Startup Speed Dating: Three Methods For Triumph

Just just What do you really get whenever you mix space high in startup founders with corporate professionals? Magic!

The other day, the Microsoft Accelerator group ran four occasions where this took place. In New York, we’d a FinTech Innovation Summit and a graduation event for the latest cohort through the Seattle Accelerator. We additionally held an Enterprise Partners Innovation Summit at Microsoft head office, plus an event that is matchmaking Seattle cohort graduates and people exact exact same enterprise partners. At these“speed that is startup” activities, we pair a curated profile of startup businesses with some of Microsoft’s key lovers and clients.

The Microsoft Accelerator model is “equity free” – we don’t just take economic stakes in the businesses that participate. Instead, the value that people deliver is in exclusive usage of Microsoft’s client base, and eventually, starting doorways to mutually useful start-corporate partnerships.

Our goal by using these activities is to utilize our impact to generate connections between our startups and our customers, in hopes that a possible deployment—or even evidence of concept—will outcome. The other day ended up being, within my modest opinion, a house run. 85% associated with the ongoing organizations taking part in the Enterprise Partners summit, along with 85% of organizations whom took part in the Graduation Event, and 62% of those taking part in the FinTech Summit have actually follow-up meetings currently set.

Such “speed dating” events create amazing possibilities for both startups and enterprises. For those who have a startup while the possiblity to attend a comparable occasion, listed here are three ideas to take full advantage of your experience:

1. Practice your pitch. I understand, this appears apparent. But I’m always surprised at occasions like these where organizations generate unprepared to provide a brief (3-minute) pitch about what they are doing. And since the speed format that is dating just enables at under 20 mins together, it’s mate 1 login crucial to get across just what your solution does and just just what issue it solves as soon as possible, and get right down to business.
2. Understand who you’re meeting. Once more, may seem like a no-brainer. But use the time before arriving to essentially research the companies and representatives. It absolutely was obvious within the space week that is last had and that hasn’t done this. One group invested ten minutes (out of 20 total) asking questions regarding the part associated with administrator sitting right in front of these. Don’t let this be you.
3. Have actually an ask. What exactly are you searching for? a follow-on meeting? A proof-of-concept deployment? Know very well what you’re likely to request if your wanting to also arrive at the big event. Then expect you’ll either push for a deal or perhaps a meeting that is follow-up.

Have you been a later stage business seeking to measure? Give consideration to deciding on the Microsoft Accelerator in Seattle, presently accepting applications for the fifth batch!