Boston, MA 10/15/2013 (wallstreetpr) – Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced on Monday that the Microsoft ventures had expanded its partnership program into Africa. In June, Microsoft Ventures was introduced as a coordinated global effort to give routes, expertise, tools, and resources to the market through partnerships for the start-ups with accelerators around the world. 88 mph is selected by the company as its first African accelerator partner. The company chose 88 mph for its proven model of secure funding and helping launch start-ups in Africa. 88 mph and Microsoft will work together to provide start-ups with joint selling opportunities, seed funding, technology guidance, mentor-ship, and more.
Through a community evangelism program that includes Microsoft BizSpark, a seed fund and an accelerator program that works with start-ups worldwide, Microsoft Ventures takes a good approach to helping start-ups get off the ground. As part of the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative that was recently launched, this expansion into Africa was conducted and will prioritize start-ups in key sectors that include healthcare, education and agriculture.
The director of 4Afrika Venture Capital and Start-up Programs, Amrote Abdella, said that through the 4Afrika Initiative, they are committed to gaining African innovation and to fuelling the competitiveness and economic growth of Africa, and they are proud to see that Microsoft Ventures extends its support to the African continent. He also said that they strongly believe the fact that African start-ups with the right support hold tremendous potential to impact both the world’s perception of entrepreneurship and innovation that is led by Africa and their local economies.
The Nairobi director of 88 mph, Nikolai Barnwell, said that the company, Microsoft, is the one that truly understands the value of ecosystem, and he believes that 88mph and Microsoft, by working together, can offer a world-class launch pad to start-ups in Africa that are looking to achieve a true scale. He said that he is looking forward to showcasing more innovators of Africa on the global stage.
