Participants of MIC Armenia’s previous Acceleration Program this year for early-stage startups on Demo Day (Source: Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia Facebook)

YEREVAN (Public Radio of Armenia)—The Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) Armenia has launched a new Acceleration Program specifically for startup companies with “innovative solutions.”

14 teams have been selected out of more than 50 applicants after a strict selection and interview process. The startups selected represent the diversity of the tech industry and the solutions companies hope to offer consumers and business alike, including e-commerce, business-to-business, video editing, and social solution startups.

Artashes Vardanyan, head of the Acceleration Program, said that each of the startups involved in the program are at different stages of development. There are teams that are at the idea or prototype stage of developing their product, as well as those that already have users and stable retention rates, and even some that have managed to attract their first investments. The Acceleration Program will offer assistance to startups at all stages of development.

During the 12-week program, startups will work on the development of their products with the help of experienced specialists. Startup and IT professionals from Silicon Valley in California, as well as Israel, Australia and Russia, who have experience turning ideas into products, will work with the teams in Armenia. Local Armenian experts will also work with the teams and provide professional and business consultancy.

In addition, the participating teams will receive working spaces and other facilities at the Microsoft center in Yerevan. They will have the opportunity to participate in all events, training courses and seminars organized by MIC Armenia.

For teams that already have developed products, the Acceleration Program will attempt to establish relationships with investors and venture funds. The program will culminate in the Microsoft Innovation Center Demo Day, where a global audience of tech and IT specialists will watch product demonstrations and offer feedback to each team. Other startups that have participated in the Acceleration Program in the past, namely Solo Learn, Forkize, Flaxton, and Penny, attracted more than $350,000 in investments for further development and marketing of their products.

The teams participating in this round of the Acceleration Program are as follows:

• BeeCart – An online system for on-demand grocery delivery.
• Archimedes – A solution intended to automate lesson scheduling at higher educational institutions.
• Challenger – An application intended to help people achieve their goals hindered by procrastination, by motivating with challenges and competition with others.
• CPU Panda – An online central processing unit retailer with worldwide shipping.
• Follow My YouTube – A web solution that will allow users to watch YouTube videos together at the same time from different locations.
• Friendhub – A mobile application intended to help people socialize in real life.
• Homesweet – An on-demand cooking order for your favorite food.
• Helpie – A solution for better user experience to help and support communications.
• gShop – Automated delivery of household goods, based on consumption behavior.
• Masoor Solutions – A smart medical scheduler to help patients take medicine and treatments in time.
• NeedChange – An application that will help avoid inconveniences for users at entertainment venues and make reservations in advance.
• Renderforest – A free online video making tool.
• New Life – An e-commerce platform and aggregator of clothing stores.
• Filmer – A mobile application intended to help users find their next favorite movie to watch.