In a series of videos, EMEAstartups.com is taking an inside look at startup accelerators across Europe. This week we caught up with Andy McCartney, the CEO-in-residence at the accelerator Microsoft Ventures has established in London, during the “Spark Up Greece” event Microsoft Innovation Center Greece hosted in Athens.
You may also want to check our inside look at Startupbootcamp FinTech and Wayra UK
Microsoft Ventures was announced in 2013 and is a global initiative offering tools, resources, expertise and routes to market for startups by providing mentorship, technology guidance, seed funding, joint selling opportunities and other benefits. Microsoft Ventures operate 7 accelerators around the world today in startup hubs around the world, including Bangalore, Beijing, Berlin, London, Paris, Seattle, and Tel Aviv.
The Microsoft Ventures Accelerator in London is a 3 month programme aimed at helping early stage startups by offering workspace, free tools, mentorship, and training workshops. The programme does not take any equity stake in the companies. At the end of the programme a demo day is organised with invited potential investors from the UK and US.
As Andy McCartney tells EMEAstartups.com, interested startups can apply for the next editions of the programme in London or the rest of the cities Microsoft Ventures run an accelerator. He also gives his advices to aspiring entrepreneurs that they should be driven by the customers (those who actually use their product) and not their investors and that they should be building a product they’re proud of and not just get out there for the money.
Watch a short interview with Andy McCartney on the video below