SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Willow Technology Corporation Ltd. (“Willow”), a leading Operational AI company, today announced it has been named a finalist for the 2025 Microsoft Education Partner of the Year Award.
The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology.
The recognition highlights Willow’s role in helping educational institutions transform how their buildings and campuses operate, making them more responsive, sustainable and human-centered. Powered by Microsoft Azure and Willow’s Operational AI platform, schools and universities can now understand and adapt to real-time conditions, from classroom occupancy and energy usage to equipment performance and carbon emissions.
“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from Microsoft, a partner that has been foundational to Willow since our inception,” said Bert Van Hoof, Willow’s CEO. “Buildings are no longer static assets. They are becoming intelligent participants in our operations, energy systems and even climate strategies. Together with Microsoft, we are helping educational institutions lead this transformation, creating campuses that sense, learn, and improve for the benefit of the students, teachers and staff they serve.”
As buildings evolve from automated systems to self-optimizing ecosystems, Willow’s Operational AI platform represents a new category of intelligence — one that connects energy, operations, and people into a shared digital fabric. By enabling data interoperability across HVAC systems, lighting, sensors and IoT devices, Willow helps educational campuses reduce emissions, lower costs and enhance the learning environment.
This recognition commemorates Willow’s leadership at the intersection of AI, energy, and the built world, shaping a future where every building responds to the people, purpose and environments it serves.
“Congratulations to all the winners and finalists of the 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards,” said Nicole Dezen, chief partner officer and corporate vice president at Microsoft. “This year, our partners harnessed the transformative power of Microsoft’s Cloud and AI platforms to deliver transformative solutions that redefine the boundaries of innovation. The energy and ingenuity across our ecosystem continue to inspire us. The 2025 honorees exemplify what’s possible when technology and vision unite to empower customers around the world.”
The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognizes Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered outstanding Microsoft Cloud applications, services, devices and AI innovation over the past year. Awards were classified into various categories, with honorees chosen from more than 4,600 nominations across the globe. The award recognized Willow for providing outstanding solutions and services in education.
The 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are announced ahead of Microsoft Ignite, which will be held in San Francisco from Nov. 18-21. Additional details on the 2025 awards are available on the Microsoft Partner blog: https://aka.ms/2025POTYA_Announcement. The complete list of categories, winners and finalists can be found at https://aka.ms/2025POTYAWinnersFinalists.
About Willow
Willow, a leading Operational AI company, brings AI to the systems and teams that keep the physical world running. Turning scattered data into real-time insight, Willow empowers organizations to make smarter decisions, boost operational efficiency and achieve measurable cost savings and sustainability. Trusted by Fortune 100 companies and built on Microsoft Azure, Willow drives safer, smarter and more efficient operations across education, healthcare, transportation and enterprise environments. Visit www.willowinc.com to learn more about how Willow is redefining the way we manage and interact with the built world.
Contacts
Media contact
Sam Brancato
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