Strategic Solutions for Seamless Integration of Third-Party SaaS
Modern systems must be modular and interoperable by design. Integration is no longer a feature, it’s a requirement. Developers are expected to build architectures that connect easily with third-party platforms, but too often, core systems are designed in isolation. This disconnect creates friction for downstream teams and slows delivery. At Microsoft, SaaS platforms like SAP SuccessFactors and Eightfold support Talent Acquisition by handling functions such as requisition tracking, application workflows, and interview coordination. These tools help reduce costs and free up engineering focus for high-priority areas like Azure and AI. The real challenge is integrating them with internal systems such as Demand Planning, Offer Management, and Employee Central. This blog post outlines a strategy centered around two foundational components: an Integration and Orchestration Layer, and a Messaging Platform. Together, these enable real-time communication, consistent data models, and scalable integration. While Talent Acquisition is the use case here, the architectural patterns apply broadly across domains. Whether you're embedding AI pipelines, managing edge deployments, or building platform services, thoughtful integration needs to be built into the foundation, not bolted on later.Microsoft Build 2024: Essential Guide for AI Developers at Startups and Cloud-First Companies
Generative AI is advancing fast, with OpenAI’s GPT-4o leading the way. GPT-4o boasts improved multilingual understanding, faster responses, lower costs, and real-time processing of text, audio, and images. This boosts new Generative AI (GenAI) use cases. Explore cutting-edge solutions like models, frameworks, vector databases, and LLM observability platforms. Born-in-the-cloud companies are at the forefront of this AI revolution. Be part of the future at Microsoft Build 2024!European AI and Cloud Summit 2025
Dusseldorf , Germany added 3,000+ tech enthusiast and hosted the Microsoft for Startups Cloud AI Pitch Competition between May 26-28, 2025. We were pleased to attend the European AI Cloud and Collaboration Summits and Biz Apps Summit– to participate and to gain so much back from everyone. It was a packed week filled with insights, feedback, and fun. Below is a recap of various aspects of the event - across keynotes, general sessions, breakout sessions, and the Expo Hall. The event in a nutshell: 3,000+ attendees 237 speakers overall – 98 Microsoft Valued Professionals, 16 Microsoft Valued Professional Regional Directorss, 51 from Microsoft Product Groups and Engineering 306 sessions | 13 tutorials (workshops) 70 sponsors | One giant Expo Hall PreDay Workshop AI Beginner Development Powerclass This workshop is designed to give you a hands-on introduction to the core concepts and best practices for interacting with OpenAI models in Azure AI Foundry portal. Innovate with Azure OpenAI's GPT-4o multimodal model in this hands-on experience in Azure AI Foundry. Learn the core concepts and best practices to effectively generate with text, sound, and images using GPT-4o-mini, DALL-E and GPT-4o-realtime. Create AI assistants that enhance user experiences and drive innovation. Workshop for you azure-ai-foundry/ai-tutorials: This repo includes a collection of tutorials to help you get started with building Generative AI applications using Azure AI Foundry. Each tutorial is designed to be self-contained and provides step-by-step instructions to guide you in the development process. Keynotes & general sessions Day 1 Keynote The Future of AI Is Already Here, Marco Casalaina, VP Products of Azure AI and AI Futurist at Microsoft This session discussed the new and revolutionary changes that you're about to see in AI - and how many of them are available for you to try now. Marco shared how AI is becoming ubiquitous, multimodal, multilingual, and autonomous, and how it will change our lives and our businesses. This session covered: • Incredible advances in multilingual AI • How Copilot (and every AI) are grounded to data, and how we do it in Azure OpenAI • Responsible AI, including evaluation for correctness, and real time content safety • The rise of AI Agents • And how AI is going to move from question-answering to taking action Day 2 Keynote Leveraging Microsoft AI: Navigating the EU AI Act and Unlocking Future Opportunities, Azar Koulibaly, General Manager and Associate General Counsel This session was for developers and business decision makers, Azar set the stage for Microsoft’s advancements in AI and how they align with the latest regulatory framework. Exploring the EU AI Act, its key components, and its implications for AI development and deployment within the European Union. The audience gained a comprehensive understanding of the EU AI Act's objectives, including the promotion of trustworthy AI, the mitigation of risks, and the enhancement of transparency and accountability. Learning aboutMicrosoft's Cloud and AI Services provide robust support for compliance with these new regulations, ensuring that your AI projects are both innovative and legally sound and Microsoft trust center resources. He delved into the opportunities that come with using Microsoft’s state-of-the-art tools, services, and technologies. Discover how partnering with Microsoft can accelerate your AI initiatives, drive business growth, and create competitive advantages in an evolving regulatory landscape. Join us to unlock the full potential of AI while navigating the complexities of the EU AI Act with confidence. General Sessions It is crucial to ensure your organization is technically ready for the full potential of AI. The sessions focused on technical readiness and ensuring you have the latest guidance. Our experts will shared the best practices and provide guidance on how to leverage AI and Azure AI Foundry to maximize the benefits of Agents, LLM and Generative within your organization. Expo Hall + Cloud AI Statup Stage + tutorials The Expo Hall was Buzzing with demos, discussions, interviews, podcasts, lightning talks, popcorn, catering trucks, cotton candy, SWAG, prizes, and community. There was a busy Cloud AI StartupStage, a Business Stage, and shorter talks delivered in front of a shiny airstream trailer. Cloud AI Startup Stage This was a highly informative and engaging event focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential for startups. The Microsoft for Startups is a platform to provide startups with the resources, tools, and support they need to succeed. This portion of the event offered value to budding entrepreneurs and established startups looking to scale. For example, on day 2, we focused on accelerating innovation with Microsoft Founders Hub and Azure AI. Startups could kickstart their journey with Azure credits and gain access to 30+ tools and services, benefiting from additional credits and offerings as they evolve. It’s a great way for Startups to navigate technical and business challenges. Cloud AI Startup Pitch The Microsoft for Startups AI Pitch Competition and Startup Stage at European Cloud Summit 2025 This was a highly informative and engaging event focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential for startups. The Microsoft Startup Programme was introduced as a platform that provides startups with the resources, tools, and support they need to succeed. The AI Empowerment session provided an in-depth overview of the various AI services available through Microsoft Azure AI Foundry and how these cutting-edge technologies can be integrated into business operations. This was perfect for startups looking to get started with AI or those interested in joining the Microsoft Startup Programme. The Spotlight on Innovation session showcased innovative startups from the European Cloud Summit, giving attendees a unique insight into the cutting-edge ideas that are shaping our future. The Empowering Innovation session featured a panel of experts and successful startup founders sharing insights on leveraging Microsoft technologies, navigating the startup ecosystem, and securing funding. This was valuable for budding entrepreneurs or established startups looking to scale. Startup Showcases Holistic AI - End to End AI Governance Platform, Raj Bharat Patel, Securing Advantage in the Era of Agentic AI With this autonomy comes high variability: the difference between a minor efficiency and a major one could mean millions in savings. Conversely, a seemingly small misstep could cascade into catastrophic reputational or compliance risk. The stakes are high—but so is the potential. The next frontier introduces a new paradigm: AI managing AI. As organizations deploy swarms of autonomous agents across business functions, the challenge expands beyond governing human-AI interactions. Now, it's about ensuring that AI agents can monitor, evaluate, and optimize each other—in real time, at scale. This demands a shift in both architecture and mindset: toward native-AI platforms and a new human role, moving from human-in-the-loop to human-on-the-loop—strategically overseeing autonomous systems, not micromanaging them. In this session, Raj Bharat Patel will explore how forward-thinking enterprises can prepare for this emerging reality—building governance and orchestration infrastructures that enable scale, speed, and safety in the age of agentic AI. D-ID | The #1 Choice for AI Generated Video Creation Platform, Yaniv Levi In a world increasingly powered by AI, how do we make digital experiences feel more human? At D-ID we enable businesses to create lifelike, interactive avatars that are transforming the way users communicate with AI, making it more intuitive, personal, and memorable. In this session, we’ll share how our collaboration with Microsoft for Startups helped us scale and innovate, enabling seamless integration with Microsoft’s tools to enhance customer-facing AI agents, and LLM-powered solutions while adding a powerful and personalized new layer of humanlike expression. Startup Pitch Competition Day 2 of the event focused on accelerating innovation with Microsoft Starups and Azure AI Foundry. Startups can kickstart their journey with Azure credits and gain access to 30+ tools and services, benefiting from additional credits and offerings as they evolve. The Azure AI Foundry provides access to an extensive range of AI models, including OpenAI, Meta, Nvidia, Hugging Face. Moreover, startups can navigate through technical and business challenges with the help of free 1:1 sessions with Microsoft experts. The Cloud Startup Stage Competition showcased the most innovative startups in the Microsoft Azure and Azure OpenAI ecosystem, highlighting their groundbreaking solutions and business models. This was a celebration of innovation and success and provided insights into the experiences, challenges, and future plans of these startups The Judges The Pitches . The Winners 1 st Place Graia 2 nd Place iThink365 3 rd Place ShArc Overall, this event was highly informative, engaging, and valuable for anyone interested in AI and its potential for startups. The Microsoft Startup Programme and Azure AI Foundry are powerful tools that can help startups achieve success and transform their ideas into successful businesses. In the end... We are grateful for this year's active and engaging #CollabSummit & #CloudSummit #BizAppSummit— so much goodness, caring, learning, and fun! Great questions, stories, understanding of your concerns, and the sharing in fun. Thank you and see you next year! We look forward to seeing in Cololgne - May 5-7, 2025 – Collaboration Summit (@CollabSummit), Cloud Summit (@EUCloudSummit), and BizApps Summit (@BizAppsSummit) and continue the discussion around AI in our Azure AI Discord CommunityMicrosoft at the European AI and Cloud Summit 2025- Düsseldorf, Germany | Microsoft Event Guide
Join Microsoft and community experts in-person, in one place. The European Collab Summit, European AI & Cloud Summit, and European BizApps Summit are co-located in 2025 – converging on Düsseldorf, Germany, May 26-28, 2025. Get ready for an exciting experience at the European Collaboration Summit, European AI & Cloud Summit, and European BizApps Summit! Taking place from May 26-28, 2025, in Düsseldorf, Germany. This event gives you the chance to explore over 250 sessions packed with insights on Microsoft 365, AI, Azure, Power Platform, Fabric, and so much more. The best part? With a small upgrade, your ticket to one conference opens the door to all three! You’ll have the flexibility to attend the sessions that excite you the most, while connecting with Microsoft experts and other tech enthusiasts along the way. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to learn, grow, and network! The summit will feature pre-conference tutorials, keynotes, breakouts, and more—all dedicated to Copilot and AI, Power Platform, Azure and Microsoft 365 products. With the goal of over 3,000 attendees with 250 sessions across the events. But that's not all!! Along with the European AI and Cloud Summit, which focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft Azure, OpenAI, and Cloud Security; European Collaboration Summit and the European BizApps Summit, which centers on the Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft Fabric, Citizen Development, and Low Code/No Code Business Applications. See sessions from all three conferences on the sessions page. Kicking off on May 26 with pre-conference tutorials, the events all run May 26-28, 2025. Join in: The European Collab Summit 2025 | May 26-28, 2025 |European AI and CloudSummit Since its humble beginnings in 2012 with just 200 attendees, the European Collaboration Summit has grown into the world’s largest event focused on Microsoft collaboration technologies. Originally centered on SharePoint, it quickly became a launchpad for innovations like SharePoint Server 2013 and early Office 365. Today, with over 3,000 attendees from around the globe, it’s a dynamic melting pot of professionals—from CEOs to students—gathering in Germany to connect, learn, and grow. At its core, CollabSummit champions knowledge-sharing, meaningful connections, and an inclusive community. Thank you to Adis Jugo, Mustafa Toroman, Brett Lonsdale, Margit Jugo and the wonderful teams of volunteers and sponsors that make these events happen. 101 on the Conference What: European Collaboration Summit, European Cloud Summit, and European BizApps Summit Where: Düsseldorf, Germany CCD Congress Center, Stockumer Kirchstraße 61, 40474 Düsseldorf, Germany When: May 26th-28th 2025 Content: Microsoft presence at the European Collab Summit (ECS) | 3 keynotes | 8 Microsoft Breakout sessions | Microsoft for Startups Booth | Women in Tech and Allies Meet Up Review all sessions, tutorials, and speakers. Registration: Register today | Use the MICROSOFT15 discount code to save 15% off registration. Cost: Summit Ticket - 845 EUR Summit + Tutorial – 1485 EUR Master Pass – 1844 EUR Learn more about ticket prices Primary X handle & official hashtag: Twitter/Instagram: @collabsummit, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook Note: For this guide, we’ll use their main acronym ECS to talk about the event European Collaboration Summit and be clear when highlighting content in either Collab, Cloud or Biz app side of things. Microsoft keynotes Summit Keynote The Future of AI Is Already Here Speaker: Marco Casalaina, VP Products, Azure AI and AI Futurist Date/Time: May 27th, 9:30am | Expo City European Collab Summit Microsoft Keynote Unlocking the Future of Work with AI and Microsoft 365 Speaker: Vesa Juvonen, Principal Product Manager Date/Time: May 28th, 9:00am | Room 1 Bizapps Microsoft Keynote Reimaging the future of business applications using Generative AI Speaker: Gurkan Salk, General Manager, Head of Product Copilot for Sales, Service and Finance May 28th, 9:00am | Room 3 Cloud and AI Microsoft Keynote Leveraging Microsoft AI: Navigating the EU AI Act and Unlocking Future Opportunities Speaker: Azar Koulibaly, General Manager and Associate General Counsel May 28th, 9:00am | Room 2 😎Register today | Note: Use the MICROSOFT15 discount code to save 15% off registration. Microsoft-led breakout sessions Seize the chance to choose the sessions that perfectly match your role and interests! Every breakout session is packed with thrilling product updates, captivating demos, inspiring customer stories, invaluable best practices, and deep insights into product and solution strategies. Plus, you'll get exclusive guidance on what the future holds. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity! You can review each full agenda for European Collab Summit sessions plus, use the event mobile app (iOS and Android) to add sessions to your schedule. Microsoft-led Cloud sessions Professionals, entrepreneurs, and businesses can explore opportunities with Azure, Copilot, and OpenAI, enhancing their knowledge and networking. Attendees will experience demos, discussions, and insights into Microsoft's cloud strategy. The focus is on understanding the impact of cloud adoption and promoting Responsible AI. “Microsoft Defender for Cloud: Deployment Best Practices” with Dominik Hoefling | May 27. 11:00am | Room 14b “Integrating AI with Semantic Kernel” With Majid Hajin | May 27. 11:00am | Room 2 “Build apps that don't fail in production” with Waldek Mastykarz and Garry Trinder | May 27, 12:00pm | Room 2 “Building an Automation Framework Using Ansible for Configuring and Installing Line of Business Appl... with Kimmo Forss | May 27, 12:00pm | Room 14a “Supercharge Your Startup: Build Faster, Smarter, and Cheaper with AI Agents” with Amit Svarzenberg | May 27, 2:30pm | Room 15a “You’ve built an intelligent app powered by Gen AI models—now what?” with Julia Muiruri | May 27, 3:30pm | Room 2 “Microsoft server protection - one agent to rule them all” with Tom Janetscheck | May 27, 4:50pm | Room 2 “Orchestrating Intelligence with Multi-Agent AI Workflows” with Daron Yondem | May 27, 4:50pm | Room 14b “Build voice-based AI agents on Azure” with Boris Bazilevskiy | May 27, 4:50pm | Room 14a “AI Agents for the Rest of Us: Building with the Azure AI Agent Service” with Korey Stegared-Pace | May 27, 5:50pm | Room 2 “Personalize your AI: model Fine-Tune with your data in Azure OpenAI” with Massimo Bonanni | May 28. 10:20am | Room 14b “Building Application Landing zones in Azure” with Kimmo Forss | May 28. 11:20am | Room 14a “How to compile models and build agentic applications capable of exploiting the power of Copilot+ PCs...” with Sam Kemp | May 28. 11:20am | Room 14b “Add multi-channel communication to your AI apps” with Boris Bazilevskiy | May 28. 11:20am | Room 14b “Copilot for Security - advanced automation scenarios” with Shruti Ailani and Bert-Jan Pals | May 28. 1:30pm | Room 14b “From Traction to Production: Maturing your LLMOps step by step” with Maxim Salnikov | May 28. 1:30pm | Room 16a “Device Intelligence with SLM: A Path to Edge Deployment and Cloud Integration” with Lee Stott | May 28. 1:30pm | Room 1 “Measure and mitigate risks for a generative AI app” with Carlotta Castelluccio | May 28. 2:50pm | Room 2 “Build Serverless AI Agents with Semantic Kernel & Azure Cosmos DB” with Mark Brown | May 28. 2:50pm | Room 14b Microsoft-led Collab sessions Ensuring your organization is fully prepared to harness the capabilities of Copilot for Microsoft 365 is vital. The upcoming sessions are designed to focus on technical readiness, offering the latest insights and best practices. Our experts will guide you on how to effectively utilize AI to unlock the full potential of Copilot and maximize its benefits for your organization. “AI Beginner Development Powerclass” with Carlotta Castelluccio, Korey Stegared-Pace, and Lee Stott | May 26, 9:00am | Room 6 “Building experiences for the Microsoft 365 Powerclass” with Vesa Juvonen, Hugo Bernier, David Warner II, Paolo Pialorsi, Stephan Bisser, Thomas Goelles, Derek Cash-Peterson, and Julie M Turner | May 26, 9:00am | Room 8 “Microsoft 365 Copilot extensibility using VS Code - hands-on workshop” with Waldek Mastykarz, Paolo Pialorsi, and Garry Trinder | May 26, 9:00am | Room 16a “Microsoft Cloud Security Powerclass” with Tom Janetscheck and Jussi Roine “Copilot in Dynamics 365 Finance” with Severin Bock | May 26, 9:00am | Room 18a+b “Build Your Own Agent Using Microsoft Copilot Studio and Power Platform!” with Henry Jammes, Damien Bird, Bülent Altinsoy, Dewain Robinson, and Daniel Laskewitz | May 26, 9:00am | Room 17a+b “Am I Entitled? How to manage permissions dynamically in the age of Copilot” with Al Eardley | May 27, 11:00am | Room 17b “Latest platform and extensibility options for SharePoint and Viva Connections” with Vesa Juvonen | May 27, 11:00am | Room 1 “Secure and govern Microsoft 365 Copilot” with Erica Toelle | May 27, 12:00pm | Room 16b “What's New and Next for Engage and Teams: Knowledge, Storyline, Communities, Copilot and Moderation... with Dan Holme | May 27, 12:00pm | Room 1 “What's New and Next for Engage and Teams: Communications, Channels, Leadership, Campaigns and Events” with Dan Holme | May 27, 2:30pm | Room 1 “Maximizing your Information Architecture Strategy with Microsoft 365 Content Features for Copilot a... with Mikael Svenson and Kasper Larsen | May 27, 3:30pm | Room 18b “Extensibility Options to Improve Your Employee Experiences within Viva Connections and SharePoint” with Vesa Juvonen | May 27, 3:30pm | Room 16b “Insider Risk Management - Technical Deep Dive” with Bernd Vellguth | May 27, 4:50pm | Room 19a “Unlocking the Potential of People Data in Microsoft 365” with Wictor Wilén | May 27, 5:50pm | Room 1 “Microsoft Defender for Office 365 - Defense in-depth" with Dominik Hoefling | May 27, 5:50pm | Room 19a “The intranet of tomorrow: Beautiful, flexible, and AI ready” with Vesa Juvonen | May 27, 5:50pm | Room 16b “Designing Business-Centric Solutions with Microsoft 365 Copilot” with Andreas Krüger | May 28, 10:20am | Room 17b “Extending Microsoft 365 Copilot” with Paolo Pialorsi | May 27, 11:00am | Room 16b “How well do Copilot and Agents know you and your team?” with Wictor Wilén | May 28, 11:20am | Room 1 “Extending Microsoft 365 Copilot with Declarative Agents” with Vesa Juvonen and Paolo Pialorsi | May 28, 11:20am | Room 16b “Together We Succeed: Harnessing Community for Career Success” with Vesa Juvonen, Garry Trinder, and Waldek Mastykarz | May 28th, 1:30pm | Run Events Stage (Expo) “SharePoint Embedded - API for your applications” with Dragan Panjkov | May 28, 2:50pm | Room 18a Microsoft-led BizApps sessions Browse these sessions to learn about Power Platform, Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, Business Apps, Dynamics 365, and Citizen Development. “Modernize your Contact Center with Dynamics 365” with Ivica Ivančić | May 27. 11:00am | Room 6 “Unlocking the Power of AI in Microsoft Fabric” with Josh Ndemenge | May 27, 12:00pm | Room 8 “Building Power Apps in the Modern Era” with April Dunnam | May 27, 12:00pm | Room 3 “Copilot in Dynamics 365 Finance” with Severin Bock | May 27, 2:30pm | Room 7b “Mission UX: Decoding the Science of User Experience in Microsoft 365 and Power Platform” with David Warner II and Hugo Bernier | May 27, 2:30pm | Room 3 “Unleash the power of Custom Actions in Power Automate Desktop” with Dieter De Cock | May 27, 2:30pm | Room 5 “Quickstart to Microsoft Power Pages” with Dragan Panjkov | May 27, 3:30pm | Room 7a “Building Secure and Reliable Copilot Agents created with Copilot Studio” with Marco Rocca and Fabio Franzini | May 27, 5:50pm | Room 5 “Innovating with Power Platform's Copilot Studio: Extending and Enhancing SAP with Intelligent Agent... with Marysol Mantilla | May 28. 11:20am | Room 5 “The art of crafting effective prompts for your Power Platform AI tools” with April Dunnam | May 28. 11:20am | Room 3 “Copilot Studio - You Can't Improve What You Can't Measure” with Henry Jammes | May 28. 1:30pm | Room 3 “Transforming Document Management in Power Platform with Intelligent Automation” with Marco Rocca and Fabio Franzini | May 28. 3:50pm | Room 6 European AI and Cloud Summit startup stage, Powered by Microsoft for Startups Supported and co-organized by ECS and Microsoft for Startups, the Microsoft Startup Stage dynamic space is where major industry players connect to explore groundbreaking solutions. on Day1 we will introduce current Microsoft Startup AI Partners and Microsoft Startups highlighting how startups, engage with potential investors and build AI solutions, and learn from visionary thought leaders in AI and cloud computing. On Day 2 we have dedicated AI Startup pitch competition at the end of the day the Startup Pitch Competition winners will receive prestigious awards, including membership in the Microsoft for Startups Program, unlocking exclusive resources, mentorship, and growth opportunities. Showcasing Microsoft Pegasus Startups Holistic AI Synthesized Tips for Attendees Introduce Yourself Your unique insights matter! Engage with others and share your perspective. Participate Fully Put away your laptops and stay focused. Immerse yourself in sessions for in-depth learning, tips, and tricks. Share your Knowledge Don’t hesitate to offer your expertise. Sharing what you know can help others and strengthen the community. Ask Questions and Provide Feedback Your inquiries and suggestions can shape the future of our products. Don’t hold back—your voice matters! Stay Hydrated and Dress Comfortably Keep your energy up and your mind sharp. Dress for movement to enjoy the full experience. Learn more Visit CollabSummit.eu and follow the action on X/Twitter: @CollabSummit / #CollabSummit, @Microsoft365, @MSFTCopilot, @SharePoint, @OneDrive, @MicrosoftTeams, @MSPowerPlat, @Microsoft365Dev, and @MSFTAdoption. We hope to see you in Germany for one of the most impactful events of the year! The European Collaboration Summit offers unique opportunities to connect with industry leaders, explore innovations, and gain insights that can transform your career. With tailored sessions, hands-on demos, and discussions on collaboration tools, it’s the perfect platform to stay ahead of trends. Don’t miss the chance to join a thriving community and unlock your potential! Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity – register today and take advantage of the exclusive discount!The Startup Stage: Powered by Microsoft for Startups at European AI & Cloud Summit
🚀 The Startup Stage: Powered by Microsoft for Startups Take center stage in the AI and Cloud Startup Program, designed to showcase groundbreaking solutions and foster collaboration between ambitious startups and influential industry leaders. Whether you're looking to engage with potential investors, connect with clients, or share your boldest ideas, this is the platform to shine. Why Join the Startup Stage? Pitch to Top Investors: Present your ideas and products to key decision-makers in the tech world. Gain Visibility: Showcase your startup in a vibrant space dedicated to innovation, and prove that you are the next game-changer. Learn from the Best: Hear from visionary thought leaders and Microsoft AI experts about the latest trends and opportunities in AI and cloud. AI Competition: Propel Your Startup Stand out from the crowd by participating in the European AI & Cloud Startup Stage competition, exclusively designed for startups leveraging Microsoft AI and Azure Cloud services. Compete for prestigious awards, including: $25,000 in Microsoft Azure Credits. A mentoring session with Marco Casalaina, VP of Products at Azure AI. Fast-track access to exclusive resources through the Microsoft for Startups Program. Get ready to deliver a pitch in front of a live audience and an expert panel on 28 May 2025! How to Apply: Ensure your startup solution runs on Microsoft AI and Azure Cloud. Register as a conference and submit your Competiton application form before the deadline: 14 April 2025 at European Cloud and AI Summit. Be Part of Something Bigger This isn’t just an exhibition—it’s a thriving community where innovation meets opportunity. Don’t miss out! With tickets already 70% sold out, now’s the time to secure your spot. Join the European AI and Cloud Startup Area with a booth or launchpad, and accelerate your growth in the tech ecosystem. Visit the [European AI and Cloud Summit](https://ecs.events) website to learn more, purchase tickets, or apply for the AI competition. Download the sponsorship brochure for detailed insights into this once-in-a-lifetime event. Together, let’s shape the future of cloud technology. See you in Düsseldorf! 🎉AI Sparks: AI Toolkit for VS Code - from playground to production
Are you building AI-powered applications from scratch or infusing intelligence into existing production code and systems? AI Sparks is your go-to webinar series for mastering the AI Toolkit (AITK) for VS Code from foundational concepts to cutting-edge techniques. In this bi-weekly, hands-on series, we’ll cover: SLMs & Local Models – Test and deploy AI models and applications efficiently on your own terms locally, to edge devices or to the cloud Embedding Models & RAG – Supercharge retrieval for smarter applications using existing data. Multi-Modal AI – Work with images, text, and beyond. Agentic Frameworks – Build autonomous, decision-making AI systems. What will you learn from this session? Whether you're a developer, startup founder, or AI enthusiast, you'll gain practical insights, live demos, and actionable takeaways to level up your AI integration journey. Join us and spark your AI transformation! You can click here and register for the entire series on the reactor page Episode list You can also sign up for the individual episode and read about the topics covered using the following links: Feb 13 th 2025 – WATCH ON DEMAND @ Introduction to AI toolkit and feature walkthrough In In this episode, we’ll introduce the AI Toolkit extension for VS Code—a powerful way to explore and integrate the latest AI models from OpenAI, Meta, Deepseek, Mistral, and more. With this extension, you can browse state-of-the-art models, download some for local use, or experiment with others remotely. Whether you're enhancing an existing application or building something new, the AI Toolkit simplifies the process of selecting and integrating the right model for your needs. Feb 27 th 2025 – A short introduction to SLMs and local model with use cases In this episode, we’ll explore Small Language Models (SLMs) and how they compare to larger models. SLMs are efficient, require less compute and memory, and can run on edge devices while still excelling at a variety of tasks. We’ll dive into the Phi-3.5 and Phi-4 model series and demonstrate how to build a practical application using these models. Mar 13 th 2025 – How to work with embedding models and build a RAG application In this episode, we’ll dive into embedding models—important tools for working with vector databases and large language models. These models convert text into numerical representations, making it easier to process and retrieve information efficiently. After covering the core concepts, we’ll apply them in practice by building a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) app using Small Language Models (SLMs) and a vector database. Mar 27 th 2025 – Multi-modal support and image analysis In this episode, we’ll dig deeper into multi-modal capabilities of local and remote AI models and use visualization tools for better insights. We’ll also dive into multi-modal support in the AI Toolkit, showcasing how to process and analyze images alongside text. By the end, you’ll see how these capabilities come together to enhance powerful AI applications. Apr 10 th 2025 – Evaluations – How to choose the best model for you applications needs In this episode, we’ll explore how to evaluate AI models and choose the right one for your needs. We’ll cover key performance metrics, compare different models, and demonstrate testing strategies using features like Playground, Bulk Run, and automated evaluations. Whether you're experimenting with the latest models or transitioning to a new version, these evaluation techniques will help you make informed decisions with confidence. Apr 24 th 2025 – Agents and Agentic Frameworks In this episode, we’ll explore agents and agentic frameworks—systems that enable AI models to make decisions, take actions, and automate complex tasks. We’ll break down how these frameworks work, their practical applications, and how to build and integrate them into your projects. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to build and leverage AI agents effectively. We will explore how to use and build agentic frameworks using AI Toolkit. Resources AI toolkit for VSCode - https://aka.ms/AIToolkit AI toolkit for VSCode Documentation - https://aka.ms/AIToolkit/doc Building Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) apps on VSCode & AI Toolkit Understanding and using Reasoning models such as DeepSeek R1 on AI toolkit - Using Ollama and OpenAI, Google and Anthropic hosted models with AI toolkit AI Sparks - YouTube PlaylistMicrosoft Startup Spotlight Live Series
As a founder, developer, or AI enthusiast, have you ever wondered what AI startups are solving, the technologies they use, or the journeys their founders have taken? How do they tackle challenges and create impactful solutions? These are questions we often ask, and there’s no better way to find answers than by hearing directly from the innovators themselves. I’m excited to introduce the Startup Spotlight Series—a bi-weekly live event hosted on the Microsoft Reactor YouTube channel. This series offers a unique opportunity to: Hear exclusive stories from AI startup founders. See live demonstrations of their technologies. Learn about the latest AI trends and real-world solutions for customers’ challenges 💡 Why Should You Tune In? The Startup Spotlight Series isn’t just another livestream—it’s a unique opportunity designed to provide insights, inspiration, and practical value for a variety of audiences: Startups Founders: Learn from the successes (and struggles) of AI startup leaders. Gain actionable insights into building innovative products, scaling businesses, and navigating challenges. Developers: Dive into the technical details with live product demos and behind-the-scenes discussions. See how their solutions are being built and deployed. Students: Discover the latest AI trends and practical applications. Discover how startups are leveraging AI to create impactful solutions. Whether you're looking for inspiration or considering a future in AI, this series is packed with insights to help you grow. AI Enthusiasts: Stay ahead of the curve by learning how startups are revolutionizing industries. From transformative use cases to the stories behind the technologies, you’ll leave every episode inspired. Have burning questions about AI? Each session includes a live Q&A, where you can ask founders directly about their journeys, challenges, and advice. This is your chance to engage with the people shaping the future of AI! Thursday Jan 30 2025, Startup Spotlight: Activeloop Join us for the second episode of the Startup Spotlight Live Series, a space where AI startups share their journeys, showcasing their innovative technologies and demonstrating live product use cases. In this episode, Gabriela de Queiroz sits down with Davit Buniatyan from Activeloop to explore how they’re leveraging Microsoft to grow, scale, and address real-world challenges. Thursday Feb 13th 2025, Startup Spotlight: Synthesized Join us for the third episode of the Startup Spotlight Live Series, a space where AI startups share their journeys, showcasing their innovative technologies and demonstrating live product use cases. In this episode, Gabriela de Queiroz sits down with Nicolai Baldin from Synthesized to explore how they’re leveraging Microsoft to grow, scale, and address real-world challenges. Thursday Feb 27th 2025, Startup Spotlight: Dataloop Join us for the fourth episode of the Startup Spotlight Live Series, a space where AI startups share their journeys, showcasing their innovative technologies and demonstrating live product use cases. In this episode, Gabriela de Queiroz sits down with Dataloop to explore how they’re leveraging Microsoft to grow, scale, and address real-world challenges. Join Us If you’re as excited about the future of AI as I am, I encourage you to tune in to the Startup Spotlight Series. Episodes air every other Thursday at 10:00 AM Pacific Time on the Microsoft Reactor YouTube channel. Can’t make it live? Don’t worry—episodes will be recorded and available for you to watch later at your convenience at Microsoft Reactor Youtube Sign up now to receive reminders and updates for upcoming episodes: aka.ms/startup-spotlight 🚀' But that's not all... Startups can apply (aka.ms/ss-credits) and get tons of benefits: Up to $150,000 in Azure credits Free access to leading AI models through Azure, including OpenAI's models, Llama 2 from Meta, and more. 1:1 meetings with experts who can help solve immediate business challenges, plus provide technical guidance on the latest in AI. 30+ additional free and discounted tools, tech, and services from Microsoft and our partners including M365, GitHub, LinkedIn Premium and more. 👋 See you there!Building Safer AI Applications: A Practical Approach
Building AI-powered applications requires careful attention to responsible development practices. This blog shares our experience implementing AI safety measures while developing a hotel search application with Microsoft Azure services, highlighting practical approaches for developers.
