Microsoft for Startups (MFS) and Canadian tech hub OneEleven have announced a partnership aimed at helping Canadian startups scale.
“We look forward to working with [OneEleven] to support, build, and accelerate Canada’s startup community.”
– Adam Nanjee, MFS
The partners are hoping to bring Microsoft’s technology expertise to more than 50 tech startups, while offering up to $120,000 in free Azure credits, technical support, and development tools to qualified OneEleven members. The organizations will also make resources available to marketing and sales teams to help sell their cloud solutions in partnership with Microsoft’s sales organization and partner ecosystem.
“OneEleven plays a significant role in the startup ecosystem in Toronto and across Canada, helping local companies build to scale with a focus on growth, investment capital, and best-in-class partners,” said Adam Nanjee, managing director of MFS Canada. “We look forward to working with them to support, build, and accelerate Canada’s startup community.”
The partnership will bring programs, advice, and support into OneEleven’s Toronto location. MFS also plans to offer mentorship opportunities to OneEleven’s incoming founders, including one-on-one office hours between founders and Microsoft experts to discuss how to thrive in the areas of strategy, technology, and business.
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“Microsoft is an ideal partner for OneEleven as we help Toronto technology companies grow,” said Siri Agrell, executive director of OneEleven Toronto. “They understand the promise of tech is about more than just new tools, it’s about unlocking new opportunities and markets, and supporting new approaches and new leaders. I look forward to working closely with them as we continue to scale our OneEleven member companies and the broader Toronto sector.”
In May, the two organizations joined forces to host a showcase called Six Degrees of Difficulty. The event allowed founders to outline the systemic challenges and barriers they faced, as well as the support they needed to scale. This partnership will continue and expand that event series; the two organizations will begin hosting a dinner series each quarter for chief technology officers, to facilitate collaboration and problem-solving for participants.
Disclosure: Microsoft is a sponsor of BetaKit’s CTO Interview series
Images courtesy Calvin Thomas.