Microsoft joins forces with Austrade to help Australian SaaS partners go global

Microsoft and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) have announced a parternship to help local partners that offer software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions accelerate their international growth.

The Microsoft-Austrade Go Global program will commence in September 2022. It will focus on an exclusive cohort of Australian software businesses from Microsoft Australia’s SaaS partner network, helping them to find success in the United States market. Some of the first cohort include – olinqua, passport 360, WithYouWithMe and Daltrey.

The program will be provided at no cost to participants and support their expansion in the following ways:

• Pre-departure services to prepare program participants for entry into the US market. These include business mentoring, trade and export workshops, and technology-intensive workshops to remove technical roadblocks for projects.
• In-market support delivered through Austrade’s Landing Pads, commencing in San Francisco. Program participants will have access to a coworking space and office facilities for 90 days, as well as one-on-one assistance from a dedicated Landing Pad manager and entrepreneurs in residence. Participants will also join boot camps on sales and marketing and fundraising in the US.

Vanessa Sorenson, chief partner officer at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, said the program comes at a time when Microsoft’s 9,000 Australian partners are looking for new ways to expand their operations and attract more customers.

“We’re thrilled to invest in and support our SaaS partners with high growth potential alongside Austrade,” she said. “The Microsoft Austrade Go Global program will help them bring products and services to the world, build their business and scale geographically in a fiercely competitive marketplace.

“The economic and trading relationship between Australia and the US is recognised as one of the closest, broadest and mutually compatible relationships in the world. Our countries share similar economic and regulatory settings, and we know our partners have a desire to enter the US market,” she said.

Xavier Simonet, Chief Executive Officer of Austrade, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Microsoft to connect some of the most promising Australian SaaS scaleups into the US market and ensure they are fully equipped to succeed on the global stage.

“Landing Pads provide market-ready Australian technology businesses with access to some of the world’s most renowned innovation hubs including San Francisco, New York, Tel Aviv, Shanghai, London and Singapore,” he added.

Following the completion of the program in September, Microsoft and Austrade intend to expand the program to other international markets, leveraging Austrade’s established international Landing Pad network.

The announcement comes shortly after Microsoft recognised its top Australian partners at the 2022 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards.