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Microsoft Ventures Accelerator opens applications for fifth batch in India

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Soma Tah
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BANGALORE, INDIA: Microsoft India today 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 startups.

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The final list of startups, which will make it to the winter batch of calendar year 2014, will begin the four-month acceleration process at the Microsoft office in Bangalore on July 23, 2014 and end with a Demo Day in November when the startups will showcase their ideas to key industry influentials, top angel investors and VCs.

Inviting applications for the new batch, Ravi Narayan, director, Microsoft Ventures in India, said: "Our Accelerator is turning out to be one of the most competitive programs in this part of the world, with hundreds of startups wanting to be part of it. The visibility, reach and intensity of the program drives startups to achieve tremendous progress during the four months of the program. Startups mature the business model, acquire deeper market traction and build world-class products in an accelerated fashion."

For the fifth batch, Microsoft Ventures is looking for a mix of Indian and international companies-Indian startups 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.

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The process is quite simple. All you need to do is apply online and if you have any doubts/ queries just read up the FAQs. Microsoft will also be conducting workshops and coffee meet-ups at various Indian cities where we will meet startups and startup aspirants and answer their questions. The " target="_blank">Facebook page will provide updates on the meet-ups.

Apart from the state-of-the-art workspace and access to Microsoft technology and technology mentors, each batch goes through a rigorous, intense and structured four-month program.

Microsoft and industry mentors provides startups with hands-on expertise in key areas they need help on most-namely technology architecture, user experience/ design, product roadmap, business model development and connections with early adopters.

Microsoft Ventures Accelerator in Bangalore hosts two batches a year, from July-November and January-May. The summer batch of 2014, which is the current batch of startups being accelerated, will graduate on May 23, 2014. The first three batches saw 36 companies graduating from the program after achieving three times customer traction on an average. Around 82 percent of the companies also received funding.