Microsoft chooses 54 startups to strengthen ecosystem in India

Microsofts 'Highway to a Hundred Unicorns,' an initiative to help startups to scale up, has selected 54 startups from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala and Telangana in its efforts to enable the startup ecosystem in Tier 2 cities across the country, the technology giant said on Monday.

The top tech startups selected through Emerge-X, a competition for startups, win Azure credits and a host of business and tech benefits, according to a Microsoft press release.

The competition has received over 530 applications and the top three startups from each state gain access to a year- long mentorship programme and a two-day founder bootcamp, it said. Highway to a Hundred Unicorns, the Microsoft for Startups initiative, works closely with local governments to strengthen the startup ecosystem in each state, the release said. The fifth edition of the outreach programme was hosted here on Monday in association with the government of Telangana, it said. More than 650 startups that have participated in the five events have benefited from the mentorship and guidance through technology workshops on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and others.

The entrepreneurial energy of startups is rising well beyond the known metropolitan hubs and is remarkably high in Tier 2 cities, despite the obvious challenges.

Through Highway to a Hundred Unicorns, weve been able to reach some highly promising innovators from each of the five states, country head, Microsoft for Startups MENA and SAARC Lathika Pai said.

In the next phase of our journey, we look forward to engaging with more startups and accelerating their growth and providing them with Microsoft's platform to go global, Pai said.