Zoho for Startups reaches Australia

SaaS provider Zoho has extended its Zoho for Startups program to Australia.

Zoho for Startups – already operating in India, Middle East, Africa, Brazil and Indonesia – is now open to Australian startups.

The program provides access to Zoho’s suite of more than 55 apps with up to $5,550 in Zoho Wallet credits to explore the paid versions for 360 days.

Zoho for Startups is open to businesses that have never had a paid Zoho subscription and have never received Zoho Wallet credits, or that are part of a participating incubator, accelerator, co-working space provider or similar operation.

The $5,500 offer comprises $3,500 in startup credits plus a further $2,000 if the company chooses Zoho for email hosting (although that $2,000 cannot be used to pay for Zoho Workplace or Zoho Mail).

Zoho for Startups also provides eligible Australian startups with consultation and support, as well as customised workshops.

The program has already helped 12,000 startups in India, and 2,000 in the Middle East and Africa..

“Australia has a thriving startup ecosystem, and being able to cater for that through the local launch of Zoho for Startups is incredibly exciting,” said Zoho for Startups global head Kuppulakshmi Krishnamoorthy.

“Zoho for Startups exists to solve one of the most common challenges early-stage startups encounter: not investing time in researching SaaS tools. By design, startups are built to scale quickly. When they evolve from an idea or concept to a functioning business, founders and decision makers are easily distracted by funding, infrastructure, mentors, hiring, go-to market strategy and more.

“However, Zoho for Startups is the foundation that underpins that, providing them with not only the software, but the agility, contingency and scalability that are vital in startup environments. Ultimately, SaaS adoption must be viewed as a long-term investment, through a lens of ‘can we scale using our software? And how do those solutions interact with each other?’. Through Zoho for Startups, we help founders and decision makers plan, optimise and develop a holistic view of their SaaS adoption.”

She added “Zoho for Startups has been customised and personalised to Australia, and as Zoho continues its sizeable growth in Australia, we intend to grow the Zoho for Startups program too.

“Australia has a rapidly growing startup ecosystem, especially in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. The country offers a supportive environment for startups, with various government initiatives, incubators, accelerators, and funding opportunities available. Bringing Zoho for Startups to a country that wholeheartedly supports and champions entrepreneurship, endeavour and innovation is a proud moment for Zoho and a commitment we take very seriously.”

In related news, Zoho claims to be the first bootstrapped SaaS company to reach 100 million global users.