Entrepreneur Stories
Microsoft: A Revolution Which Began On 4 April!
The year was 1975. The day was Today, 4 April. At a time when most people didn’t know what computers were, two young men, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, decided to make history. Allen used to work as a programmer while Gates was still in college at Oxford. However, when the idea of Microsoft or Micro-Soft, as it was called then; came to be, they realised conventional life wouldn’t get them anywhere.
The inspiration of Microsoft as a company came to be when Paul Allen read an article about the Altair 8800 micro computer in the Popular Electronics magazine. Gates approached MITS (the makers of the Altair) and offered his and Allen’s services to write a new version of the BASIC programming language for the Altair. In eight weeks, Allen and Gates were able to demonstrate their program to MITS, who agreed to distribute and market the product under the name of Altair BASIC.
From then onwards, there no stopping the two of them. Microsoft’s first successful program that was publicly released was a new version of Unix called the Xenix. Released in the year 1980, Xenix later became the founding platform for Microsoft’s word processor called Multi Tool Word. This later became what is now known as Microsoft Word. In what was known as the deal of the century, Bill Gates earned sole licensing rights to MS-DOS for IBM. This was the first time Microsoft broke ground and came to be one of the largest software companies.
The very first Microsoft Mouse was launched on 2 May, with Microsoft’s crowning glory, Microsoft Windows, being launched in 1983. In 1986, the company went public and Bill Gates became the youngest ever billionaire. In August 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95. In 2001, the first XBox was launched. In 2005, Microsoft changed gaming forever by launching the XBox 360. In the year 2012, Microsoft made their first foray into the computing hardware market with the announcement of Surface tablets that ran Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro.
Microsoft grew from being a small startup in a garage to one of the wealthiest software companies in the world in a mere 43 years. With Windows being what it is today, none of this would have been possible had Bill Gates and Paul Allen been the conventional people they were expected to be!
A decade ago, the success of a startup was measured largely by its ability to raise capital. Today, a different metric is gaining importance: the ability to generate meaningful exits for investors. Large stake sales by early backers are becoming increasingly common, not because growth opportunities have disappeared, but because India’s startup ecosystem is entering a more mature phase where capital is expected to complete its full cycle from investment to returns.
This evolution is particularly significant for consumer brands that have successfully blended technology, retail, and strong brand-building. Companies that were once viewed as high-risk startup bets are now attracting institutional investors capable of absorbing large transactions. Such developments indicate that these businesses are no longer being valued solely on future potential; they are increasingly being assessed on operational performance, market leadership, and long-term profitability. In many ways, investor exits are becoming a validation of a company’s ability to create lasting enterprise value.
The broader implication extends beyond a single company or investor. Successful exits encourage more global capital to enter India’s startup ecosystem because they demonstrate that liquidity opportunities exist at scale. As more venture-backed companies approach public listings, secondary transactions, or strategic investments, the focus of founders and investors alike may shift from chasing headline valuations to building durable businesses. The next chapter of India’s startup journey will likely be defined not just by the creation of unicorns, but by the creation of companies capable of delivering sustained returns to all stakeholders.
Apple has unveiled the new MacBook Air with M5 chip, starting at $999 for 13-inch and $1,299 for 15-inch models. The MacBook Air M5 boasts a 2nm M5 chip with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, and 50 TOPS Neural Engine for seamless AI tasks like real-time translation and 8K editing. Up to 22 hours of battery life, Thunderbolt 5, and Wi-Fi 7 make it the ultimate ultraportable, now 10% thinner at 0.44 inches with fanless cooling.
Key MacBook Air M5 features include Liquid Retina XDR display (500 nits, nano-texture option), 12MP Center Stage camera, and six-speaker Spatial Audio. Colors like new Sky Blue join Midnight and Starlight. Pre-orders are live today, with macOS Sequoia 15.4 enhancing Apple Intelligence and iPhone Continuity for students, pros, and remote workers.
Why buy MacBook Air M5 now? It outpaces Snapdragon X Elite rivals with ecosystem magic and future-proof performance, eyeing top 2026 laptop sales. CEO Tim Cook calls it “more capable than ever.” Visit apple.com for M5 MacBook deals and specs.
Delhi NCR-based gaming startup Zupee has acquired Mumbai-based microdrama platform Vertical TV in a deal valued under INR 40 Cr. This move strengthens Zupee Studio, its short-video arm launched in September 2025, by integrating Vertical TV’s expertise in bite-sized dramas like romance and thrillers.
Facing challenges from India’s 2025 real-money gaming ban, Zupee valued at $1 Bn after raising $120 Mn has pivoted to non-gaming content, including recent layoffs of 40% of its workforce. The acquisition builds on its November 2025 purchase of Australian AI firm Nucanon for interactive storytelling, targeting its 200 Mn+ users with engaging, mobile-first formats.
This deal underscores the rising microdrama trend in India, helping Zupee diversify amid regulatory pressures and compete in the short-video space dominated by quick, shareable content for on-the-go audiences.
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