, and investors to help them scale in Asia and beyond,” shared Martin.
“We look forward to how our new offering will support more founders in Asia and provide access to the technology, tools, and resources they need to build and run their business,” explained Martin.
