Microsoft shutters The Garage innovation hubs

The initiative functioned as a creative incubator, spanning roughly 15 locations across the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, and Asia. These spaces provided staff with the resources to transform personal hobbies into official Microsoft offerings. CEO Satya Nadella frequently attended the program's signature hackathons, using the events to engage directly with internal talent and scout emerging technologies.

Notable successes from the program include the Seeing AI app, which provides visual descriptions for the blind, and the Mouse Without Borders utility, developed by Tuong Do. While the company stated it will seek alternative methods to foster cross-team collaboration and a hacker mindset, the closure marks a shift in how Microsoft supports grassroots innovation. Employees were informed of the decision via an internal FAQ, signaling the conclusion of a program that integrated experimental design into the core corporate workflow for over a decade.