Almost Every young entrepreneur is familiar with this situation- You got a new innovative cool startup and you need additional funds and/or resources while you struggle to stay in business. Well, The technology giant Microsoft, could help you with some great benefits. How great? About $60,000 great…
Microsoft’s new BizSpark Plus Program is offering leading startups the privilege to use the company cloud service platform, Azure, for the first year for free (including all premium retail additions) and the second year for half price. In total it sums up for about $60,000 cloud-computing perk.
BizSpark Plus is actually an expansion of the BizSpark program which designated to assist early-stage software startups from all around the world by granting them all kinds of developing tools, marketing knowledge/techniques and connecting them with experts and investors. BizSpark Plus is basically for the “elite squad” of startups.
The Program Is Available By Invitation Only
Because the program offers such an “exceptional value” (you certainly can’t call $60K grant “unexceptional”), it isn’t open for any startup to apply and it would only be available for invited startups which consist great quality products/services and holds high potential for future success.
In order to determine the candidates, Microsoft has partnered with few entrepreneurial organizations that specializing in early-stage startup identification and support from all around the world. For example, the Aalto Center for Entrepreneurship from Finland, Barcelona Activa from Spain, Cietec from Brazil and I3P from Italy.
“These BizSpark Plus Partners are chosen for their exceptional ability to impact their local markets, their influence in the entrepreneurial community and their proven success with early-stage startups.”
The BizSpark Plus has few requirements for the startup companies to be eligible for the program (not that they can apply, but it is good to know):
- The startup must invent or develop software.
- Up to three years old company only.
- Privately owned.
- Yearly revenue is less than $1 million.