Microsoft, Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards Join Forces to Fuel Founder Success
Ottawa, Ontario – February 4, 2020: Microsoft, Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards today announced a strategic collaboration that will catalyze startup and scaleup success and create a new global opportunity for public sector entrepreneurs in Canada’s Capital. Microsoft joined forces with Invest Ottawa, lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries, and Bayview Yards, Ottawa’s one-stop business acceleration shop, to launch the Microsoft for Startups program in the heart of Ottawa’s global tech hub.
The Microsoft for Startups program helps eligible startups build and scale their companies, facilitating access to technical and business resources that often exceed the reach of early-stage companies. Targeting high-growth firms with innovative technical solutions, it enables entrepreneurs to leverage Microsoft’s cloud services, enterprise sales team and partner ecosystem to help market their solutions globally. This program will build directly on the Venture Development capabilities, programs and services offered by Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards, and further catalyze the scaleup of high-growth tech companies across the region.
Microsoft and Invest Ottawa will collaborate on joint marketing strategies, onsite office hours for founders, webinars and events. This includes Invest Ottawa startup showcase series that aims to attract eligible companies to the Microsoft for Startups program, with a strong focus on women and underrepresented founders. This directly supports the diversity, inclusion and belonging goals shared by Invest Ottawa and Microsoft.
His Worship Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa joined Kevin Peesker, President of Microsoft Canada, Jeana Jorgensen, General Manager, Startup and Partner Experience, Microsoft and Michael Tremblay, President and CEO of Invest Ottawa, along with more than 200 founders, funders and partners, to celebrate the program launch.
“The technology eco-system has yielded outstanding Canadian success stories for decades. We are incredibly proud to join forces with invest Ottawa to help accelerate growth in our nation’s capital,” said Kevin Peesker, President, Microsoft Canada. “Innovative startups like MindBridge AI call Ottawa home because of the access to world-class talent and resources, and this collaboration with Invest Ottawa will help them continue to lift up underrepresented voices in tech and drive more public sector startup innovation.”
“We are honoured to work with Microsoft and welcome their sponsorship of Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards,” said Michael Tremblay, President and CEO, Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards. “Building directly on our Venture Development offering, the Microsoft for Startups program will create new capabilities for entrepreneurs, and facilitate access to new global markets, customers and investors. This will catalyze the scaleup and success of high-growth tech firms across our economy from health tech to public safety and security, govtech, fintech, Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), and clean and connected communities.”
“Across the globe, Microsoft is committed to helping technology ecosystems thrive through programs like Microsoft for Startups,” said Charlotte Yarkoni, Corporate Vice President, Cloud & AI at Microsoft. “With the concentration of public sector innovation in Ottawa, it was a natural fit for us to work with Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards in the nation’s capital.”
“The two most important ingredients for a start-up are great people and tools,” said Terri Storey, CEO of Snapclarity. “At Invest Ottawa, we have found both. The opportunity to leverage the Microsoft for Startups Program will further catalyze our momentum and help us achieve even greater impact. In our mission to transform mental health support, I can honestly say we wouldn’t be where we are today if it hadn’t been for Invest Ottawa’s relentless pursuit of innovation.”
Interviews and Official Photos Available Upon Request
About Invest Ottawa
Invest Ottawa is the lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries in Canada’s Capital, facilitating economic growth and job creation in the City of Ottawa. Guided by a vision to help realize Ottawa’s full potential as a globally-recognized, innovative and future-ready city, and the best place to learn, work, live, and play, Invest Ottawa delivers venture development and global expansion programs and services that catalyze the growth and success of entrepreneurs and firms. These include small business training; mentorship; acceleration for technology firms; foreign business and investment attraction; local business retention and expansion in targeted sectors; commercialization; and marketing Ottawa’s diversified economy and high quality of life. Since 2012, Invest Ottawa has worked with thousands of startups, scale-ups and SMEs; helped firms to attract more than $602 million in capital, contributed to the creation of more than 8,450 jobs; and attracted $575 million in domestic and Foreign Direct Investment. For additional information, please visit: investottawa.ca
About Microsoft Canada
Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Inc. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq “MSFT”) the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. For more information on Microsoft Canada, please visit www.microsoft.ca.
About Bayview Yards
Bayview Yards is Ottawa’s one-stop business acceleration shop and the first entrepreneurial hub of its kind in the National Capital Region. An epicentre for job creation, Bayview Yards serves as the basecamp for some of Ottawa’s greatest homegrown technology talent, capabilities and companies. It is the ultimate ‘mashup’ of technical, business and market capabilities that help entrepreneurs and firms to launch, grow and thrive. Leveraging $38 million from the City of Ottawa, Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada, and more than $1.3 million from founding sponsors, Bayview Yards brings together many organizations that provide services and support to entrepreneurs and firms. This includes Invest Ottawa, anchor tenant and strategic partner, which delivers its economic development programs from this new home, and works with fellow academic, public and private sector partners. Harnessing the power of these partnerships, Bayview Yards assembles many ingredients for commercial success under one roof. These include incubation and meeting space; business programs, services and support; prototyping tools, technologies and expertise; market linkages; and access to investment. These offerings will work together to accelerate business growth and success and stimulate new jobs and wealth creation in the Ottawa economy. For more information, please visit: www.thebayviewyards.com
Media Contacts
| Lisa Gibson
Communications Executive Microsoft 416-300-1751 |
Sonya Shorey
Vice President, Strategy, Marketing and Communications Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards 613-851-9416 |