Microsoft Ventures backs 13 startups in its first 5 months, launches new website

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Published onOctober 5, 2016

published onOctober 5, 2016

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Four months after Microsoftrelaunched Microsoft Ventures as a formalized venture fund, the company’s new VC arm hasannounced yesterdaythat it has already invested in 13 startups working in several B2B industries. Additionally, a newMicrosoft Ventures websitehas also been launched to give more details about the companies that have been backed by the technology giant so far. Nagraj Kashyap, Microsoft Ventures Corporate Vice President explained:

Our new website highlights our portfolio, where you can learn more about the promising technologies we’re betting on to disrupt how business is done today. In the world of business SaaS, we’ve invested inHelpshiftandOutreach. In cloud infrastructure, we’ve invested inRescale. In productivity and communications, we’ve invested in three companies –Comfy,LayerandKahootin the world of education. In machine learning, we’ve invested inCrowdFlowerand more recently,CognitiveScale. And in security, we’ve invested inAqua SecurityandTeam8.

If you made the count, that’s only 10 companies butGeekwirereports that the three remaining startups have yet to publicly announce their funding rounds. Speaking at the GeekWire Summit in Seattle yesterday, Microsoft’s executive vice president of business development Peggy Johnson shared that Microsoft Ventures is currently focused on startups working on machine learning and artificial intelligence. “That’s one of the pillars of our strategy, infusing AI. It’s the infusion of AI into everyday services that I’m really excited about,” she explained.

Additionally, the former Qualcomm exec told Geekwire that Microsoft’s new venture capital arm has helped the company build more connections with Silicon Valley companies working on the next big thing. “Before, we might have had the ad-hoc discussions, but now we’re actually in the deal flow. We get to see these technologies,” she added.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).

For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.

Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.

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Microsoft Ventures backs 13 startups in its first 5 months, launches new website