FRESH, raring to go, and carrying an energetic smile on an adrenaline-pumped visage, Matt seems a perfect fit for the hat he dons at Microsoft.

As he walks forth and rubs off a contagious ebullience with his handshake, you know the small but big difference between a vigorous colt and a just-another greenhorn.

More so, because that’s exactly what his job description reads.

Fondly addressed as Matt, Matthew Clark is senior director, Startup Engagement for the Strategic and Emerging Business Team (SEBT), where he is responsible for creating and delivering programs globally that accelerate the growth of high-potential start-ups. He thus covers the job to build a supporting community of incubators, investors and advisors around them.

Technology incubation for start-ups. Sounds a relevant but still not a much treaded road. Specially in the frontiers of IT biggies who rationally would rather cater to a sprawling, scaled-up enterprise rather than a midget struggling to fly.

But today’s colts are tomorrow’s stallions. And may be that’s why it makes as much business sense as a do-good endeavour to support business neophytes.

As Matt Clark himself opines, “These start-ups are our next generation partners, and therefore a key focus area for us.”

“Microsoft BizSpark is a global program designed to help accelerate the success of early stage startups by providing key resources when they need it the most. This includes software, support, and visibility.  Startups receive fast and easy access to current full-featured Microsoft development tools, platform technologies, and production licenses of server products for immediate use in developing and bringing to market innovative and interoperable solutions. And, there is no upfront cost to enroll.”

Having finished a year in innings already, with about 25,000 start-ups (around 900 in India) and 2000 network partners to boast, this program is chugging on well in catering to the needs of tools, platforms etc and making sure that these start-ups spell success.

Matt tells that while the first year has been spent in getting the foundation and tools all set and getting the community started, the second year would be all about gravitating with greater force around the communities and taking-off. Business training and technology training would be important components of this year’s roadmap.

Talking about support, startups receive professional support from Microsoft Network Partners around the world. This includes incubators, investors, advisors, government agencies and hosters that are equally involved and vested in software-fueled innovation and entrepreneurship who provide a wide range of support resources. It also gives the buttress of visibility as start-ups achieve global visibility to an audience of potential investors, clients and partners.

The program caters to any start-up that is actively engaged in development of a software-based product or service that will form a core piece of its current or intended business, is Privately held, is in business for less than three years, and has clocked less than  $one million in annual revenue.