It has been a busy couple of weeks for funding in the smart technology space with the launch of a major new venture capital fund and multiple investments reinforcing the continually increasing smart technology start-up trend. The first week of June saw the launch of Microsoft Ventures. The tech giant unveiled its official VC arm over Memorial Day weekend in the US, setting out a plan to make early-stage investments in businesses developing technology that could augment Microsoft’s core products. “In Microsoft’s history of engaging with and supporting start-ups, we’ve done a lot of investing, but not a lot of early stage. Because we would often invest alongside commercial deals, we were not a part of the early industry conversations on disruptive technology trends. With a formalised venture fund, Microsoft now has a seat at the table”, said Nagraj Kashyap, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Ventures. Kashyap arrived at Microsoft from semiconductor firm Qualcomm, where […]