Fifty-four start-ups from five States, including 10 from Telangana, have been selected under ‘Highway to a Hundred Unicorns’ initiative of tech major Microsoft that seeks to enable the start-up ecosystem in tier-II cities across the country.
Besides those from Telangana, the other start-ups selected are from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Kerala. The top three start-ups from each State will now get access to a year-long mentorship programme and a two-day founder boot camp. Over 530 applications were received for the competition.
Under its initiative for start-ups, Microsoft works with local governments to strengthen the start-up ecosystem in each State. The fifth edition of the outreach programme was held here. More than 150 innovators and entrepreneurs engaged with Microsoft experts, industry stalwarts and ecosystem stakeholders, including members of the State government, a release from the company on Monday said.
Country Head, Microsoft for Startups – MENA and SAARC, Lathika Pai said notwithstanding the challenges the entrepreneurial energy of start-ups is remarkably high in tier-II cities. Through Highway to a Hundred Unicorns, “we have been able to reach some highly promising innovators from the five States. In the next phase of our journey, we look forward to engaging with more start-ups and accelerating their growth and providing them with Microsoft’s platform to go global.”
The release said IT and Industries Secretary Jayesh Ranjan and managing director of Microsoft IDC and Corporate Vice President, Electronics & Devices, India Rajiv Kumar participated in the programme.
