Microsoft Business Start Program. 3rd year. Or "41 startup companies have just received a grant!"
Welcome all!
The time has come when I can share with the community the results of the 3rd round of the Microsoft Business Start program, which allows an IT startup to receive a state grant for the development or refinement of a prototype product. 1M rubles for the first year, only 6M rubles. for 3 years (on certain conditions). Plus support from Microsoft.
So - the result is 41 winners!
Behind a month and a half of project appraisal, 128 applications, 4 juries in Moscow, 4 juries in the regions (St. Petersburg, Tomsk, Nizhny, Yekaterinburg), 80 experts, a total of about 1,100 hours of examination, listening to the jury for 20 projects per day. In general, it was not easy.
The results are published on the website of the Assistance Fund www.fasie.ruin the section where Microsoft Business Start is announced. I would venture to give a link: www.fasie.ru/anonses/anons_start09/Microsoft-Business-Start-09.aspx , although, I confess, I fear that the site may not withstand interest :) I immediately warn that the results contain only the numbers of winning applications so that to those who did not participate, they will not say anything.
The jury gathered the most objective, attracting representatives of universities, IT companies and really operating investment structures. Given the fact that 7-10 people participated at a time, in fact, none of the experts did not have a decisive vote, but could not even significantly affect the overall assessment of the jury. Received very positive feedback from external participants. Thus,we managed to realize what everything was started for - an objective selection of IT projects in which it makes sense for the state to invest money.
And, as you can judge by the result, “the sheepskin was worth the candle”!
41! the project is supported now, if everyone can cope with the conclusion of state. contract, will be able to receive money from the state, as well as support from Microsoft in other programs (previously described here: habrahabr.ru/blogs/startup/52766 ).
I’ll note a few important, in my opinion, things:
First, a positive:
1. An important thing - it really works . Several teams that received funding back in 2007 are alive and have a fully functioning business.
2. There are very interesting projects!I’ll give a few examples with the consent of the founders:
www.tarifer.ru (it has already been discussed many times on Habré), www.linkphone.ru , www.stopredeye.com . You can use it now. I hope that from time to time such teams will tell us “from the inside” about their progress.
3. 41 software project-winner - this is not a joke! And about a third of all IT projects that win START grants per year . That is, with our joint efforts, software begins to take its rightful place under the sun (the way is not in the country's economy, but in a single program, but still ...)
Now it’s not very positive. I don’t really want to write, but I hope that in the future this information will help someone not to step on the rake.
1. There are talented teams that, alas, do not have anyone in their composition who could at least somehow commercialize the technological result. Many of these, unfortunately, were wrapped. Although some were supported - just the hand didn’t turn to wrap up, although they didn’t meet the competition conditions too well. Advice - attract such people to your team. There are good guys — students from the same Higher School of Economics — will be happy to “dig” when they become infected with an idea.
2. There are freeloaders. Here I include those who: a) submit an application without even reading the conditions of the competition; b) those who believe that "a ... - they give loot just like that, so you have to go get it." One of the jury members sat next to such "comrades" in the shuttle, going from the metro to the business center, and heard their conversation - then he sat in a spoiled mood all day. Advice - do not go here, "they don’t just give loot here!"
3. There is a separate category of those who (apparently, again, not too much reading the conditions of the competition), applied for the development of commercial products, emphasizing the maximum use of the latest Microsoft technologies, and only that. As an employee of the company, I am completely and completely for their use :) But, alas, if at the same time the applicant could not show in any way what would be the competitive advantages of his product, what was the market, what was the strength of his team, the application turned up quickly. Who cares what technologies you are going to use for your business if you cannot prove to the jury that the business itself has a chance of survival !?
Our common misfortune is that, alas, the basic knowledge of entrepreneurship in Russia is now little available, and people are forced to walk the rake. Nothing - we are working on it! As they say, wait for the announcements;)
4. Social networks ... every third application. Not one seems to have passed. Talked with many investors from the jury. Everyone has the same trouble - the flow of projects where they invent a new facebook or “in touch”. You can talk on this topic for a long time, or briefly - as in a famous joke - “NO fish here” :) No need to try to jump onto the bandwagon of the last carriage of a ghost train that left a couple of years ago. Guy Kawasaki in "Art of the start" tells us that no one can say for sure what exactly will fire, and it is difficult to disagree with him. However, 100 regiments of sappers have already passed through the field of social networks - everything that could shoot was fired :) In any case, it is worth keeping in mind if you are planning to attract investments.
Now, if there is a good new high-tech development that helps keep users on the site or monetization, or something else, then any existing social. the network will be happy to talk with you about cooperation. But one small Siberian company sold its facebook component, for example ...
And, “for a snack”, I want everyone who is planning to submit a project next year, recommend - get ready for performances! If you are going to create a business, in any case, you must be able to ask questions! How can I come to the jury without knowing in advance how much time is there for the story, is there a projector, etc.? And this year it was all over the place. And after all the contacts are given, why not call? I suspect that a number of projects “failed” precisely for this reason. They would have prepared better - there would have been no problems.
Also, I note strangeness.
1. All applicants were encouraged to register with BizSpark in order to be able to legally use all Microsoft software for development and testing. Of the 128 teams applying to BizSpark, 45 registered. Given that applications are submitted for the Microsoft program, and not just for the START program, and it is supposed to use (albeit partial) Microsoft technologies, I can only explain this by completely misunderstanding why need licensed software. That is, I want to get support, but I’m not ready to spend not only money, but even 5 minutes to register LiveID and another 5 minutes to register on the site! And this is among potential developers of commercial software !!! Gentlemen, how are you going to make money? This is possible, I think, only in Russia; (
2. People often do not read. They write or call right away;) Even if it’s written everywhere that Microsoft is responsible for the technological side of the issue, and the Fund for organizational and legal issues, this does not save “wrong address” calls. However, there is positive in this, because it means that we are more user-friendly than the state structure;) And the Foundation won’t write to Habr :)
And one more information. Already soon for the winners of the contest. Historically, we have always given Microsoft Business Start winners the opportunity to attend any of the Start Garage training sessions (www.startingarage.com) for free.
However, in the 1st half of this year, alas, we cannot do this. The crisis is changing a bit. Currently, we plan to organize specials. a group of winners of Microsoft Business Start in the second half of the year.
In the meantime, in any case, the winners still have an excellent opportunity to undergo training at a special affiliate price (13500 rubles).
Here, perhaps, everything that immediately occurred to me. The rest is in the comments, if you have questions.
The time has come when I can share with the community the results of the 3rd round of the Microsoft Business Start program, which allows an IT startup to receive a state grant for the development or refinement of a prototype product. 1M rubles for the first year, only 6M rubles. for 3 years (on certain conditions). Plus support from Microsoft.
So - the result is 41 winners!
Behind a month and a half of project appraisal, 128 applications, 4 juries in Moscow, 4 juries in the regions (St. Petersburg, Tomsk, Nizhny, Yekaterinburg), 80 experts, a total of about 1,100 hours of examination, listening to the jury for 20 projects per day. In general, it was not easy.
The results are published on the website of the Assistance Fund www.fasie.ruin the section where Microsoft Business Start is announced. I would venture to give a link: www.fasie.ru/anonses/anons_start09/Microsoft-Business-Start-09.aspx , although, I confess, I fear that the site may not withstand interest :) I immediately warn that the results contain only the numbers of winning applications so that to those who did not participate, they will not say anything.
The jury gathered the most objective, attracting representatives of universities, IT companies and really operating investment structures. Given the fact that 7-10 people participated at a time, in fact, none of the experts did not have a decisive vote, but could not even significantly affect the overall assessment of the jury. Received very positive feedback from external participants. Thus,we managed to realize what everything was started for - an objective selection of IT projects in which it makes sense for the state to invest money.
And, as you can judge by the result, “the sheepskin was worth the candle”!
41! the project is supported now, if everyone can cope with the conclusion of state. contract, will be able to receive money from the state, as well as support from Microsoft in other programs (previously described here: habrahabr.ru/blogs/startup/52766 ).
I’ll note a few important, in my opinion, things:
First, a positive:
1. An important thing - it really works . Several teams that received funding back in 2007 are alive and have a fully functioning business.
2. There are very interesting projects!I’ll give a few examples with the consent of the founders:
www.tarifer.ru (it has already been discussed many times on Habré), www.linkphone.ru , www.stopredeye.com . You can use it now. I hope that from time to time such teams will tell us “from the inside” about their progress.
3. 41 software project-winner - this is not a joke! And about a third of all IT projects that win START grants per year . That is, with our joint efforts, software begins to take its rightful place under the sun (the way is not in the country's economy, but in a single program, but still ...)
Now it’s not very positive. I don’t really want to write, but I hope that in the future this information will help someone not to step on the rake.
1. There are talented teams that, alas, do not have anyone in their composition who could at least somehow commercialize the technological result. Many of these, unfortunately, were wrapped. Although some were supported - just the hand didn’t turn to wrap up, although they didn’t meet the competition conditions too well. Advice - attract such people to your team. There are good guys — students from the same Higher School of Economics — will be happy to “dig” when they become infected with an idea.
2. There are freeloaders. Here I include those who: a) submit an application without even reading the conditions of the competition; b) those who believe that "a ... - they give loot just like that, so you have to go get it." One of the jury members sat next to such "comrades" in the shuttle, going from the metro to the business center, and heard their conversation - then he sat in a spoiled mood all day. Advice - do not go here, "they don’t just give loot here!"
3. There is a separate category of those who (apparently, again, not too much reading the conditions of the competition), applied for the development of commercial products, emphasizing the maximum use of the latest Microsoft technologies, and only that. As an employee of the company, I am completely and completely for their use :) But, alas, if at the same time the applicant could not show in any way what would be the competitive advantages of his product, what was the market, what was the strength of his team, the application turned up quickly. Who cares what technologies you are going to use for your business if you cannot prove to the jury that the business itself has a chance of survival !?
Our common misfortune is that, alas, the basic knowledge of entrepreneurship in Russia is now little available, and people are forced to walk the rake. Nothing - we are working on it! As they say, wait for the announcements;)
4. Social networks ... every third application. Not one seems to have passed. Talked with many investors from the jury. Everyone has the same trouble - the flow of projects where they invent a new facebook or “in touch”. You can talk on this topic for a long time, or briefly - as in a famous joke - “NO fish here” :) No need to try to jump onto the bandwagon of the last carriage of a ghost train that left a couple of years ago. Guy Kawasaki in "Art of the start" tells us that no one can say for sure what exactly will fire, and it is difficult to disagree with him. However, 100 regiments of sappers have already passed through the field of social networks - everything that could shoot was fired :) In any case, it is worth keeping in mind if you are planning to attract investments.
Now, if there is a good new high-tech development that helps keep users on the site or monetization, or something else, then any existing social. the network will be happy to talk with you about cooperation. But one small Siberian company sold its facebook component, for example ...
And, “for a snack”, I want everyone who is planning to submit a project next year, recommend - get ready for performances! If you are going to create a business, in any case, you must be able to ask questions! How can I come to the jury without knowing in advance how much time is there for the story, is there a projector, etc.? And this year it was all over the place. And after all the contacts are given, why not call? I suspect that a number of projects “failed” precisely for this reason. They would have prepared better - there would have been no problems.
Also, I note strangeness.
1. All applicants were encouraged to register with BizSpark in order to be able to legally use all Microsoft software for development and testing. Of the 128 teams applying to BizSpark, 45 registered. Given that applications are submitted for the Microsoft program, and not just for the START program, and it is supposed to use (albeit partial) Microsoft technologies, I can only explain this by completely misunderstanding why need licensed software. That is, I want to get support, but I’m not ready to spend not only money, but even 5 minutes to register LiveID and another 5 minutes to register on the site! And this is among potential developers of commercial software !!! Gentlemen, how are you going to make money? This is possible, I think, only in Russia; (
2. People often do not read. They write or call right away;) Even if it’s written everywhere that Microsoft is responsible for the technological side of the issue, and the Fund for organizational and legal issues, this does not save “wrong address” calls. However, there is positive in this, because it means that we are more user-friendly than the state structure;) And the Foundation won’t write to Habr :)
And one more information. Already soon for the winners of the contest. Historically, we have always given Microsoft Business Start winners the opportunity to attend any of the Start Garage training sessions (www.startingarage.com) for free.
However, in the 1st half of this year, alas, we cannot do this. The crisis is changing a bit. Currently, we plan to organize specials. a group of winners of Microsoft Business Start in the second half of the year.
In the meantime, in any case, the winners still have an excellent opportunity to undergo training at a special affiliate price (13500 rubles).
Here, perhaps, everything that immediately occurred to me. The rest is in the comments, if you have questions.