Microsoft opens Azure-based Startups Founders Hub, easing eligibility rules
Microsoft has made its Startups Founders Hub generally available and eased the eligibility criteria for the program, meaning a founder only needs to have an idea to gain access.Instead of providing traditional benefits, such as lump cash sums in funding, Microsoft is instead providing startups with progressive amounts of Azure credits over their journey on the program. At the "ideate" stage, startups can get up $1,000 of credits per year, increasing to $120,000 for companies who are ready to scale up.No prior funding is needed for participation, removing a lot of barriers founders might come up against in other programs. While the program could hugely benefit business founders early on, by offering Azure credits, Microsoft could end up locking these new companies into its cloud platform from day one.To read this article in full, please click here
Microsoft has made its Startups Founders Hub generally available and eased the eligibility criteria for the program, meaning a founder only needs to have an idea to gain access.
Instead of providing traditional benefits, such as lump cash sums in funding, Microsoft is instead providing startups with progressive amounts of Azure credits over their journey on the program. At the "ideate" stage, startups can get up $1,000 of credits per year, increasing to $120,000 for companies who are ready to scale up.
No prior funding is needed for participation, removing a lot of barriers founders might come up against in other programs. While the program could hugely benefit business founders early on, by offering Azure credits, Microsoft could end up locking these new companies into its cloud platform from day one.
