Microsoft is committed to powering growth and innovation in the Australian space industry. We’re dedicated to creating a startup ecosystem that is open to all. Our space startup program is centred around three key areas: unlocking innovation for all, technology benefits that grow, and access to mentorship and guidance.
We’re currently looking to collaborate with young space startups focused on cloud-powered innovation, on and off the planet. As a startup in our program, you will receive a multitude of benefits to accelerate you mission, from mentorship with space industry experts to 24-hour technical assistance.
There’s no need to be backed by investors – every innovator is welcome. This tailored program was developed as part of the Microsoft for Startups program, which has seen close to 7,000 startups graduate and achieve over a billion dollars’ worth of sales.
Microsoft for Australian Space Startups Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for Microsoft for Australian Space Startups, your startup is:
- Focussed on being part of Australia’s burgeoning space scene
- Under seven years old
- A privately held, for-profit business
- Engaged in developing a software-based product that’s owned not licensed
- Not a recipient of more than $10,000 in Azure Credits
- Not an educational institution, government entity, personal blog, dev shop, consultancy, professional services firm, agency, or bitcoin or crypto mining company
- Not a managed customer of Microsoft or one of our CSP partners
Space partnerships
Customer Stories
Fortifyedge stretches machine learning all the way to Mars
Spiral Blue takes edge computing into orbit, democratising space data
Office of Planetary Observations heads to space for a greener Planet Earth
Still have questions? Want to talk with our space industry experts?
Contact us for further information:
Frequently Asked Questions
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Azure Space is a set of products and services that are powered by key partnerships and designed to meet the needs of the space community. For more information read the Microsoft Australia blog
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The space community is growing rapidly, and innovation is lowering the barriers of access for public- and private-sector organisations. Microsoft wants to make space connectivity and compute more accessible for industries like agriculture, energy, telecommunications, and government.
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Founders can apply directly from the Microsoft for Startups. We look forward to hearing from you and are excited to review your application.
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Our team reviews every application and evaluates how well a company meets the eligibility criteria at the time of application. You may reapply when you feel your startup better fits the guidelines or if you’d like to provide additional information to be reviewed.
Once 14 days have passed, a previously declined founder can reapply through.
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We love bootstrapped startups and would be happy to consider you. Please apply so we can learn all about you and your business idea!
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The M12 venture fund and its initiatives and investments operate independently of Microsoft for Startups. Microsoft for Startups does often collaborate with M12, but we are a separate initiative and do not offer venture capital.