A faster go-to-market path for startups: Intellectual Property co-sell at Microsoft for Startups

Selling to enterprise customers takes time. Even when a startup has a strong product, large organizations move cautiously. They require strict security and compliance standards and often prefer to buy from vendors they already trust.

Microsoft for Startups is focused on helping founders break through those barriers. That is why we are introducing an Intellectual Property (IP) co-sell acceleration opportunity for qualified startups. In simple terms, IP co-sell means your software solution is approved to be sold through Microsoft’s commercial channels so customers can buy it through Microsoft Marketplace, and Microsoft sellers can include it when they build solutions with their customers.

If you are building an enterprise-ready solution and looking to accelerate your path to market, Microsoft for Startups can help.

Why enterprise customer sales are hard for startups

For many founders, the hardest part of building a company is not developing the product. It is getting large organizations to adopt it.

Enterprise buyers manage risk carefully. They put strict rules in place around security, compliance, and procurement. Even when there is clear interest, startups can face long sales cycles, stalled pilots, or deals that struggle to move forward.

This can be especially challenging for startups that are early in their commercial journey or expanding into new enterprise markets.

A more trusted path to enterprise customers

Microsoft has long-standing commercial relationships with enterprise customers around the world. Through Microsoft for Startups, qualified startups can begin tapping into this ecosystem earlier.

A key part of this go-to-market support is Microsoft Marketplace. By listing solutions in the Marketplace, startups make it easier for enterprise customers to discover, evaluate, and purchase their products through a channel they already know and trust.

This approach helps reduce friction in the buying process while maintaining the security and compliance standards enterprises expect.

What IP co-sell acceleration means for startups

In this context, IP stands for intellectual property, which is your product (such as software, app, or service) and the value you have built. Co-sell means Microsoft sellers can sell with you by introducing your solution to customers and supporting qualified deals when it fits their needs.

At a high level, IP co-sell acceleration delivers two clear benefits:

• It creates a simpler buying experience for enterprise customers. Customers can transact through the Microsoft Marketplace and align purchases with how they already buy technology, including through existing Microsoft Azure‑aligned budgets.
• It gives startups the opportunity to work alongside Microsoft sellers. When a customer opportunity is a strong fit, these sellers can help introduce your solution, provide sales support, and help move qualified deals forward.

For founders focused on enterprise growth, this can help turn customer interest into revenue faster.

Go-to-market benefits for qualified startups

Through Microsoft for Startups, eligible companies can:

• Close deals faster by billing directly to customers’ existing Microsoft invoice—eliminating vendor onboarding and procurement delays that kill deal cycles.
• Keep more revenue by transacting through the Marketplace for a flat 3% fee, with renewals at just 1.5%, skipping billing overhead and retaining more of every dollar.
• Scale without scaling headcount by tapping Microsoft’s global partner network to resell your solution and reach new markets without expanding your sales team.
• Unlock a pre-committed budget by selling into Azure spend customers have already committed, removing the “no budget” objection entirely.
• Sell side-by-side with Microsoft by submitting co-sell opportunities to engage Microsoft’s own sales teams as an extension of your go-to-market motion.

Together, these benefits help startups move through enterprise sales cycles more efficiently.

Built for startups ready to scale

IP co-sell acceleration is designed for startups building enterprise-ready solutions that align with Microsoft technical and commercial standards.

It is intended for startups that are ready to scale customer adoption and deepen their enterprise go-to-market efforts.

For these startups, Microsoft for Startups offers both a strong technical foundation and a clearer commercial advantage.

Supporting the next phase of startup growth

Microsoft for Startups continues to evolve to help founders do more than build great products. We help startups secure enterprise customers, grow revenue, and scale through clearer go-to-market pathways.

If you are building an enterprise-ready solution and want to deepen enterprise adoption, now is the time to get started. Apply for Microsoft for Startups today.