Microsoft announces $6 million competition for women-led enterprise startups
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Microsoft’s venture fund M12 has partnered with Mayfield and Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures to announce the second global Female Founders Competition. Women-led startups building enterprise tech solutions in the US, Europe, Israel and India can take part in this competition.
The four winning startups will get a total of $6 million in venture funding. The winning starts will also receive access to technology, resources, mentoring and other benefits. One specific rule to take part in this competition is that the startup should have raised no more than $5 million in combined equity funding and/or debt loans upon date of application.
“I am delighted to partner with M12 and Mayfield on this important competition,” said Melinda Gates, philanthropist and founder of Pivotal Ventures. “Enterprise technology is shaping our world in countless ways, but it will never reach its full potential unless women and their ideas are equally represented within the field.”
“Last year’s competition helped highlight that there are innovative female entrepreneurs developing enterprise tech solutions, and they just aren’t getting equal access to capital,” said Peggy Johnson, executive vice president, Business Development, Microsoft Corp. “The tech industry can’t afford to keep leaving women’s good ideas on the table. We need to level the playing field for female entrepreneurs, and together with Mayfield and Pivotal Ventures, we aim to do just that with our second Female Founders Competition.”
You can learn more about this competition here.
Source: Microsoft
