Stuff

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works

Home / News / MSV Madness starts tomorrow – here’s your chance to pick one of the UK’s next big startups

NewsMicrosoft
News

MSV Madness starts tomorrow – here’s your chance to pick one of the UK’s next big startups

Which brilliant new idea will you back to get on to Microsoft Ventures' Accelerator programme?

Esat Dedezade

London is home to thousands of young and hungry tech startups, each one determined to make their dreams a reality. And Microsoft is geared up to help them along their journey.

Microsoft Ventures UK, the company’s venture capital arm, hosts a 14-week accelerator programme twice a year that gives emerging companies the benefit of its not inconsiderable experience. Microsoft describes it as a “‘mini-entrepreneurial MBA’ that will compress your time to launch and help turn your startup into a profitable business”. It offers office space, workshops, mentorship, expertise and free access to Microsoft’s vast computing resources. Naturally, only the best are chosen.

Choose a startup, win an Xbox One

And that’s where the MSV Madness event comes in. A total of 38 startups selected from hundreds of applicants will congregate in Microsoft Ventures’ Central Working offices in Whitechapel on 14th and 15th July to pitch to a panel of judges drawn from within Microsoft and external companies such as Cisco, KPMG and Wiggin. The judges will choose up to 12 startups to join the September Accelerator cohort – and you’ll get to choose one too.

Tomorrow (Monday 14 July) at 6pm, we’ll host a 60-second pitch videos for every startup involved in MSV Madness. You’ll then be able to vote for your favourite – and when you vote, you’ll also have the opportunity to win an Xbox One. Make sure you vote quickly – voting closes at 3.30pm on Tuesday 15 July, after which we’ll announce the winners here on Stuff.

So, what will you choose to be the next big thing? We’ll be covering the madness as it happens direct from the front line, so stay tuned to Stuff for the pitch videos tomorrow.

Profile image of Esat Dedezade Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.