Microsoft Ventures to initiate Think Next with iSPIRT

BANGALORE, INDIA: Microsoft Ventures in India has announced the first set of initiatives under the Think Next program, in association with iSPIRT Foundation.

These initiatives are aimed at resolving the key issues responsible for the lack of meaningful exits in India's software product industry, which is a major cause for concern among India's product startups.

Together with iSPIRT, Microsoft Ventures will conduct workshops to prepare Indian entrepreneurs for M&A, focusing on due diligence, valuation and presenting on their behalf to potential acquirers.

As part of their M&A connect program, iSPIRT will continue to build deep relationships with Corporate Development teams in large organizations to gain insights into their mandates and priorities, and work closely with VCs and entrepreneurs to help facilitate exits through acquisitions.

Launched in May 2014 by Microsoft Ventures in India, Think Next provides a forum to sharpen conversations in the startup ecosystem by providing a platform for all stakeholders to network, deliberate and take measurable steps to resolve some key issues.

Ravi Narayan, Director, Microsoft Ventures in India, said: "With Think Next, we are looking to foster talks and open serious discussions on how key players in the startup ecosystem can contribute to its growth. The lack of meaningful M&A's has been a major deterrent to the growth of software product startups in India. In iSPIRT we found a likeminded partner who was equally passionate about resolving this, and hence we decided to work together. There are many more issues plaguing the Indian startup ecosystem, which are emerging through discussions with our industry partners. We have just launched our Think Next website, where we will continue to publish our learnings, relevant reports and action items. We strongly urge everyone to contribute towards Think Next by sharing their feedback and thoughts on our forum."

Sanat Rao, Partner, M&A, iSPIRT, said: "2014 has been a ‘blowout' year for global technology M&A so far. However, it's a different story for India's software product industry. While Indian product companies are investing in innovation, we need to help solve the discovery problem to ensure meaningful and successful exits. And that's what we will focus on, in association with Microsoft Ventures."