Tuesday, 15 September 2015
PM Visits Microsoft Innovation Center
Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan and Microsoft regional director for Central and Eastern Europe Don Grantham visited today Microsoft’s innovation center.
Hovik Abrahamyan and Don Grantham toured the Center getting acquainted with the ongoing activities. The Prime Minister talked to the chief executives of a number of Armenian startup companies (startups) in order to get familiar with their products and discuss development possibilities.
It was noted that in developing their products, many of the startups were involved in the Accelerator Program implemented by the Microsoft innovation center. In this way, they managed to finalize their products and find investors.
Mediating the Accelerator Program, the Center helped over 100 startups to attract investment of about USD1.5 million. It was also reported that the Solo Learn team, the winner of the Microsoft innovation center-hosted Seedstars Yerevan 2014 contest, won the first prize at Seedstars contest in Geneva and was entitled to major funding.
The Prime Minister inspected the practice course provided by the Center in cooperation with the Australian Premium company. Under the program, the Center is currently training software developers for Microsoft, the representatives of which briefed Hovik Abrahamyan and Don Grantham on the prospects for founding an IT company and stressed the Center’s role in training activities. It was also noted that during its four-year-long operations, the innovation center of Microsoft has trained over 3,000 students who are now working in leading IT companies.
Hovik Abrahamyan appreciated the Center’s role in the development of Armenia’s IT sector, highlighting startups’ contribution in terms of both job creation and innovations. The Prime Minister noted that the IT sector in Armenia has great potential for development, and the Government is prepared to discuss any reasonable proposal for supporting the startups. In this context, the Premier reminded that the Government provides tax incentives for emerging IT companies.
