The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Microsoft signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Jan. 5 to help develop space technology start-ups in India. The memorandum provides for the provision of startups with "technological tools and platforms", support for entering the market and mentoring to help them scale their business.

From ISRO's point of view, this will strengthen the market potential of the most promising technological innovation startups and entrepreneurs in India, at the suggestion of ISRO, they will take part in the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub program, which provides support for start-ups at the initial stages.

The Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub gives startups free access to the technology tools and resources they need to build and run a business. This includes technical support to run and scale in the Azure cloud, access to GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio Enterprise and Microsoft 365 tools, and analytics with Power BI and Dynamics 365.

ISRO said that the collaboration with Microsoft, in particular, will allow space startups to analyze and process huge amounts of data from satellites for various purposes, using advanced methods such as artificial intelligence systems, machine learning and deep learning.

In addition to access to technology, Microsoft will provide mentoring support to entrepreneurs in various areas, from some aspects of the creation of space technology to cloud computing, finding investments, sales and marketing.

Additionally, Microsoft and ISRO are co-organizing knowledge sharing and industry sessions for startup representatives with industry experts. In addition, business founders will be assisted with go-to-market strategies and help sell their solutions through Microsoft's channels and marketplace.