Microsoft BizSpark to award Founder Institute scholarships to Windows Developers in Singapore

Joyce is the Program Manager for Microsoft BizSpark in Singapore.

Microsoft BizSpark is awarding scholarships for the upcoming semester of Founder Institute to the top three winners of the BizSpark Launch Academy competition.

BizSpark Launch Academy is a competition for startups and individual developers based in Singapore who are building applications for the Windows Store, Windows Phone 8 or on Windows Azure. Winners can receive expert training and feedback to launch startup companies with Founder Institute beginning April 2013.

Pathway from Developer to Entrepreneur

“We are keen to help individual developers take their prototypes to the next level and equip them with the right knowledge and network to know what it takes to build enduring technology companies,” says Jeffrey Paine, who heads Founder Institute’s Singapore Chapter.

The Windows Store presents a great opportunity for startups to leverage upon as a distribution channel to a global audience. More than 60 million Windows 8 licenses have been sold worldwide since the launch in October 2013.

This competition will help developers to prototype an app, quickly iterate to design, and bring their app to life. Entries will be judged based on user experience design, innovativeness and most importantly, startup viability.         

Apps built on either Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 or Windows Azure will be accepted in this challenge. The Microsoft Singapore Developer and Platform Evangelism team will provide developers with Windows Apps Lab, 1:1 consultations and loan devices.

Participants can also take part in the Windows Startup Challenge with the app ideas that they pitch through BizSpark Launch Academy. These startups stand a chance to launch their Windows Store app at DEMO Mobile, a global launchpad for the most innovative mobile startups held in April 2013 in San Francisco, California.

How to apply for BizSpark Launch Academy

More details of how to enter BizSpark Launch Academy can be found here.

To qualify for the competition, applicants need to submit an image of their prototype  to win8sg@microsoft.com with a quick overview of their app and personal particulars by 8^th Feb 2013.

Participants will be notified with 24-48 hours if their ideas have been approved. Once approved, they can continue to develop their app with support from Microsoft’s Developer and Platform Evangelism team.