Microsoft’s venture fund M12 on Wednesday said it has set up an office in Bengaluru that will bolster efforts in pursuing investment opportunities.

The Bengaluru office joins the M12 network that includes San Francisco, Seattle, London, and Tel Aviv.

The local office will pursue investment opportunities across the region, focusing on B2B software startups in the sectors of applied artificial intelligence, business applications, infrastructure, security, and vanguard technologies, a statement said.

M12 seeks to invest in disruptive enterprise software startups in the Series A through C funding stages, targeting both local and cross-border solutions, it added.

“The new office is a step forward in M12’s long-term commitment to the Indian startup ecosystem,” it noted.

M12 has already been remotely investing in India since 2019 and its portfolio includes names like Innovaccer and FarEye.

“Typically, we see the greatest hurdles in a startup’s journey as they scale from local success to global challengers, and then again when they go on to become category leaders,” M12 India Lead Abhi Kumar said.

He added that both inflMicrosoftection points require specific and deep organisational strength, proven talent, GTM partnerships, and global investors.

“M12 is proud to be co-located in the region, and to bring experience and resources that will help startups successfully navigate these inflection points,” he said.

Post-investment, the startups in M12’s portfolio can elect to work with the fund’s Portfolio Development team.

M12’s portfolio companies are actively supported through connections to Microsoft’s go-to-market resources, access to Microsoft technology and internal thought leaders, co-marketing opportunities, and engagement with engineering teams to explore product integrations, the statement said.

Set up in 2016, M12 (formerly known as Microsoft Ventures) has invested in 90 companies.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / by PTI / June 10th, 2020