IBM Launches Global Entrepreneur Initiative To Aid Start-Up Growth

In today’s challenging economic environment, technology start-ups can struggle to bring new ideas to market. In response, IBM has opened its resources to these companies in a new initiative to help this next generation of entrepreneurs capture emerging business opportunities in fast-growing industries such as energy and utilities, healthcare, telecommunications and government.

The IBM Global Entrepreneur initiative provides start-ups with no-charge access to industry-specific technologies in a cloud computing environment. Under the new program, IBM will provide access to its Research community as well as sales, marketing and technical skills.

IBM is uniquely positioned to help start-ups because of the depth of resources and experience it has on hand. With its Smarter Planet strategy and many research investments, IBM is capable of building product and services offerings for businesses based on new ideas. IBM Industry Frameworks, for example, are software platforms targeted at industry-specific market opportunities such as Smarter Water, Smarter Buildings and Smarter Health Care.

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Under the new initiative, start-ups can access IBM’s software portfolio through a cloud computing environment, including IBM industry frameworks to accelerate software development; work side-by-side scientists and technology experts from IBM Research to develop new technologies; take advantage of dedicated IBM project managers to assist in product development; attend new IBM SmartCamp mentoring and networking workshops with VC firms, government leaders, academics, and industry experts at the global network of 40 IBM Innovation Centers to build business and go-to-market plans; and tap a new social networking community on IBM developerWorks to connect with other entrepreneurs and IT professionals from around the world.

IBM announced the initiative to 300 venture capital, business, government and academic leaders at an IBM venture capital forum in Bangalore, India. IBM’s Claudia Fan Munce, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Managing Director of the IBM Venture Capital Group, explained why the company is opening its resources more widely to start-ups. “Businesses around the world are increasingly applying new technologies to address industry-specific needs, and technology start-ups are looking for new ways to capitalise on this trend,” she said. “IBM’s goal is to help entrepreneurs gain the skills they need to bring new ideas to market faster using IBM technology to accelerate transformation and fuel innovation.”