Microsoft takes Flemish start-up under its wings

Original article (Dutch): https://www.tijd.be/tech-media/technologie/Microsoft-neemt-Vlaamse-start-up-onder-zijn-vleugels/9931535

Ghent start-up Manual.to receives $500,000 support from Microsoft through an accelerator program that ‘is a springboard to a global audience’.
Microsoft has selected the Ghent start-up Manual.to for its ‘Microsoft Accelerator’, a special program for promising IT startups. The American technology company reports this on its website.

They are one of the ten selected start-ups. “They select start-ups where they see potential to grow on an international scale as quickly as possible,” says Jorim Rademaker, CEO Manual.to.

Manual.to is a software platform that puts multilingual manuals and illustrated step-by-step plans online. Very often these are still supplied on paper with products.

The company was born from the frustration of printed manuals and PDFs. CEO Jorim Rademaker, Bart Meyskens and Tom de Coninck joined forces to create a new form of manuals. Their team now consists of 11 people.

Companies can create illustrated manuals in an unlimited number of languages via a drag-and-drop web editor, which they then distribute via a URL or QR code. Their staff and customers can then consult these manuals in a format that automatically adapts to each device.
International

They have been selling the services to companies, nationally and internationally, since September 2016. Its customer base mainly consists of large industrial companies and companies with a large number of employees. Their customers include the technology company Siemens, Proximus and BNP Paribas.

The company can continue working on their product for four months for free from Microsoft’s London office with support from mentors and coaches. In addition to advice, they receive $500,000 in cloud credits and software, as well as access to Microsoft products and potential investors. “It is a crash course that prepares us to roll out worldwide,” says Rademaker.

Last year, Microsoft selected the Flemish start-ups CoScale and the Aalst Appiness for the accelerator program.