Bing Fund

Bing Fund, now known as M12, operates as Microsoft’s corporate venture capital arm, investing strategically in promising early-stage technology companies. It offers capital alongside unparalleled access to Microsoft’s global resources, including technical expertise, sales channels, and an extensive customer ecosystem. The fund’s investment thesis centers on fostering innovation across critical sectors by leveraging Microsoft's vast experience to accelerate startup growth and market penetration.

The initiative originated in July 2012 as the Bing Fund, launched by Microsoft to serve as an angel fund and incubator program. Its initial mandate was to support entrepreneurs developing mobile and web experiences that aligned with Bing's strategic interests. This program was born from an insight within Microsoft to cultivate external innovation and integrate emerging technologies, eventually maturing and rebranding as M12 to reflect a broader, more diversified investment focus beyond the original Bing-centric scope.

M12 primarily backs visionary entrepreneurs and startups developing solutions in areas such as deep tech and AI, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, developer tools, enterprise applications, and Web3/gaming. The fund’s overarching vision is to identify and empower the next generation of technology leaders, accelerating their development and market impact through strategic guidance and integration with Microsoft’s platforms, thereby shaping the future landscape of enterprise technology.