Microsoft Corp. has decided it’s necessary to change the name of its venture capital investment arm Microsoft Ventures: It’s now “M12.”

Although the new moniker looks as though it might be more appropriate for a Latin American prison gang at first glance, it actually carries a lot of symbolism.

“M12 is a promise to innovators,” Nagraj Kashyap, Microsoft’s corporate vice president and global head of early stage investments explained in a blog post. “M is a reminder that we have the full power of Microsoft behind us. And 12 represents the center of our universe: E-N-T-R-E-P-R-E-N-E-U-R.”

Kashyap said the change was designed to provide more clarity between Microsoft’s investment arm and its startup accelerator program Microsoft ScaleUp, which was previously called “Microsoft Ventures” until 2016 when the real venture business took up that name. “Our name change gives us an opportunity to be clear about how we work with startups – we invest in them in exchange for equity,” Kashyap said.

M12, under its old name, came into being in 2016 and has already made over 50 investments in technology fields that interest Microsoft. These include investments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, drones and 3-D printing, among other technologies. M12 encompasses both Microsoft veterans and also experienced venture capital investors it has employed, who are based in cities such as Seattle, San Francisco, New York, London and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Kashyap added that except for the name change, M12 will continue to operate as it always has.

“Our goal remains the same as ever: we want to be the most sought-after investor for entrepreneurs driving digital transformation,” Kashyap wrote. “We’ll continue to do this by connecting the most innovative startups out there with Microsoft’s executives, business unit leaders, individual engineers and salespeople, who work with our companies as we build the next generation of technology — together.”

Image: M12