The initiatives will be run under its recently established Africa Transformation Office (ATO), and will also see Microsoft fast-track investment in Africa’s startup ecosystem over the next five years.
Microsoft’s recently launched global Founders Hub will now be available to African startups through the ATO. The Hub is a self-service hub that provides startups with a wide range of resources, including access to mentors, skilling content, tools like Microsoft Azure and GitHub, and go-to-market and business support.
The Hub includes opportunities for startups to sell to Microsoft’s corporate and enterprise customers. Microsoft will also support startups in geo-expansion activities, where startups can scale up by selling in new countries or regions.
Partnerships
Microsoft is also creating new partnerships with accelerators and incubators across Africa, including Grindstone, Greenhouse, FlapMax as well as Seedstars to provide industry-based startups with access to markets, technical skills, and funding opportunities.
These partnerships will provide African startups with access to skilling programmes, access to markets, including opportunities to co-sell with Microsoft, and access to technology, with support from Microsoft’s engineering and product teams for co-innovation opportunities.
To enable startups rapidly scale using investment funding, Microsoft says it is establishing industry alliances and partnerships with venture capital investors that will facilitate access to $500 million in potential funding for African startups. This funding will come from a network of venture capital investors, who will dedicate a portion of their financial support to start-ups in the Microsoft network.
The tech giant has already established partnerships with several key venture capital investors, including Banque Misr, Global Venture Capital & Get Funded Africa with an intention to grow this network of venture capital investors in the next five years, increasing funding, enabling them to scale up and drive economic growth.
Microsoft believes the vibrant African startup market is well placed to become a cornerstone of the continent’s digital economy, supporting local innovation through relevant solutions to societal challenges.
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