At a Glance
M12, Microsoft's venture fund, represents a new generation of corporate venture capital that goes beyond traditional strategic investing. Launched in 2016 under the leadership of Nagraj Kashyap, M12 operates as Microsoft's evergreen venture fund with the mission to be startup founders' first call when they want to change the world. The fund focuses on enterprise software, AI, and cybersecurity companies that can benefit from Microsoft's global platform and extensive partner ecosystem. What sets M12 apart is their 'founder-first' philosophy and their ability to provide portfolio companies with access to Microsoft's customer base, technical resources, and go-to-market capabilities without requiring exclusive partnerships or integration commitments. The fund has been particularly active in AI investments, including their notable investment in OpenAI, and has built a reputation for backing companies at the forefront of enterprise digital transformation. M12's investment approach combines financial returns with strategic value creation, helping startups scale by leveraging Microsoft's cloud infrastructure, enterprise relationships, and technical expertise. The fund's global presence, with offices across multiple continents, reflects Microsoft's commitment to supporting innovation worldwide.
“Invests in AI and enterprise startups that can leverage Microsoft's platform and ecosystem, focusing on companies building the intelligent cloud and edge computing solutions.”
M12 (Microsoft Ventures) primarily invests at the Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are scaling their go-to-market after proving product-market fit.
M12 (Microsoft Ventures) is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
M12 (Microsoft Ventures) focuses on investments in Enterprise, AI, SaaS, Cybersecurity. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
M12 (Microsoft Ventures) manages approximately $2B in assets under management (AUM) across their funds.