Bangalore's Nanobi Analytics Wins Microsoft BizSpark India Startup Challenge 2013

BANGALORE, India, June 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Winners and runners-up chosen from over 100 startups across 10 regional city finals
• Winners bag combined prizes of $70,000 in cash and $2 million worth of non-cash product offerings and business support

Winner: Nanobi Analytics

First Runner-up: IntelloCut

Second Runner-up: Trutech Webs Pvt Ltd

Bangalore's Nanobi Analytics, a startup focusing on analytical apps, has been crowned the 2013 winner of the Microsoft BizSpark India Startup Challenge at a grand finale event held in Bangalore. Marking the close of an exciting and fiercely-contested month-long competition which saw more than 700 entry submissions, was held across 10 cities and featured 100 startups brimming with exciting business ideas, the finals concluded with team Nanobi Analytics taking home the grand prize of a Dell Latitude 10 tablet, XBOX 360 and an exclusive branding package. Winning startups in each city had won product prizes as well as cash prizes worth $ 4,000, $ 2,000 and $ 1,000 respectively for the winner and first and second runner-up, to boost their business plans.

Commenting on the great entrepreneurial promise showed by early startups throughout the event, Rajinish Menon, Director - Independent Software Vendor (ISV) and Cloud Strategy at Microsoft India, said "The fact that the Microsoft BizSpark India Startup Challenge this year has seen more startups compete, and that the variety and quality of startups has been fantastic, our belief that the startup ecosystem in India is well and thriving is validated. This next generation of entrepreneurs who are creating smart solutions for the changing needs of today only needs recognition and initial support to thrive - and we are committed to providing that along with our BizSpark network partners." The BizSpark Challenge saw Microsoft partner with key entrepreneurial hubs across India, who are the local startup enabler in their cities, and organize regional finals in ten cities: Hyderabad, Kolkata, Cochin, New Delhi, Pune, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Coimbatore and Bangalore.

Having just completed its third edition, the Microsoft BizSpark India Startup Challenge is an annual platform celebrating entrepreneurial excellence across the country by helping fast-track the success of promising startups in the early stages of their career. The Challenge provides them with software, support and visibility, as well as a chance to be recognized on the national stage. An array of cash and non-cash prizes help them further their business plan and give them a real shot at achieving business success.

Thrilled to be crowned the winner of the BizSpark Challenge's biggest event yet, Mahesh Ramakrishnan, CEO and Managing Director at Nanobi Analytics said, "We are delighted to win the Microsoft BizSpark Challenge! This gives us access to a mentor network that will help us leverage the business for our go-to market strategies, addressing the analytical needs of small and medium businesses in India for the next 6 months. We want to use the prize money to help us achieve our business goals and strategize, to help us go global," IntelloCut from New Delhi and Mumbai's Trutech Webs joined them on the podium as the teams celebrated each other's success.

About BizSpark

The Microsoft BizSpark Program has helped more than 2,725 Indian start-up entrepreneurs by providing strong grounds to stand, grow and improve their functioning. The idea behind Bizspark is to fast-track the success of young startups with software, support and visibility. Selected start-up businesses receive business development and technical training at highly subsidized or no costs. More information about the Bizspark Program is available at http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark

About Microsoft India

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - at any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft Corporation (India) Private Ltd is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, USA. It has had a presence in India since 1990 and currently has offices in nine cities - Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

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SOURCE Microsoft India