Eligibility of Microsoft Employees for Azure Startups Benefits

Hi Pitchaiah Gera,

Microsoft employees can indeed be co-founders of startups and may be eligible to access benefits offered through the Azure for Startups program. However, participation is subject to meeting the specific eligibility criteria and terms outlined by the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub.

The Founders Hub provides a wide range of benefits, including Azure credits, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Dynamics 365, Power Apps, Power BI, GitHub Enterprise, and Visual Studio Enterprise. Eligibility is primarily based on the startup itself—for example, it must be privately held, actively engaged in developing a software-based product or service and meet other standard business-related requirements.

While there are no explicit restrictions preventing Microsoft employees from being listed as co-founders, all applicants must go through standard verification processes. These include business and domain verification to ensure compliance with Microsoft’s internal vetting policies. Please note that startups are required to use a valid business domain for verification; personal email addresses such as those ending in @outlook.com should be updated to reflect the business domain.

We recommend reviewing the full terms and conditions on the Microsoft for Startups website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

For reference, Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub

Please reach out to us if you have any other queries.

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