Microsoft offers Seattle offices as start-up incubator

[Published Nov 2011 and updated May 2024] Microsoft, one of the world’s largest computer technology companies, is offering small areas of office space in Seattle to start-up businesses it hopes might be able to help stimulate the development of its latest Kinect video game systems.

The scheme dubbed the Kinect Accelerator will give ten start-ups the chance to spend three months and potentially $20,000 working on ideas that relate to the use of Microsoft’s popular motion sensing technology.

“Through this program, Microsoft is supporting entrepreneurs, engineers and innovators like you to bring to life a wide range of business ideas that leverage the limitless possibilities Kinect enables,” the company said on its BizSpark website.

Mentoring will play a major part in the initiative, which is based on the processes pioneered in recent years in New York, Seattle, Boston and Boulder by an organisation called TechStars. Indeed, Microsoft describes its Kinect Accelerator project as being “powered by TechStars,” which was founded in 2006 and provides seed-stage funding to start-ups in the technology sector.

Competition to join the fledgling businesses taking their place at Microsoft’s Seattle offices is expected to be fierce with the scheme set to run from March to May 2012.

Once the programme has been completed, participants will have a chance to demonstrate the work they’ve done and the ideas they’ve had to venture capitalists and angel investors. The closing date for applications is January 25^th 2012.

A recent report from the US industry title TechCrunch outlined details of a similar scheme designed to incubate and inspire start-up businesses at office space in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, significant efforts are being made to encourage small tech-based companies to set up office space in central London as some of the world’s top cities compete to nurture their biggest talents.

Editors notes: Kinect was discontinued as Microsoft saw more use cases in academic and professional fields than it did in gaming, despite efforts to integrate it into the Xbox One. Microsoft phased out the Kinect due to a backlash from gamers and a lack of demand. The company discontinued it in 2018 after releasing the Azure Kinect Developer Kit.

Other major tech companies with office presence in and near Seattle include Meta, which, in 2021, announced that it had agreed on a pre-lease deal to rent office space in the Spring District development in Bellevue, Washington, which is close to Seattle. The deal secured Block 5, an 11-story, 345,000-square-foot office building.