How it started
Gates and Allen saw the Altair 8800 on a magazine cover, called the manufacturer claiming they had software ready, and then wrote it in weeks using Harvard's computers.
Why every campus needs an Innovation-Hub
Why we are telling this story
The next company on a list like this one has not been founded yet. Right now it is a student in a lecture hall with an idea nobody has asked about, and no room to build it in. Innovation-Hub is that room: a permanent space inside your institution where students from every department explore, experiment, collaborate and prototype.
See how to start one on your campus →
Ask the Founder
Pick a question — or write your own — and get a grounded answer about how Microsoft was actually built.
Opens ChatGPT in a new tab with your question ready. Answers are generated by AI from publicly reported information — they are not statements by the founders. Always check anything important against an original source.