Microsoft is bringing the Startups Founders Hub to startups in Africa through new initiatives by the Africa Transformation Office. The Founders Hub tries to remove traditional barriers that startups face when building a company. African startups will be able to get free access to technology, coaching, and support to hit their next milestone.
The self-service hub, Microsoft Notes, will provide startups with a wide range of resources. This includes access to mentors, skilling content, tools like Microsoft Azure and GitHub, and go-to-market and business support.
The Founders Hub also includes opportunities for startups to sell to Microsoft’s corporate and enterprise customers. Helping with some of the early challenges startups face when it comes to finding customers. Microsoft will also support startups in geo-expansion activities, where startups can scale up by selling in new countries or regions.
“The Founders Hub allows Microsoft to engage with accelerators, incubators and tech hubs across the continent“, says Gerald Maithya, Startups Lead, Microsoft Africa Transformation Office.
Our partnerships with key African accelerators provide crucial support to accelerate growth-stage startups with their business development and market expansion plans.
Gerald Maithya
This is part of new Microsoft initiatives under its Africa Transformation Office to accelerate the growth of 10,000 African startups and fast-track investment in Africa’s start-up ecosystem over the next five years. Including the announcement of $500 million investment funding to enable startups to rapidly scale. And new partnerships with accelerators and incubators to provide startups with access to markets, technical skills and funding.
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Microsoft is announcing plans to support African startups with $500 million in potential funding in partnership with venture capital investors to enable them to rapidly scale using investment funding. This is part of new initiatives under its Africa Transformation Office to accelerate the growth of 10,000 African startups over the next five years. Including the launch of Microsoft Startups Founders Hub in Africa and new partnerships with accelerators and incubators to provide startups with access to markets, technical skills and funding.
Microsoft will establish industry alliances and partnerships with venture capital investors to facilitate access to the $500 million funding. Targeting those with global reach and regional bases with an interest in one or more regions within Africa. The funding will come from a network of venture capital investors, who will dedicate a portion of their financial support to startups in the Microsoft network.
“Our ambition is to see an explosion of local invention”
Wael Elkabbany
The company has established partnerships with key venture capital investors, including Banque Misr, Global Venture Capital and Get Funded Africa. With plans to grow this network of venture capital investors in the next five years. This will allow it to increase funding to startups and enable them to scale up and drive economic growth.
“Our goal in establishing these partnerships with venture capital investors is to extend the network of potential partnerships between Microsoft, venture capital investors and startups, thereby increasing the funding made available to eligible startups,” says Gerald Maithya, Startups Lead, Microsoft Africa Transformation Office.
Microsoft believes the African startup market is well placed to become a cornerstone of the continent’s digital economy, supporting local innovation through relevant solutions to societal challenges.
“Our ambition is to see an explosion of local invention,” says Wael Elkabbany, Managing Director, Microsoft Africa Transformation Office. “That will contribute positively, not just to Africa’s digital economy, but to global society he concludes“.
“There is huge potential for Africa to become a thriving hub of digital innovation on the global start-up landscape.”
Wael Elkabbany
Microsoft hopes to enable digital transformation powered by Africans for Africans with the establishment of the Africa Transformation Office. It will partner with public and private organizations to empower Africans and foster economic prosperity.
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Microsoft Africa Development Center is organizing a free virtual event as part of its ADC’s user group series themed Azure Developers Connect for Developers and Software Engineers in Africa scheduled to hold on the 24th of February, 2022. Time 3 PM GMT, 4 PM WAT, 5 PM SAT, 6 PM EAT.
The event which would be held virtually is targeted at Azure user groups & communities, developers, engineers, working professionals; Tech communities in West Africa and Kenya in a bid to expose them to the many capabilities of Azure for building next-gen apps and driving global transformation as a developer or software engineer in Africa.
Developers and software engineers would enjoy practical sessions with Top Azure experts, as well as get insights into existing cloud features, they never knew were in existence. Speakers at the event will include Scott Hunter (VP DIR Program Management, Azure Applications, Microsoft), Matt Soucoup (Senior Cloud Advocate, Microsoft), Donald Okafor (Principal Software Engineering Lead, Microsoft ADC), Kehinde Ladipo (Software engineer, Microsoft ADC).
Panel discussions will also feature Adora Nwodo (Software Engineer, Microsoft ADC), Olaitan Adeboye (Software Engineer, Microsoft ADC), Samuel Adranyi (Senior Software Engineer, Mekorma), Frank Odoom (Software Consultant, Accede) and other Microsoft ADC software Engineers.
Topics: – 5 career paths you can explore as an Azure Software Engineer, – How to become a software engineer at the Microsoft ADC, – Leveraging Azure for continuous deployment & integration.
Microsoft Azure is Microsoft’s public cloud computing platform that provides a wide range of cloud services such as computing, analytics, networking, and storage. Microsoft Azure helps developers and software engineers to develop new applications or even upscale existing applications with its various cloud services. The public cloud computing platform is flexible and open which makes it globally recognized to developers and software engineers due to its reliability.
The Azure developers connect event will also serve as a great way for developers and software engineers to network with other Azure professionals in the field.
Developers and Software Engineers in Africa can book their seat by registering with the link https://aka.ms/AzureDevelopersConnect to get in-depth knowledge about exploring the Microsoft Azure Platform and its existing features whilst they prepare to build next-gen apps that would drive global transformations.
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Microsoft Student Summit Africa (MSSA) is back and is scheduled to take place from 1st to 3rd December 2021. The free three-day virtual conference will seek to upskill and expose students to Microsoft technologies. With learning covering artificial intelligence, cloud computing, Microsoft Power Platform, web development, etc.
The event will have two days of learning with about 20 deep-dive sessions. Learners will form teams and collaborate on projects in a hackathon on the third day and compete to win prizes. Like the previous editions, there will be sessions on recruiting workshops for software engineer and program manager roles.
The Microsoft student summit is open to students in universities and tertiary institutions across Africa and the globe. But only students in Africa will be eligible to participate in the hackathon and win prizes.
Microsoft Africa Development Center is sponsoring the summit and learners will get the opportunity to hear and learn from Microsoft leaders and software engineers.
Click for more information and register your details to participate in the MSSA. Don’t forget to share this post with your friends or anyone who might benefit from this training.
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Check out other stories making the news in the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.
What is the Software engineer recruitment process for the Microsoft Africa Development Center like? James Ndiga Microsoft technical recruiter Europe Middle East and Africa talks about the process during this digital meetup.
Firstly, Microsoft advertises the software engineering or any other role on the career website. You put in the application.
If selected, Microsoft will send you a technical assessment using Codility. The technical assessment will have three questions in easy, medium and hard levels.
After you’ve submitted your work, a team of engineers will check and review it based on the standards set for that specific assessment or role.
When you pass the technical assessment level, you are invited for a recruiter screening. Here the recruiter checks for non technical focus areas. Other areas include cultural and other competencies that relate to Microsoft and the role.
The next stage involves four interviews in the space of four long hours. Held back to back and lasts for forty-five minutes each with fifteen-minute breaks.
Successful software engineer applicants go on to get an offer at this point.
However, unsuccessful applicants receive feedback on areas they need to level up on in preparation for future opportunities within Microsoft. They are given about six months to do this and then reapply.
For successful candidates who accept the offer, the next stage of the software engineer recruitment process is a background check. This will usually take at least 15 working days.
When the background check is completed and successful, the recruiter discuses your starting date with your hiring manager. It is at this point that you can send in your resignation with your current organization. If you are a freelancer or unemployed and available you can join immediately.
This is is how the recruitment process for most software engineering roles at Microsoft looks like.
James shares there are career opportunities in various roles such as Program Manager, Research Scientist, UX designers, software engineers and many more.
Microsoft also has full time opportunities for recent university graduates or students graduating in the next year. Check them out.
