A year-old partnership between Toronto incubator MaRS and Microsoft just got bigger.
According to a new deal, known as Biz Spark, start-up entrepreneurs will be getting direct and indirect development help from the tech giant.
"Startups will get access to software and tools provided under the Biz Spark program," says Ryan Poissant, a
MaRs advisor in IT, communication and entertainment. "Select MaRS clients will also benefit from connecting with experienced product development teams and access to Microsoft's deep industry networks of partners and customers."
Poissant describes the potential beneficiaries of this deal as being companies who figure they can benefit from "Microsoft's tools and industry verticals."
"Microsoft brings a deep understanding of design and development tools and practices as well as expertise in building scalable, enterprise grade applications that reside in the cloud," Poissant says. "This expertise complements the MaRS platform that helps companies move efficiently from the discovery phase to product/market fit through a combination of advisory services, partnerships, access to capital and networks."
MaRs stands for Medical and Related Sciences, though since it was named, its purview has expanded into unrelated fields.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Ryan Poissant