Microsoft and NUS School of Computing join hands to foster innovation and technology entrepreneurship

 |   Singapore News Center

SINGAPORE, February 28, 2014 – Microsoft Singapore and the National University of Singapore (NUS) School of Computing today announced a partnership that seeks to encourage and enable aspiring student technopreneurs to turn their ideas and innovations into reality. Through the new Microsoft College Startup Program students from NUS School of Computing will be able to fast-track their startup ideation and development.

The Microsoft College Startup Program helps students through the process of generating business ideas, developing their products and business case as well as the pitch to Microsoft Ventures representatives for a chance to enroll in a six-month Microsoft Ventures Accelerator program in Beijing. The two-year collaboration between Microsoft and NUS School of Computing was formalized at a signing ceremony this morning, held at the I Cube(I3) auditorium at NUS.

“Microsoft is constantly working with local educational institutions as part of our commitment to invest in Singapore’s talent development, especially for the IT industry,” said Ms Jessica Tan, Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore. “The Microsoft College Startup Program is a unique, first-of-its-kind partnership between Microsoft and NUS School of Computing which goes beyond knowledge and technology sharing. We are providing a launch pad for aspiring NUS School of Computing entrepreneurs to sharpen their business capabilities, develop their products and launch their solutions to the market. We are very pleased to partner with NUS and look forward to seeing the innovations from startups groomed under the program, which will undoubtedly add vibrancy to the local software economy.”

Professor (Practice) Juzar Motiwalla, Chairman of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Committee at NUS School of Computing, added, “NUS School of Computing actively nurtures innovation and entrepreneurship amongst our students through programs such as The Furnace incubator, VaSCo start-up grants for compelling start-up concepts and entrepreneurship courses. Working with our long-time partner Microsoft, we are now taking this a step further to support and offer our students the exposure of a real-world startup experience outside of the lecture halls. We are confident that this collaboration will inspire our students to embrace the spirit of innovation and pave the way in unleashing future innovators.”

Taking place in half-yearly cycles, the Microsoft College Startup Program is structured into three phases: ideation, business case and product development and the final pitch.

The ideation phase aims to inspire students to dream up viable technology product ideas through activities such as a visit to the Singapore Microsoft Technology Center and networking opportunities to connect with the local entrepreneurial community and successful startup founders.

At the end of the module, the student teams will pitch their initial idea to Microsoft Singapore representatives for a chance to be shortlisted for the next stage of the program. The team that displays a project of the highest quality and most business potential stand to receive initial seed funding from Microsoft Singapore and NUS School of Computing as well as an opportunity to join the 6 month accelerator program in Beijing.

Mr Qiang Shen, CTO in residence, Microsoft Ventures Accelerator in Beijing said, “Microsoft fully recognizes the power of innovation in driving economic competitiveness and its potential to change the way people live, work and play. Thus, we ensure that we commit our full efforts and resources to empower start-ups participating in the Accelerator through each stage of development. We are excited to see the innovations from the NUS student entrepreneurs as we further expand the culture of innovation throughout the region.”

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About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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About National University of Singapore (NUS)
A leading global university centred in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s flagship university, which offers a global approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise.

NUS has 16 faculties and schools across three campuses. Its transformative education includes a broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment. Over 37,000 students from 100 countries enrich the community with their diverse social and cultural perspectives.

NUS has three Research Centres of Excellence (RCE) and 23 university-level research institutes and centres. It is also a partner in Singapore’s fifth RCE. NUS shares a close affiliation with 16 national-level research institutes and centres. Research activities are strategic and robust, and NUS is well-known for its research strengths in engineering, life sciences and biomedicine, social sciences and natural sciences. It also strives to create a supportive and innovative environment to promote creative enterprise within its community.

For more information, please visit www.nus.edu.sg.

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