Microsoft to venture out looking for IoT, blockchain investments in India

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Microsoft will revive its venture arm in India by setting up an office this year with a local team to look for and invest in startups in areas such as autonomous vehicles, Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain that generate huge data as they scale up and potentially become a customer for its technologies. 

Microsoft, IoT, blockchain technology, investments, India
Image source : Google

The corporate venture arm of Microsoft had a presence in the country a few years ago, but managed by a team from Redmond, its global headquarters in the US. It, however, continues to run a startup accelerator, helping 12-14 emerging firms to stand up before they seek funding from venture capital firms to grow business.

ET reported that Peggy Johnson, who was hired by CEO Satya Nadella as global vice-president three-and-half years ago, has revamped the venture arm by bringing her former Qualcomm colleague Nagraj Kashyap to lead it and relocating its headquarters to Silicon Valley with offices in New York, London and Tel Aviv, Israel and the planned one in India.

- Advertisement -

“We look largely around our core ambitions — cloud infrastructure, AI, machine learning (ML) and connectivity. But India is unique because the productivity here is mobile only. We have learnt a lot and look forward to learning more,” Johnson told Economic Times. “We generally focus on Series A and B (funding), with a little bit of seed. But largely Series A and B and it is anywhere between $2 million and $10 million. It will be part of our global corpus.”

The venture arm allows Microsoft to get a “signal into the startup community” and put the software behemoth back into the conversation with the venture capital firms to understand emerging technology developments. It also allows Microsoft to back startups that come out of the accelerator who otherwise raise funds from venture capital firms or other corporates. “Basically, we lacked a fund before. When the companies graduated from accelerator we did not have the ability to invest in them. So now we will have that option. We have that option in the US, in India,” said Johnson, who has been engaging with the VC community in India.

Microsoft had a venture arm in India headed by Rahul Sood before he left the firm in 2014 to start on his own. Observers, however, say that corporate venture arms have a tough road ahead to convince entrepreneurs to get their backing.

- Advertisement -

Related Artcles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Exclusive

Exclusive: AET Display Says Will Invest Rs 350 Crore In India In Five Years

0
Headquartered in China, the company believes that the Indian market for LED Displays will grow better than in its home country five years from...
teamwork

Team Comes First… Maybe Not

0
The order of priorities may vary, but building a strong team is essential for the long-term success of any startup. By strategically navigating the...

AMU’s Nehal Gupta Says Used EV Market Key To CEV Finance

0
Unlike the used vehicle market, no market exists for used commercial EVs. The former has been one of India's biggest vehicle sales enablers. So,...

Buzz

Agriculture drone spraying water fertiliser on the sunflower field

Cabinet Approves Drones for 15000 Women Self Help Groups

0
Overall ₹9,60,000 will be gained by the beneficiaries with the help of drones. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a...
Source: Antaisolar

Antaisolar Inks A Deal Of 50MW Solar Project

0
This contract advances a cleaner and more sustainable future for Africa The Ghanaian government is committed to enhancing its energy mix by emphasising...

Gogoro Recognized By SIDBI As the First Foreign Two-Wheeler OEM And Battery Swapping Provider

0
SIDBI's Recognition Enables Certain Gogoro Vehicles to Qualify for Financial Programs Aimed at Boosting Electric Vehicle Adoption in India. Gogoro, an electric two-wheeler OEM and...

Important Sectors

Agriculture drone spraying water fertiliser on the sunflower field

Cabinet Approves Drones for 15000 Women Self Help Groups

0
Overall ₹9,60,000 will be gained by the beneficiaries with the help of drones. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a...
Source: Antaisolar

Antaisolar Inks A Deal Of 50MW Solar Project

0
This contract advances a cleaner and more sustainable future for Africa The Ghanaian government is committed to enhancing its energy mix by emphasising...

Gogoro Recognized By SIDBI As the First Foreign Two-Wheeler OEM And Battery Swapping Provider

0
SIDBI's Recognition Enables Certain Gogoro Vehicles to Qualify for Financial Programs Aimed at Boosting Electric Vehicle Adoption in India. Gogoro, an electric two-wheeler OEM and...

Shailesh Chandra: BEV Shift’s Imperative, Tata Targets 50% Market Penetration By 2030

0
Chandra feels that the company is firmly committed to achieving a 50% target by 2030 and will actively collaborate with all ecosystem partners to...

HCL Group’s New OSAT Facility To Be Completed Soon

0
Discussions between the HCL Group and the state government are in progress HCL Group’s Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility is near...

Manufacturing

Foxconn to Expand its Footprint in India

0
This investment follows Foxconn's withdrawal from a $19.5 billion chipmaking joint venture in India. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., also known as Foxconn Technology, plans...

Toyota Group Announces Sale Of Denso Shares Worth US$ 4.7 Billion

0
The stake sale occurs as the Japanese giant accelerates its electric vehicle production. Toyota Motor and its affiliates, Toyota Industries and Aisin are set to...

Union Industry Minister Piyush Goyal Meets Micron CEO for Expansion in India

0
He also met with entrepreneurs and VCs who can contribute to India’s growing talent in technological areas such as artificial intelligence. India's Commerce and Industry...

Which Are The Potential States To Host The Production Of Tesla In India?

0
The American electric vehicle giant Tesla Inc., led by CEO Elon Musk, has frequently hinted at its ambition to break into the burgeoning Indian...
US Chips

America’s $3 Billion Investment In Advanced Chip Packaging

0
The CHIPS for America R&D programs will support the growth of advanced packaging technology domestically. The Biden-Harris administration has announced a plan to enhance the...