M12 – Microsoft’s Venture Fund

M12 has made over 100 investments in the six years since its founding. It includes 15 unicorns and six initial public offerings (IPOs). Millions of people rely on the goods and services provided by M12 portfolio firms to safeguard them against identity fraud. It also guarantees that healthcare facilities have accurate patient data, and engage in learning. This helps to improve their performance at work and streamline processes using AI. M12 succeeds when working with teams earlier on, and it will keep concentrating on funding Series A and B startups.

M12 has a long history of supporting early-stage startups, providing seed funding and resources to help these companies get off the ground. Some of the notable companies that M12 has backed in the past include GitHub, BlueTalon, and AppDirect. However, the company now believes that it can have a greater impact by supporting companies that are further along in their development. This shift comes as the startup ecosystem has become increasingly competitive, with more and more companies vying for a slice of the pie. M12 believes that by focusing on later-stage startups, it can find companies that are more established and have a higher likelihood of success.

However, the startups and Microsoft required a new M12. So, as a result, the business devised a more targeted investment strategy, closely tied to Microsoft. Relationships, clients, and special advantages for their portfolio have enabled them to generate remarkable value.

AI, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, developer tools, and vertical SaaS are their primary thesis areas (areas like retail and healthcare). Successful businesses in these sectors, like the healthcare data platform Innovaccer and the cyber insurance platform At-Bay, frequently find success working with Microsoft on product integrations, client growth, ecosystem development, and sales momentum.

assist portfolio expansion in alignment with Microsoft stakeholders

One of the most recent investments in this field is a decentralized database firm called Space and Time. To access, manage, and conduct analytics on blockchain-native data, a key driver of their growth aspirations, their plans include integration with Microsoft Azure. A trustworthy set of services are available to design and deploy Web3 apps in this new era of ubiquitous computing, thanks to Microsoft Azure’s extensive cloud platform and its top identity and security capabilities. This enables Space and Time to create novel and sophisticated Web3 use cases.

utilizing the platform’s strength to deliver value

With the goal of accelerating Azure deployments, Aqua Security and Microsoft have a long history of tight product partnerships. Along with that, it has also taken co-selling and collaborative marketing initiatives. One illustration of this connection is the way Aqua supports software license and purchase directly through the Microsoft Azure Marketplace. It enables users to make use of the existing Azure service purchasing procedures. This technology makes it easier to set up a safe infrastructure for cloud applications. And customers running containers on Azure can take use of it to finish their purchase cycle quickly.

Together, Aqua and Microsoft have run several regional marketing campaigns to inform clients about cloud-native technologies. Also, they give them the chance to communicate with nearby technical resources from both businesses.