TLDR:

Ground Up Ventures and Microsoft Israel R&D have launched the Liftoff program to support 10 companies each year with moonshot ideas focused on energy supply, food security, smart construction, defense, and infrastructure for a modern labor market. The program offers workspace, mentoring, networking, access to design partners, software and infrastructure credits, and an equity investment of $400,000.

Article Summary:

Ground Up Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in early-stage startups, has partnered with Microsoft Israel R&D to launch the Liftoff program, focusing on moonshot ideas with the potential to impact millions or billions of people worldwide. The program aims to support companies working on significant challenges such as energy supply, food security, smart construction, defense, and infrastructure for a modern labor market.

The Liftoff program will provide selected entrepreneurs with workspace, mentoring, networking opportunities, access to design partners and potential customers, as well as credits for software and infrastructure worth over $500,000. Additionally, participants will receive an equity investment of $400,000 to help them develop groundbreaking Deep Tech solutions to urgent societal problems.

Microsoft R&D Israel’s Moran Haviv emphasized the need for innovative solutions to climate challenges, including green energy, carbon trading, new materials, and process optimization. The program aims to give Deep Tech entrepreneurs better conditions for success by supporting them in navigating the high risks involved in such investments.

Ground Up Ventures, based in New York, manages over $65 million across two funds, focusing on pre-Seed and Seed startup companies in the United States and Israel. The collaboration with Microsoft Israel R&D for the Liftoff program demonstrates a commitment to investing in visionary projects with the potential for significant impact on global challenges.