Nightingale HQ Joins Microsoft Cloud Accelerator
We are delighted to announce that Nightingale HQ has been selected to be part of the Women in Cloud (WiC) Microsoft Accelerator 5.0. The 6 month programme has been designed to accelerate women-led tech businesses to co-build, co-market and co-sell with Microsoft.
The programme places a heavy emphasis on winning enterprise cloud opportunities and developing a solid co-sell plan. It also offers powerful networking opportunities and a chance to promote your business on a global stage.
This is the first year the programme is remote, making it even more accessible to participants from around the globe. There are 17 companies taking-part from the US, Canada, India and the UK.
Nightingale HQ's CEO Steph Locke added that 'We see the WiC Accelerator as the perfect opportunity to increase our cloud solutions presence and accelerate our Microsoft co-selling plans. It's also incredible to get access to world-class mentoring and support from those who have gone before us'.
The first session kicked off in February with a panel of industry trailblazers including Chaitra Vedullapalli President of WiC; Kim Smith IBM; Brea Starmer Lions + Tigers; Ellen Feaheny AlohaCloud Digital Networks; Martha Montoya agTools Inc and Patti Dobrowolski Up Your Creative Genius who illustrated the first session brilliantly.
The cohort 5.0 offers many benefits including azure credits, listing on marketplaces, participating in global UN focused campaigns, bi-weekly office hours, monthly live chats with industry leaders, and continued access to industry stages, has elevated our programming to an unmatched scale.
See original blogpost on the WiC website WiC website
FAQs
Why does inclusion matter in cloud technology?
The Women in Cloud Microsoft Cloud Accelerator addresses a persistent gap in the technology industry: women-led businesses are systematically underrepresented in the high-growth cloud and SaaS sector. Not because of a shortage of qualified founders, but because of the structural barriers that make it harder for women-led businesses to access the capital, networks, and opportunities that drive growth.
Being selected for the WiC Microsoft Cloud Accelerator’s cohort 5.0 gave Nightingale HQ access to a programme specifically designed to remove those barriers — providing mentorship, technical resources, and connections to the Microsoft partner network that are otherwise difficult to access for early-stage companies.
What does the accelerator provide?
The Women in Cloud Microsoft Cloud Accelerator provides participating companies with access to Microsoft Azure credits, mentorship from Microsoft and industry executives, connections to enterprise customers and partners, and the marketing support that comes with being publicly recognised as part of a curated cohort. For a company building cloud-based AI tools, the Microsoft partnership is particularly valuable — access to Azure capabilities, integration pathways, and the credibility that comes with Microsoft partner status.
Nightingale HQ’s co-founders Ruth Kearney and Steph Locke reflect the kind of diverse technical and commercial leadership that the WiC accelerator programme is designed to support and celebrate.