India has one of the largest B2B SaaS startup ecosystems in the world, and it is growing exponentially, remarked Anant Maheshwari, president, Microsoft India, as the company unveiled a unique ‘100X100X100’ programme for B2B SaaS startups in the country. Basically, this initiative will bring together 100 committed companies and 100 early and growth startups that have enterprise-ready solutions to offer. Each participating company will commit to spend $100,000 over a course of 18 months on solutions provided by the SaaS startups. More than 50 startups are part of the programme at launch.
The Microsoft India president, said, “This initiative will help build scale and create amazing opportunities for startups. Businesses can now fast-track their digital journeys through easy adoption of enterprise-grade solutions. We are excited to see the outcomes of these partnerships,” said Maheshwari.
Launched under the aegis of Microsoft for Startups, the 100X100X100 programme will help enterprises fast-track their digital transformation through faster adoption of SaaS solutions. It will make available a variety of curated, ready to launch, enterprise grade solutions from startups with a proven track record. At the same time, it will aim to create a profitable domestic market for B2B SaaS startups by increasing their revenue and customer base.
The initiative is open to Microsoft co-sell enabled startups associated with Microsoft India with Startups. As part of the programme, these startups will also have access to regular speed-contracting sessions with prospective customers at Microsoft industry and customer events. The programme will be conducted with the support of ecosystem partners and industry associations including the Delhi and Mumbai Chapters of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE).
Microsoft for Startups allows early stage B2B startups to leverage Microsoft’s Azure marketplace, enterprise sales team, and rapidly growing partner ecosystem. Under this initiative, the Microsoft ScaleUp programme is designed for Series A-C startups. Through its technology expertise, strong focus on Microsoft for Startups, a growing partner ecosystem, and the venture fund M12, Microsoft helps startups evolve from being market ready to enterprise ready.