In the latest development, Microsoft’s corporate venture fund M12 has opened its new office in Europe and invested in SuperAwesome, a UK company that helps create safer places for children when they use the internet.
The new M12 office in London will look for investment opportunities across Europe, focusing on companies involved in big data, analytics, business software as a service, cloud infrastructure, machine learning, artificial intelligence, productivity, and security. This office will be led by Matthew Goldstein, one of M12’s founding partners.
Furthermore, the office will prioritise businesses in Series A through C funding stages. The move will support entrepreneurs and their companies from across the continent at a time when European governments are looking to encourage innovation and the development of technology.
On the other hand, M12 has invested in SuperAwesome, which provides a platform for companies to offer advertising, video, and communities that are safe for children, as well as parental consent options. The clients include LEGO, NBC Universal, Hasbro, and Mattel, which have to adhere to new digital privacy laws such as COPPA in the US, GDPR-K in Europe, and CCPA in California.
Dylan Collins, SuperAwesome Chief Executive, said:
We’re extremely pleased to welcome M12 on board as investors. As the company building the kid tech infrastructure that makes the internet safer for children, it was very important to align with investors who share our values. With Microsoft’s leadership in privacy and, of course, their acquisition of Minecraft, it was clear we had a common set of perspectives about what the future of the internet looks like.”
Nagraj Kashyap (top), Corporate Vice-President and Global Head of M12, added:
We are proud to welcome the SuperAwesome team to the M12 portfolio. Dylan has cultivated a mission-driven team dedicated to keeping the internet safer for kids – a critical priority for digital-first generations, with more than 175,000 kids coming online every day. Given Microsoft’s footprint in the identity management space, we’re also excited to explore opportunities for partnership with SuperAwesome.
M12 has so far invested in 87 companies since its founding in 2016. Along with M12’s investment, they are offered the support of an M12 Portfolio Development Manager, who helps connect them with go-to-market resources and Microsoft technology.
Main image credits: Microsoft
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