SaaS Launch Lab, a new effort to boost female-led enterprise software companies, announced the 12 companies selected to participate in the program, including two from the Seattle area.
SaaS Launch Lab is a joint project of Microsoft’s venture fund, M12, and Project W, a Davis Wright Tremaine initiative to support female founders.
The lab is holding five virtual workshops for the pre-seed companies. The topics covered include refining a proof of concept, finding a product-market fit, building a team, creating a deck for making your VC pitch and a seed round how-to. The workshops wrap up in October with 1-on-1 pitches with M12 investors.
Participating Northwest companies include:
- Advocat Technologies, a Bellevue-based platform addressing legal needs by using AI to create documents from attorney conversations. The CEO is Pradnya Desh.
- Automaton, Seattle software platform that provides automated testing for sales and marketing technology. The co-founder and CEO is M.H. Lines.
The organizers have not decided if this will become an annual event.
M12 will also be a program partner for Project W’s Women Entrepreneurs Boot Camp that’s taking place in early October. The event targets women founders in fintech, cybersecurity/data management, and plant-based protein. Companies need to apply by Sept. 11 to be considered for participation in the virtual boot camp.
