Microsoft Ventures opens applications for next batch

Microsoft India has announced the opening of applications for the fifth batch of Microsoft Ventures Accelerator in Bangalore, India. Starting April 1 till June 10, Microsoft will receive online applications from technology start-ups.

The first list of 50 shortlisted companies will be announced soon after closing of applications in June, and they will be invited for a face-to-face session with a jury panel. The final list of start-ups, which will make it to the winter batch of calendar year 2014, will begin the four-month acceleration process at the state-of-the-art Microsoft office in downtown Bangalore on July 23, 2014 and end with a Demo Day in November when the start-ups will showcase their ideas to the key industry influentials, top angel investors and VCs.

For the fifth batch, Microsoft Ventures is looking for a mix of Indian and international companies – Indian start-ups 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 ideation stage and are extremely high potential, will also gain from the program.