Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud
    • IT Management

    Microsoft Opens Its Cloud to Y Combinator Tech Startups

    By
    Pedro Hernandez
    -
    February 10, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      cloud

      Microsoft is teaming with Y Combinator, the Mountain View, Calif.-based startup accelerator, to help fledgling tech firms take off.

      “Partnering with Y Combinator is both an extension of our commitment to startups, as well as an expression of Microsoft’s culture and values to add greater value through partnering than by going it alone,” remarked Steve Guggenheimer, Microsoft chief evangelist and corporate vice president of Developer Platform & Evangelism, in a Feb. 9 announcement. “We continue to invest in the Startup ecosystem and to look for opportunities to foster innovation around the world, both directly and through our partners.”

      As part of the alliance, Microsoft is providing Y Combinator’s current class with $500,000 in Azure credit, which can be used toward the Redmond, Wash.-based software company’s growing suite of cloud services. In addition, participating startups are entitled to three years of Office 365 and access to Microsoft’s engineers.

      “It is our hope and intention that this partnership will support these startups in defining and scaling their businesses, focusing upon innovation and developing differentiated products,” added Guggenheimer.

      Azure hosting alone can help turn the fortunes of cash-strapped startups, noted Sam Altman, president of Y Combinator, in a blog post. “This is a big deal for many startups—it’s common for hosting to be the second largest expense after salaries.”

      Three years of Office 365 and access to Microsoft’s developers aside, Altman said that startups also get a free year of CloudFlare, the DDOS (distributed denial-of-service)-blocking cloud security service, and DataStax, the fast-growing Apache Cassandra NoSQL big data startup.

      Microsoft’s contribution helps pad each startup’s toolkit with up to seven figures’ worth of perks, according to Altman. “This brings the total value of special offers extended to each YC company to well over $1,000,000,” he said. “The relentless nagging from partners to grow faster we throw in for free.”

      The Microsoft-Y Combinator deal follows just weeks after Microsoft announced that a batch of startups graduated from its own accelerator program.

      Eleven new data security and health care IT companies completed Microsoft Ventures’ accelerator program, which the company conducted in partnership with content delivery network (CDN) provider Akamai and Jerusalem Venture Partners. The firms, some of which are already entertaining offers for funding, range from Capy, a Japanese startup that develops puzzle-based CAPTCHAs, to Kinestica, a Slovenian company that creates medical devices for neurological patients.

      Last summer, Microsoft and American Family Insurance turned their attention to startups in the burgeoning Internet of things (IoT) and home automation markets.

      On Aug. 13, the companies announced that they were backing 10 smart home startups. “The Internet of things, and home automation in particular, is rapidly emerging,” said Guggenheimer in a statement at the time. “With consumer demand growing for solutions that are intuitive, connected and affordable, there are tremendous opportunities for new players in the space.”

      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to eWEEK and the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×