How to Be Acquired by Microsoft

Since 2005, Microsoft has acquired an average of 10 companies per year and purchased stakes in several companies valued at over $1 Billion dollars.  

Jon Gelsey, who is the Director of Corporate Development at Microsoft, will join us on August 12 to connect with you and discuss:

• What does MSFT look for in a potential partner or acquisition target?
• What kind of innovation or problems can startups address?
• How does MSFT decide to acquire vs. build? 
• How does the acquisition process work? 

Come meet Jon, learn how to get on Microsoft's radar and once you get their attention, how to get the deal done. 

Space is limited to allow for a lot of interaction and Q&A. 

About Jon:

Jon has been responsible for acquisitions and investments for Microsoft’s operating systems, search, content and advertising business groups since 2007.  Closed deals publicly announced include Powerset (semantic search), Kidaro (application virtualization), Calista (desktop virtualization), N-trig (multitouch UI hardware components; equity investment), Multimap (#1 mapping site in the UK), and Greenfield Online (product reviews). 

Prior to Microsoft, Jon was an investment manager with Intel Capital, joining in 2000.  He started his career as an IC designer and processor architect with Convex Computer Corporation, acquired by Hewlett-Packard, working on projects such as the industry’s most successful mini-supercomputer, the world’s first commercially available GaAs supercomputer, and a massively parallel processor family that evolved into the HP Superdome server product line.   Jon also spent a decade in various product marketing, industry marketing and sales roles at Convex, HP and Mentor Graphics.  At Mentor he was product manager for Mentor’s single most successful product in its history, Calibre.

Jon graduated from University of Texas at Austin, where he simultaneously received a BA in Liberal Arts, with minors in German and Philosophy, and a BS in Computer Engineering.