Microsoft winds down its Garage employee experimentation program

Microsoft is shutting down the Microsoft Garage, its program supporting employee experimental projects. Some Garage spaces may restrict access from October 23, and the annual Global Hackathon is being redesigned without a disclosed new format.

• Garage combined the Global Hackathon with year-round prototype support
• Its physical network spanned 15 regions in 2026
• Projects like Seeing AI and Mouse without Borders originated there
• Employees cannot take equipment, tools or materials with them