Tech giant Microsoft is collaborating with Accenture for its 100X100X100 program to conduct the third edition of Accenture Ventures Challenge for startups in the country. The event is expected to be held on August 11 this year on a virtual platform. This edition of the annual challenge will identify startups in India across four categories- supply chain resilience, channel shift to digital commerce, systems resilience and responsible technology.
Accenture Challenge Ventures is an annual event organized by Accenture Ventures Open Innovation Program with its first edition in 2018. It aims to identify the best B2B tech startups to develop solutions for real world challenges faced by businesses.
Accenture Ventures Challenge 2020 will identify 12 innovative startups that are helping to address the business and human impact of COVID-19, driving innovation in the ’never normal’ era. The winner in each category will be given an opportunity to join the Accenture Ventures Open Innovation partner program and co-create solutions for Accenture clients around the world. Winners will also get access to benefits from the Microsoft ScaleUp program, which supports Seed or Series A B2B startups to scale and co-sell with Microsoft sales teams.
Microsoft launched its 100X100X100 program earlier this year with the objective of assembling 100 committed firms and 100 early and growth startups with enterprise-ready SaaS solutions. The companies participating in the program also commit $100,000 over a period of 18-24 months on solutions provided by the startups.