Microsoft, Accenture Collaborate to Help Entrepreneurs Amplify Social Impact

Nasdaq-listed Microsoft Corp and NYSE-listed Accenture have teamed up to help deepen the reach of entrepreneurs and start-ups that are focused on social impact and sustainability. The joint initiative will provide hands-on support and technologies to social enterprises, helping them to build scalable solutions and business models that can lead to more tangible and long-lasting benefits for a larger number of people across the world. 

The collaboration between the two biggies is part of their shared vision to amplify the societal impact of emerging technology. The long-term goal is to reach a million lives globally. Microsoft Research India and Accenture Labs will help social enterprise startups test and validate proofs-of-concept through the program. The two will also help in conducting design thinking sessions to help them re-envision the impact of their solutions and provide support in exploring and using Microsoft technologies.

Jean-Philippe Courtois, Executive Vice President and President, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing and Operations, said tha startups in the social impact and sustainability space are among the world’s most inspiring organizations. It’s important that their passion for meaningful innovation and creating positive change is supported. Microsoft’s collaboration with Accenture offers them an opportunity to empower these startups so they can use technology to make an even greater impact in addressing many of the world’s most pressing challenges. By empowering them, the company’s goal is to help change the lives of a million people, he said. 

The program, with particular focus on the areas of agriculture, education, and healthcare, will initially engage with startups in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. It will leverage the MSR India Center for societal impact through cloud and artificial intelligence (SCAI).

Paul Daugherty, group chief executive, Accenture Technology, who is also the chief technology officer at Accenture, added that their experience shows that by applying emerging technologies to critical challenges facing society, they can accelerate social transformation. This association is a great demonstration of delivering on ‘value’ and ‘values’ – creating tangible business and social value while aligning with people’s values. They can help significantly improve access, equality, education, inclusion, health, sustainability, and the environment, by providing social impact entrepreneurs with direct access to the combined power of Accenture and Microsoft’s technology expertise,  he said.

Microsoft will get involved in this initiative as part of its Global Social Entrepreneurship program designed to empower an ecosystem of tech-enabled startups globally, focused on addressing important social or environmental challenges. The Global Social Entrepreneurship program supports startups with access to breakthrough technology in Microsoft AI, cloud expertise, go-to-market services, grants (in sustainability, accessibility, and skills & employability) and access to customers that facilitate connections on local and global levels.  

The involvement of Accenture Labs is part of its ongoing Tech4Good program, which is focused on applying emerging technologies in powerful ways to help solve complex social challenges.