BANGALORE: Microsoft India announced the opening of applications for the fifth batch of Microsoft Ventures Accelerator in Bangalore, India. Starting April 1, till June 10, Microsoft will receive online applications from technology startups.

The first list of 50 shortlisted companies will be announced soon after closing of applications in June, and they will be invited for a face-to-face session with a jury panel. The final list of startups, which will make it to the winter batch of calendar year 2014, will begin the four-month acceleration process at the state-of-the-art Microsoft office in downtown Bangalore on July 23, 2014 and end with a Demo Day in November when the startups will showcase their ideas to key industry influentials, top angel investors and VCs.

Inviting applications for the new batch, Ravi Narayan, Director, Microsoft Ventures in India, said: “Our Accelerator is turning out to be one of the most competitive programs in this part of the world, with hundreds of startups wanting to be part of it.  The visibility, reach and intensity of the program drives startups to achieve tremendous progress during the four months of the program.  Startups mature the business model, acquire deeper market traction and build world-class products in an accelerated fashion.”

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