Microsoft issues grants for two Russian startups

Microsoft Seed Fund has allocated more grants for Russian startups. Appercode project from Akademgorodok has received $60K. Moscow project xGenCloud has got over $40K and an additional grant in the form of Windows Azure cloud services for $60K.

Russian developers are very talented. It is clearly demonstrated every year by both projects that receive grants from the fund and participants of Microsoft Imagine Cup student competition. We believe that today's startups are the future of our country, so it is important for Microsoft to support startup companies, create the conditions and opportunities for creative and professional growth of young entrepreneurs, - Sergey Eremin says, the managing director of Microsoft Seed Fund Russia.

Appercode is a startup from Novosibirsk, which develops a product for creating cross-platform mobile apps on .NET/C#. Appercode is designed for developers and system integrators, unlike app designers oriented to the end user.

We have been developing the project for nine months at our own expense; we tested the technology and business model. However, it was very important for us to obtain confirmation of the company and Fund experts, as our development is based on Microsoft technologies. Now, the grant will give us the opportunity to create a solution based on existing prototype for a broader and more promising market, - the head of the Appercode project Ivan Tinyakov notes.

It is very difficult to conduct the development and find support given the nature of our project. Microsoft was the only company that noticed and appreciated our solution. I am confident that its comprehensive support will allows us to develop and implement a complete solution for predictive medicine available to anyone, - the CEO and founder of xGenCloud service Igor Ugarov says.