Startups can get free credits without an investor, but the no-referral tiers are modest: AWS Activate gives $1,000, Google Cloud’s Start tier $2,000 and Cloudflare $10,000 (checked 12 and 13 October 2026). Microsoft for Startups gives $200 when you join and $5,000 after business verification, though its own pages disagree on these figures. The six-figure tiers need a partner investor or accelerator (AWS Portfolio, Cloudflare’s partner tiers), institutional equity funding (Google’s Scale tier), or at Microsoft either an Investor Network code or sustained Azure use of about $3,000 a month.
Credits are a prepaid balance that the provider draws down as you use its services. They are not cash: they expire, you cannot withdraw them, and many programs bill your card for anything they do not cover.
No investor needed
$10,000
Cloudflare, for 1 year if you raised under $1M. AWS gives $1,000 and Google Cloud $2,000
With a partner investor
$350,000
Cloudflare’s top tier ($5M or more raised). Google’s AI-first tier goes up to the same with institutional funding
Programs in our directory
75
Each checked on its official page on 12 and 13 October 2026; ended ones listed separately
Startup credits at a glance: without a referral vs the maximum
Each row puts what you get with no investor referral beside the most the program offers, in its own words. A referral means a code, Org ID or portal proof from one of the program’s partner investors or accelerators. Some top tiers need institutional funding instead, and the bank and fintech perks need you to be a customer.
| Program | Without a referral | Highest tier, in the program’s words, and what it needs | How long; card |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Activate | $1,000 (Founders tier); selected startups up to $5,000 | Up to $200,000 (Portfolio tier) with an Activate Provider Org ID; an invite-only AI tier goes higher | Expiry set per grant; no extensions. Card: yes |
| Google for Startups Cloud Program | $2,000 (Start tier) | Up to $200,000 (Scale tier), or up to $350,000 if AI-first; needs institutional equity funding | Start: 12 months. Scale: two years. Card: not stated |
| Microsoft for Startups (medium confidence) | $200 on joining, $5,000 after business verification (one FAQ says $1,000, then $4,000) | Up to $150,000 through usage milestones or an Investor Network code; an older page says $200,000 | Up to two years once activated. Card: yes |
| Cloudflare for Startups | $10,000 if you raised under $1M | $100,000 (under $5M raised) or $350,000 ($5M or more) with an affiliated partner | 1 year or until used. Card: yes |
| Claude for Startups | None for now: on 15 October 2026 Anthropic said its current cohort was full and closed new applications. Existing members keep partner offers Anthropic values at up to $45,000, many of them discounts | Up to $100,000 in API credits, which founders backed by a partner VC may claim through that VC | Varies by offer. Card: not stated |
| OpenAI for Startups | No credits; Build Hours and events | API credits with a partner VC’s referral code; no published amounts | Not stated. Card: not stated |
| DigitalOcean Startups | Credits for 12 months if you raised $10M or less; amount not published | Set through partner organisations | 12 months; no extensions. Card: yes |
| NVIDIA Inception | Free membership; no published credit amounts | No published amounts; partner cloud credits vary | Ongoing. Card: not needed |
| PostHog for Startups | $50,000 (under 2 years old, under $5M raised) | The same; YC companies have a separate deal | 12 months. Card: yes (paid plan first) |
| ElevenLabs Grants | 33M characters for 12 months (ElevenLabs values it at $5,500+) | The same; fewer than 25 staff | 12 months. Card: not stated |
| Together AI | Up to $15,000 (Build tier, up to $5M raised) | Up to $50,000 (Grow tier, over $10M raised); selection-based | Not stated. Card: not stated |
Full rules for each program are in the directory further down, and the other AI and GPU programs are in the AI credits table.
Best startup credits without an investor
These six take direct applications, with no investor or referral code. Each card names the condition to check before you apply.
$10,000 with no funding neededCloudflare for Startups$10,000 in credits for 1 yearFor startups that raised under $1M. A card stays on file, and Cloudflare bills it after the year ends unless you sign a prepaid contract.No referral code at any tierGoogle for Startups Cloud Program$2,000 in credits for 12 months (Start tier)Start tier, for startups founded in the last 24 months with a working MVP. Your email, website and billing-account domains must match.Open to self-funded startupsAWS ActivateAmazon Web Services$1,000 to start, up to $5,000Founders tier, no Org ID needed. Your AWS account must be on a Paid Tier Plan, with an email on your company’s domain.Product analyticsPostHog for Startups$50,000 in credits, plus about $12,000 in perksIf your company is under 2 years old and raised under $5M. You must be on a paid plan first, and since 14 September 2026 the credits no longer pay for PostHog’s AI tools.Voice AI, worldwideElevenLabs Grants12 months free with 33M characters ($5,500+ value)Startups with fewer than 25 staff, anywhere in the world, can apply. The grant is counted in characters, not dollars, and the account moves to the Free plan when the 12 months or the characters run out, unless you choose otherwise.Full entry on the AI API credits pageSpeech and voice APIsDeepgram Startup Program$1,000 in voice API credits to startDirect applicants start at $1,000; larger grants come through partner VCs or as usage grows. Program credits apply only after the $200 sign-up credit is used.Full entry on the AI API credits page
Worth asking your investor or accelerator about
The best tier of each of these needs a partner investor, accelerator or referral code. Ask your investor or accelerator whether it is in each program’s partner network. You cannot buy or borrow a code: Vercel, for one, wants proof from your partner’s portal.
Scam check: apply only from each provider’s official page (every entry in the directory links to it). Treat anyone selling referral codes, Org IDs or “guaranteed” credits as a scam risk.
MonitoringDatadog for StartupsPartner-referred only; others get a 2-week trialA year of Datadog with up to $100,000 in credits, for Series A or earlier, through an official referral partner. Activate within 30 days of acceptance.Frontend hostingVercel for StartupsPartner-only: 1-year Enterprise contractAn Enterprise contract with a Flexible Commitment (a usage allowance) of up to $30,000, set by your partner, if you raised Series A or less in the last 12 months.Code and CopilotGitHub for StartupsPartner-only: $10,000 GitHub credits for 12 months$10,000 in GitHub credits for up to 12 months. Needs a partner affiliation and outside equity funding, Series B or earlier.OpenAI APIOpenAI for StartupsNo credits without a VC code; Build Hours and eventsAPI credits only with a referral code from a VC in OpenAI’s partner network. OpenAI publishes no amounts.Full entry on the AI API credits pageTeam workspaceNotion for Startups3 months of Business + AI free (1 month if <10 staff)6 months of Business with Notion AI through a partner. Without one, a website and a company email get 3 months if you have 10 or more staff.
Cloud credits for startups: AWS, Google Cloud, Azure and Cloudflare
AWS credits for startups (AWS Activate)
Without a referral, the Founders tier of AWS Activate starts at $1,000, and AWS says selected startups can get up to $5,000. The Portfolio tier gives up to $200,000 with an Org ID from an Activate Provider (an accelerator, angel or VC that partners with AWS), and an invite-only AI tier goes above $200,000. You must be pre-Series B and founded within the last 10 years.
Four rules catch people out:
- The AWS account must be on a Paid Tier Plan (AWS’s standard paid account, as opposed to its Free plan). Free-plan accounts cannot receive credits.
- The account email must be on your application’s domain. Free email providers are rejected.
- Each startup needs its own AWS account. An account already used by another startup is rejected.
- Credits cannot be extended, and they do not pay for AWS Marketplace, except third-party models on Amazon Bedrock.
Google Cloud credits for startups (Google for Startups Cloud Program)
Without a referral, the Start tier of the Google for Startups Cloud Program gives $2,000 for 12 months to startups founded in the last 24 months that have a working MVP (minimum viable product: a first version customers can use) and plan to raise venture funding. The Scale tier gives up to $200,000 over two years if you have institutional equity funding: a pre-seed or seed round in the last 5 years, or a Series A in the last 12 months. SAFEs (simple agreements for future equity, a common early investment contract) count. Angel, friends-and-family, crowdfunding and government-grant money do not.
AI-first startups can get up to $350,000: 100% of usage up to $250,000 in year 1, then a 20% credit on year-2 spend, up to $100,000 more. No partner code is needed at any tier, but your business email, website and billing-account domains must match. Third-party models and Marketplace offerings are not covered.
Azure credits for startups (Microsoft for Startups)
Without a referral, Microsoft for Startups gives $200 when you join and verify yourself with LinkedIn, then $5,000 after business verification as a registered company. The $25,000, $50,000 and $150,000 milestones need sustained Azure usage; the top one asks for 10 or more workloads and about $3,000 a month of usage for about 60 days. With an Investor Network code, approved startups most often start at $100,000, up to $150,000. You sign up with a personal Microsoft account and add a card, and subscriptions switch to pay-as-you-go automatically when credits end.
Microsoft’s own pages disagree. Its FAQ (updated 5 August 2026) still describes the no-code offer as $1,000 for 90 days, then $4,000 after business verification. An older page (16 June 2026) puts the Investor Network maximum at $200,000; newer pages say $150,000. We show the newer figures, re-checked on 13 October 2026, and rate this entry medium confidence.
Cloudflare for Startups
Without a referral, Cloudflare for Startups gives $10,000 for 1 year to bootstrapped and self-funded startups that raised under $1M. Startups funded by an affiliated partner get $100,000 (under $5M raised) or $350,000 ($5M or more). A card must be on file, and after expiry Cloudflare bills it unless you sign a prepaid contract. AI Gateway was temporarily not covered on 12 October 2026, and Workers AI is capped at $2,500, $10,000 or $50,000 by tier. The form is covered screen by screen in our Cloudflare for Startups guide: $10,000 without investors.
Other cloud programs, checked 12 and 13 October 2026:
- DigitalOcean Startups, which replaced Hatch: 12 months of credits if you raised $10M or less. The amount is not published.
- Akamai Cloud Rise: year-one credits from $500 to $120,000 if you show traction, such as paid staff, real users or revenue. No referral needed.
- OVHcloud: EUR 10,000 for 12 months at its Start level.
- Civo: up to $1,000 at its Launchpad stage.
- Render: $500 only if you raised at least $25,000 in seed funding. Larger tiers go through partner VCs.
- Fly.io wants VC or accelerator backing at Seed or Series A, and Vultr wants recent Series A to E funding.
- Backblaze: up to $100,000 in storage credits for data-heavy startups.
- Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst: for AI-first startups. The campaign runs until 31 March 2027.
- Huawei Cloud (medium confidence): vouchers of at least 5,000 on approval (Huawei does not state the currency), and up to $150,000 after a separate review. Voucher expiry is not stated.
- Oracle Startup Growth Engine (medium confidence): $5,000 to $100,000 under its rules (its launch release says up to $60,000), for selected startups in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia only.
Not ready to apply? Start with free cloud tiers and trials.
AI credits for startups: OpenAI, Claude, NVIDIA and smaller AI vendors
Without a partner VC, the big model labs gave little in direct credits on 12 and 13 October 2026; the reliable AI credits came from smaller AI vendors and from your cloud program.
- Claude for Startups: closed to new applicants. On 15 October 2026 Anthropic’s program page said its current cohort was full and it was not accepting new applications, with no reopening date. Existing members keep Startup Stack partner offers that Anthropic values at up to $45,000 (many are discounts and free periods from other companies, not cash), plus Applied AI sessions and events. Up to $100,000 in API credits may be available only through a partner VC, and program credits work only on Anthropic’s own API. See our Claude for Startups guide.
- OpenAI for Startups: API credits only with a referral code from a partner VC; OpenAI publishes no amounts. Others get Build Hours and events.
- NVIDIA Inception: free membership for incorporated startups under 10 years old, with partner cloud credits, preferred pricing and courses, but no published credit amounts. Its March 2025 offer of up to $100,000 in DGX Cloud credits is not on the current program page.
- Google Cloud: the AI-first tier of up to $350,000 sits inside the Google program above.
Smaller AI vendors take direct applications. Deepgram ($1,000), ElevenLabs (its 12-month grant), Together AI (up to $15,000 on the Build tier, up to $5M raised) and Runpod ($1,000 on the Starter tier) need no referral. Most others ask for a funding stage or a partner VC.
| Program | Without a referral | Highest tier and what it needs | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deepgram | $1,000 in voice API credits | Up to $100,000 as usage grows or through a partner VC or accelerator | Each grant: 12 months |
| Runpod | $1,000 in GPU credits (Starter tier; selective, pre-Series A with a working product) | $25,000 bonus on a $50,000 upfront commitment | Growth: 12-month agreement |
| Baseten | Up to $25,000 for inference or training plus up to $2,500 for Model APIs (Seed to Series A) | The same; AI must be core to your product | 6 months |
| AssemblyAI | Recurring speech credits, amount not published (pre-seed to Series A) | The same; partner portfolio companies are fast-tracked | 12 months |
| Fireworks | Credits, amount not published, if VC-backed with more than $500,000 | The same | 1 year |
| Modal | Credits, amount not published, if you raised more than $1M from any VC | Any amount from one of its 40+ partner VCs; a custom tier for Series B and later | 1 year |
| LangSmith | Discounted seats ($25,000+ seed, under $10M raised) | $10,000 in credits with a premier VC partner | Credits: 1 year (2 for YC) |
| Nebius (medium confidence) | No credits; founder community only | GPU credits, amount not published, with $5M+ from a partner VC | Not stated |
| Weaviate (medium confidence) | Discounted Weaviate Cloud pricing; size not published | The form asks which program or VC backs you | Not stated |
| W&B (medium confidence) | 50% off Pro for a year, for Microsoft for Startups members. W&B says it is worth $3,000; half of the $60-a-month Pro starting price for a year is $360 | The same; new customers only, limited time | 12 months |
Each name links to its full entry on our AI API and GPU credits page, which also covers which credits pay for which models and where to find GPU credits. Paused and unconfirmed AI programs are listed further down.
Every startup credit program we track
75 programs for startups: cloud, data and developer tools, business software and banking perks. Claude for Startups closed to new applicants on 15 October 2026, so its entry is in the ended and paused list at the end. Three entries, IBM, Redis and Scaleway, are marked low confidence because we could not confirm their key details on an official page. The list is sorted by what you get without a referral. Free plans that only the vendor puts a price on, such as Mixpanel’s, and programs with no published amount come next, and the low-confidence entries come last. Select No referral needed to hide partner-only offers. Ended and paused programs are in the muted list at the end. AI and GPU programs are in the AI credits table above, and in full on our AI API and GPU credits page.
Who it is for
Category
Show only
Status
No programs match these filters.
Skip past this listPostHog for Startups
PostHogChanged 14 September 2026Under 2 yrs, <$5M; paid plan first
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
$50,000 in credits, plus about $12,000 in perks
$50,000 in PostHog credits for 12 months, about $12,000 in partner perks ($1,500 off incident.io, 50% off Speakeasy for 6 months, $5,000 Depot credit) and merch.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for PostHog for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Company less than 2 years old
- Raised less than $5M
- Signed up to PostHog on or after 1 January 2023
- Account on your company email domain (no Gmail/Outlook)
- Must be on a paid plan before applying
- How long
- 12 months or until $50,000 is used
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral. YC companies use a separate Bookface deal that does not stack.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated. You must subscribe to a usage-billed plan, so use a card enabled for international recurring payments.
- How to apply
- Sign up to a paid plan (charged for usage only) from a company-email account, then submit the startup form; credits are applied if eligible.
- Watch out for
- AI tools are excluded from credits since 14 September 2026
- Credits cannot pay for a BAA, onboarding calls or service packages
- Normal-priority support only; no account manager
- Accounts created before 1 January 2023 get the perks but not the credits
- Status note
- From 14 September 2026 credits no longer pay for AI tools (PostHog Desktop, Slack app, Replay Vision, PostHog AI, Inbox). Members who joined before that date can still use credits for AI usage before the cut-off.
Official page for PostHog for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Aiven for Startups
AivenActiveFunded startup or partner accelerator
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
$12,000 in managed data credits for 12 monthsBest case: Up to $100,000, tier set by Aiven
$12,000 to $100,000 in Aiven credits for managed open-source data services (Postgres, Kafka and more) for 12 months, plus office hours and mentoring.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Aiven for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Founded no more than 7 years ago
- External funding from pre-seed to Series B, or partner affiliation
- Company website and business email
- Not agencies, consultancies, NGOs or educational institutions
- Existing customers case by case; current payers qualify only if the monthly invoice is under $400
- How long
- 12 months
- Referral or funding needed
- Need external funding (pre-seed to Series B) or affiliation with an Aiven partner accelerator, incubator or co-working space.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Apply on aiven.io/startups; reviews run monthly and take about 14 days. Accepted startups must book a kickoff session to start.
- Watch out for
- Tier is set by Aiven at acceptance
- Credits once per startup; extensions not guaranteed
- Some perks unlock only with platform usage
- Aiven may stop or cancel credits under its terms
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for Aiven for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Cloudflare for Startups
CloudflareTiers raised; no date givenOpen; big tiers need a partner VC
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
$10,000 in credits for 1 yearBest case: Up to $350,000 with an affiliated VC ($5M+ raised)
One year of Cloudflare credits: $10,000 for bootstrapped startups, or $100,000 or $350,000 if funded by an affiliated VC or accelerator. Every tier adds three Enterprise domains and unlimited Pro and Business plans.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Cloudflare for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Incorporated no more than 10 years ago
- Funded up to Series B, within the last 12 months. Tier 3 needs no funding.
- Actively developing a technology product
- Live, publicly accessible website
- Public presence on LinkedIn, X or GitHub
- First-time applicant only
- For-profit, with a business email on your own domain
- Not open to educational institutions, personal blogs, consultancies, agencies, MSPs, resellers or existing enterprise customers
- How long
- 1 year or until used, whichever comes first. No extensions.
- Referral or funding needed
- No for Tier 3 ($10,000: bootstrapped or self-funded, under $1M raised). Tier 2 ($100,000, under $5M raised) and Tier 1 ($350,000, $5M+ raised) need funding from an affiliated partner.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction. Indian startups use the same form. See the ReconScribe guide at /cloudflare-for-startups/.
- How to apply
- Create a Cloudflare account with your business email and add a payment method. Then click Apply now on the program page and connect the account. Review typically takes up to 48 hours.
- Watch out for
- Overages are billed automatically. After the credits expire, Cloudflare bills the card on file unless you sign a prepaid contract.
- R2 is capped at $10,000. Workers AI is capped at $2,500 (Tier 3), $10,000 (Tier 2) or $50,000 (Tier 1).
- AI Gateway and domain registration or renewal are not covered. Magic Transit, Enterprise Spectrum, Dedicated IPs and the China Network need a separate contract.
- The program terms say the Startup Plan has no SLA, even though the feature table lists a 100% SLA
- Enterprise domains not moved to a paid self-serve plan by your graduation date drop to the Free plan
- Credits are non-transferable, and the program is one-time per startup
- You owe any taxes on the credit value, and Cloudflare may use your name and logo in marketing
- Status note
- Re-checked 12 October 2026. Cloudflare raised Tier 3 from $5,000 to $10,000 and Tier 1 from $250,000 to $350,000 (no date given). Members who joined under the old limits can email startups@cloudflare.com for a case-by-case upgrade, which is not automatic and does not extend the one-year expiry. AI Gateway is temporarily not covered.
Algolia Startup Program
AlgoliaActiveOpen: under 7 years, under $15M raised
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Up to $10,000 in search credits for 12 months
Up to $10,000 in Algolia credits (Grow or Grow Plus plan usage at list price) for 12 months, partner perks (Datadog, Notion and others) and early feature access.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Algolia Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Incorporated no more than 7 years before applying
- Raised less than $15M in equity funding
- Not a previous or existing paid Algolia subscriber (free users can apply)
- Not controlled by an ineligible entity or an Algolia competitor
- Never used another Algolia coupon code
- How long
- 12 months from acceptance; no right to an extension
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Submit the request form on Algolia’s support site linked from the startups page. Questions to startups@algolia.com.
- Watch out for
- Moves to pay-as-you-go automatically when credits run out
- Unused credits lapse after 12 months; non-transferable
- Credits cannot be applied to a committed paid contract
- Any past coupon use disqualifies you
- Terms let Algolia use your name and logo in marketing and as a reference account
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. The program terms confirm the main page’s limits (7 years, under $15M). The FAQ’s older ‘3 years / $5M’ wording is out of date.
Official page for Algolia Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Prisma for Startups
PrismaActiveVC-funded, or bootstrapped at $5K+ MRR
Funded startupsBootstrapped startups
Database bill covered for 1 year, up to $10,000
Prisma covers your database bill for a year, up to $10,000 in credits, plus 1:1 guidance and Slack support.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Prisma for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Venture track: pre-seed, seed or Series A; raised in last 12 months; founded in last 5 years
- Bootstrapped track: at least $5K MRR for 6 months and two full-time team members
- Software product with an active website
- How long
- 1 year
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral. Venture-backed (raised in last 12 months) or bootstrapped with at least $5K MRR.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Use ‘Apply now’ on prisma.io/programs/startups.
- Watch out for
- Bootstrapped founders need revenue history to qualify
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for Prisma for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
MotherDuck Startup Program
MotherDuckActiveOpen: under $5M VC and 20 staff
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
Pay $8,000 a year, get $16,000 of MotherDuck
50% off: pay an $8,000 annual commitment and get $16,000 of MotherDuck ($13,000 consumption credits plus the $3,000 platform fee waived), on top of the 7-day free trial.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for MotherDuck Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Less than $5M in VC funding (bootstrapped allowed)
- Fewer than 20 employees
- Active website (not in stealth)
- New customer or existing Free-plan user
- How long
- One annual contract
- Referral or funding needed
- No. Bootstrapped startups can apply.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated. You must pay the $8,000 commitment, so check payment terms for international billing.
- How to apply
- Submit the form on motherduck.com/startups with a work email; the team contacts you after acceptance.
- Watch out for
- Requires paying $8,000 for a year; it is a discount, not free credit
- Sign the contract within 3 months of acceptance
- Cannot be combined with other offers
- Paid-plan customers are not eligible
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for MotherDuck Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Temporal Cloud for Startups
TemporalActiveRaised up to $30M in the last 3 years
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
$6,000 in credits, plus onboarding and support
$6,000 in Temporal Cloud credits plus onboarding and support. Temporal says this can cover up to 10 to 12 months of usage for many apps.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Temporal Cloud for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Raised $30M or less
- Funding raised within the last 3 years
- Temporal Cloud account with your first Workflow run
- Existing Temporal Cloud users can apply
- How long
- Until credits are used (no expiry stated)
- Referral or funding needed
- Must have raised funding ($30M or less, within the last 3 years). No referral needed.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Apply at temporal.io/startup/apply and set up a Temporal Cloud account.
- Watch out for
- Bootstrapped startups are not eligible
- Monthly billing starts when credits run out
- Credits are not transferable
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. Educators and researchers at accredited institutions can ask about credits via incubator@temporal.io.
Official page for Temporal Cloud for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Huawei Cloud Startup Program
Huawei CloudActiveUnder 5 years old, verified company
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
At least 5,000 (likely USD) in cloud vouchersBest case: Up to $150,000 after a separate review
Huawei Cloud cash-credit vouchers: at least 5,000 on approval, and companies can apply for up to $150,000. Migration support, founder coaching and co-selling on the KooGallery marketplace are included.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Huawei Cloud Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Company founded less than 5 years ago
- Not listed on a stock exchange
- No more than 50% of shares held by a listed company
- Huawei Cloud account with enterprise real-name verification and uploaded company documents
- How long
- Voucher validity not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No funding or referral requirement stated
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Described as open to startups around the world; no country list
- India
- Unclear. The program page does not mention India. Applicants need enterprise real-name verification on Huawei Cloud’s international site, and whether that accepts Indian companies was not confirmed.
- How to apply
- Register a Huawei Cloud international account, complete enterprise real-name verification, then apply for membership on the startup page and upload documents. Results come by email.
- Watch out for
- Voucher expiry is not stated. Ask before you plan a migration around it.
- Amounts above the 5,000 minimum need a separate application and review.
- Credits only cover Huawei Cloud services.
- Status note
- Program page live on 12 October 2026; more than 6,000 startups have joined, and no deadlines are listed. The benefits section gives the maximum as $150,000. The 5,000 minimum is stated without a currency, though USD is likely. Voucher validity is not stated.
Official page for Huawei Cloud Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Oracle Startup Growth Engine (Latin America)
OracleActiveBrazil, Argentina, Colombia only
Funded startups
OCI credits from $5,000 for selected startupsBest case: Up to $100,000 per the rules (release: $60K)
OCI credits for selected tech startups in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, plus engineering help, Marketplace listing and go-to-market support. The program rules set grants of $5,000 to $100,000; the launch release says up to $60,000.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Oracle Startup Growth Engine (Latin America)
- Who qualifies
- Legally registered tech startup building digital products
- Product already validated in the market, with customers
- Builds software, data or AI solutions with scaling potential
- Workloads compatible with OCI, and willing to build on or migrate to OCI
- No active commercial relationship with OCI when you enrol
- Public entities are excluded. Startups with regulatory, financial-crime or reputational risk, or unpaid debts to Oracle, may be excluded.
- Based in Brazil, Argentina or Colombia (launch countries)
- How long
- Credits must be used within 3 to 12 months of becoming available, as set by Oracle
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral code. The launch release says it is designed for venture-backed, high-growth startups and requires enrolment in an eligible Oracle PartnerNetwork (eOPN) level. The program page and rules state no funding requirement.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Brazil, Argentina and Colombia at launch, with expansion planned across Latin America
- India
- No. Not open to Indian startups. Oracle’s old global startup URL (oracle.com/startup) now redirects to oracle.com/cloud. Indian founders can use the Oracle Cloud Free Tier: Always Free services plus a $300 credit valid for up to 30 days, offered in select countries.
- How to apply
- Register through the form on the Oracle Startup Growth Engine page (Spanish). Read the rules PDF linked there first, because submitting the form means you accept them.
- Watch out for
- Use beyond your credits, or after the 3-12 month window, is billed at OCI list prices plus taxes
- Credits are granted in stages, based on technical criteria and product maturity, and depend on program budget
- Existing OCI customers are not eligible
- Oracle may name you as a customer or participant in its marketing
- No reselling cloud services or crypto mining with the credits
- Fintech, crypto, betting and prediction-market startups face extra due diligence
- Oracle can end the program at any time without notice
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. Announced on 23 June 2026 as part of the enhanced Oracle PartnerNetwork. The rules PDF linked from the program page gives $5,000-$100,000, while the launch release says up to $60,000; the rules are treated as the governing document. oracle.com/cloud/oracle-for-startups now only points to the Free Tier and reference architectures.
Official page for Oracle Startup Growth Engine (Latin America) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Sentry for Startups
SentryActiveOpen: under 2 years old, <$5M VC
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Up to $5,000 in Sentry credits for 1 year
Up to $5,000 in Sentry credits that expire one year after joining, priority support and Sentry swag.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Sentry for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Founded in the last 2 years
- Raised less than $5M in venture capital
- New to paying for Sentry
- Free Sentry account already set up (you give your org slug)
- How long
- Credits expire 12 months after joining
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral. Must have raised less than $5M in venture capital.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated; global self-serve sign-up.
- How to apply
- Create a free Sentry account, then fill in the form at sentry.io/for/startups/apply with your org slug, founding date and funding details.
- Watch out for
- Credits expire 12 months after joining
- Existing paying Sentry customers are not eligible
- YC and a16z speedrun founders have a separate deal (Bookface / deals portal) that does not stack
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for Sentry for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Stripe Atlas perks
StripeActiveStripe Atlas customers ($500 fee)
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsSolo developers
$2,500 Stripe credits + partner perksBest case: Perks incl. $100K Cloudflare, $50K PostHog credits
Stripe Atlas forms a Delaware C corp or LLC for $500 one-time. Every Atlas company gets $2,500 in Stripe credits; partner perks Stripe values at over $50,000 include Cloudflare $100K and PostHog $50K credits.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Stripe Atlas perks
- Who qualifies
- Approved Stripe Atlas application ($500 fee)
- The $2,500 Stripe credits apply to companies incorporated through Atlas on or after 16 October 2025
- Partners may add their own eligibility or compliance checks, and Atlas cannot guarantee every partner will work with every Atlas company
- Large credits such as Cloudflare’s $100,000 run through the partner’s own startup program
- Some perks are for new users of the partner only
- How long
- Stripe credits start on the incorporation date and last 365 days or until used up; each partner perk has its own term
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral. Every approved Atlas company gets the $2,500 Stripe credits and the Perks tab; you pay the $500 setup fee. Partners can apply their own eligibility checks.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country list stated. Stripe says startups in over 175 countries have chosen Atlas, and it publishes guides for Indian and Singapore founders.
- India
- Yes. Stripe publishes a guide for Indian resident founders, and the Atlas fee can be paid by personal card. Owning or funding a US company from India brings Indian overseas-investment and reporting rules, so speak to a chartered accountant or lawyer before you form or fund one.
- How to apply
- Apply at dashboard.stripe.com/register/atlas and pay the $500 fee. After approval, open the Perks tab in the Atlas Dashboard to redeem offers.
- Watch out for
- The registered agent costs $100 a year after year one and renews automatically
- The $500 fee is refunded only if you deposit $5,000 into a Stripe Treasury account within 90 days
- The $2,500 credits only offset Stripe product fees (e.g. Payments, Billing, Tax), not Atlas or registered-agent fees, and expire 365 days after incorporation
- Perk values assume you buy those products. Most perks are discounts, not cash, and the best-case figure here is the single largest listed perk (Cloudflare $100,000), which has its own eligibility rules
- Perks change often and partners can withdraw them
- A US company brings ongoing US filing duties
- The Ramp perk ($1,500 sign-up bonus) needs a US bank account holding more than $25,000
- Status note
- Re-checked on 13 October 2026 on stripe.com/atlas, docs.stripe.com/atlas, Stripe’s perks article and its Atlas fee credits FAQ. Stripe’s headline says over $50,000 in partner discounts, but its own perk list includes Cloudflare $100,000 and PostHog $50,000 credits. Other perks listed: Notion up to 6 months free (~$12,000), Linear 6 months free, Intercom free first year (up to 25 employees), AWS $5,000 credits (new users), Microsoft Founders Hub $5,000+ Azure credits, Deel $1,500 credits, Gusto and Rippling 6 months free, Slack 25% off, Google Workspace 20% off (new users), HubSpot 30% off, Carta 20% off, all for the first year where stated.
Official page for Stripe Atlas perks (opens in a new tab)Checked 13 October 2026
Google for Startups Cloud Program (Start and Scale tiers, AI-first)
Google CloudActiveOpen; Scale tier needs VC funding
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
$2,000 in credits for 12 months (Start tier)Best case: Up to $350,000 for VC-funded AI-first startups
Start tier gives $2,000 in Google Cloud credits to pre-funded startups. Scale tier gives up to $200,000 over two years to equity-funded startups, or up to $350,000 for AI-first startups, plus support credits and a year of Google Workspace.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Google for Startups Cloud Program (Start and Scale tiers, AI-first)
- Who qualifies
- Start: digital-native tech startup with a working MVP, a clear business model and plans to seek venture funding soon. Founded within the last 24 months. No Google Cloud credits beyond the free trial.
- Scale: pre-seed or seed round in the last 5 years, or Series A in the last 12 months, from an institutional investor or VC (SAFEs count). Founded within the last 5 years. No more than $5,000 in Google Cloud credits received before.
- Angel, friends-and-family, crowdfunding, government grant, prize and private-equity funding do not qualify for Scale. Such startups may still be considered for Start.
- AI-first tier: AI must be built into the startup’s foundation, not added as a productivity layer
- Your business email, your public website domain and the billing account’s email domain must all match
- You need an 18-character Google Cloud billing account ID
- Not open to IPO’d or acquired companies, educational institutions, government, nonprofits, personal blogs, dev shops, consultancies, agencies or crypto miners
- How long
- Start: credits valid 12 months. Scale: two years. Year 1 is full coverage up to the cap. Year 2 is a 20% credit on your spend.
- Referral or funding needed
- No for Start ($2,000). Scale needs recent equity funding from an institutional investor or VC (pre-seed to Series A). No partner referral code is needed.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated on the program pages
- India
- Yes. The program pages list no country restriction. Indian startups apply with a Google Cloud billing account whose email domain matches the company website.
- How to apply
- Create a Google Cloud billing account with your company-domain email. Then apply from cloud.google.com/startup with the 18-character billing account ID. Most decisions take a few business days. Manual reviews can take 10 days or more.
- Watch out for
- The year-2 credit is 20% of your spend, so the full extra $100,000 needs about $500,000 of year-2 usage
- Third-party models and Google Cloud Marketplace offerings are billed directly. Credits do not cover them.
- The Workspace benefit needs a domain that has not been on a paid Workspace plan within 31 days of applying. It cannot be used for annual Business Plus plans.
- Start-tier credits expire after 12 months
- A mismatch between your email domain, website and billing account blocks approval
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. AI startups: 100% of usage covered up to $250,000 in year 1, then a 20% credit on year-2 spend, up to $100,000 more. Other startups: up to $100,000 in year 1, then 20% of year-2 spend, up to $100,000 more. Scale also includes $12,000 in Enhanced Support credits for a year, 12 months of Workspace Business Plus, $600 a month in Google Maps credit for a year (separate application) and $500 in Google Skills credits. Start includes 12 months of Workspace Business Plus and $200 in Skills credits.
AWS Activate (Activate Credits)
Amazon Web ServicesActiveOpen; big tier needs a provider Org ID
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
$1,000 to start, up to $5,000Best case: Up to $200,000 with a provider Org ID
AWS promotional credits. Founders tier (self-funded) starts at $1,000, and selected startups can get up to $5,000. Portfolio tier gives up to $200,000 with an Activate Provider Org ID. An invite-only AI tier goes above $200,000.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for AWS Activate (Activate Credits)
- Who qualifies
- Pre-Series B. The FAQ says bootstrapped, self-funded and funded startups up to and including Series A.
- Founded within the last 10 years
- Working website or public profile
- AWS account on a Paid Tier Plan. Free account plans cannot receive Activate credits.
- New to Activate credits, or asking for more than you got before. You only receive the difference, up to a lifetime maximum.
- The email on the AWS account must match your application’s domain. Free email providers are rejected.
- AWS’s listed decline reasons include a most recent funding round older than 12 months, and private equity or post-Series A funding
- Government entities are not eligible
- How long
- Each credit grant has an expiry date, shown in the AWS Billing console. AWS does not extend it, and a grant cannot be split. The program page does not state a fixed term.
- Referral or funding needed
- No for Founders (bootstrapped or self-funded). Portfolio needs an Org ID from an Activate Provider (accelerator, angel or VC). The AI tier ($200,000+) is invite-only through your AWS account manager.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country list. Startups building on AWS China Regions (China or Hong Kong accounts) cannot get Activate credits and must use AWS Activate China.
- India
- Yes. India is not excluded, and the AWS Startups FAQ links to India-specific consolidated billing guidance. You need an AWS account on a paid plan, with payment details, and a business email on your company domain.
- How to apply
- Create an AWS Builder ID with your work email. Pick Founders, or Portfolio with your provider’s Org ID. Describe your product and funding, link a paid-plan AWS account and submit. AWS replies in 5-10 business days.
- Watch out for
- Credits cannot be extended, even if unused
- Not usable for AWS Marketplace (except third-party models on Amazon Bedrock), Route 53 domain registration or transfer, upfront fees for Savings Plans and Reserved Instances, Professional Services, Training, Certification, Mechanical Turk, Managed Services or crypto mining
- Each startup needs its own AWS account. Applying from an account already used by another startup is rejected.
- AWS may ask you to verify your identity
- Credits configured for Business Support auto-enrol you in AWS Business Support. If those credits run out before they expire, you pay the support charges.
- AWS may list your company name, website and logo in program directories and marketing
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. The Founders tier reads: start with $1,000, and selected participants may qualify for up to $5,000. Activate Terms were last updated 22 January 2026. Free-plan AWS accounts must upgrade to a Paid Tier Plan to receive credits. Since 1 December 2025, the AWS Developer and Business Support plans are closed to new subscribers and replaced by Business Support+ (from $29 a month). The legacy plans end on 1 January 2027. Activate credits can pay for support.
Official page for AWS Activate (Activate Credits) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Databricks Startup Program (Neon credits)
Neon (Databricks)ActiveNeeds a paid Neon plan to apply
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Up to $1,000 in Neon credits if self-fundedBest case: Up to $200K (Neon + Databricks) at $1M+ raised
Self-funded (under $1M raised): up to $1,000 in Neon credits. Venture-backed ($1M+) or accelerator: up to $200K total ($100K Neon plus $100K Databricks). Credits last 12 months.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Databricks Startup Program (Neon credits)
- Who qualifies
- Early-stage product or MVP that runs on data, analytics or AI
- Self-funded tier: less than $1M in funding
- Venture tier: at least $1M raised or in a recognised accelerator or fund
- Neon account with a payment method and on a paid plan before applying
- Company email (no personal address) and a LinkedIn sign-in to verify identity
- Existing Neon or Databricks users can apply; credits go on the current account
- How long
- 12 months from acceptance
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral needed. Self-funded tier: under $1M raised. Up-to-$200K tier: $1M+ raised or a recognised accelerator such as Y Combinator. You must verify funding with an accelerator link, partner code, VC contact or public link.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated; the form asks for country of incorporation
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated and the form accepts any country of incorporation. You need a card that works for international recurring charges, because a paid Neon plan is required before applying.
- How to apply
- Create a Neon account, add a payment method and move to a paid plan, then click Apply Now on neon.com/startups (shared Databricks x Neon form). The team usually replies within a few business days and adds credits to your existing account.
- Watch out for
- Same program and form as the Databricks for Startups entry; do not count both
- A card on file and a paid Neon plan are required before you can apply
- Amounts are ‘up to’; the exact figure depends on stage and funding
- LinkedIn sign-in is required to submit the form
- After credits run out or expire, usage is billed on your selected plan
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. Neon’s startups page now runs the shared Databricks Startup Program. The application form splits the venture tier as up to $100K Neon and up to $100K Databricks credits. Neon’s free plan was separately raised to 1 GB storage per project and 100 projects.
Official page for Databricks Startup Program (Neon credits) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Civo Startup Program
CivoActiveOpen: no referral; stage sets amount
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
Up to $1,000 in credits (Launchpad stage)Best case: Up to $50,000 at the Elevate stage
Civo cloud credits in three stages: Launchpad (up to $1,000), Propel (up to $10,000) and Elevate (up to $50,000). Also an onboarding session, credits toward a support plan and a private founders’ Slack.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Civo Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Startups in any industry, with a focus on cloud-native applications
- Launchpad is for early-stage startups. Propel is for startups with some traction. Elevate is for established startups scaling fast.
- How long
- 6-12 months, depending on the stage
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral or funding requirement stated. Your stage depends on traction.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated, and Civo advertises an India sovereign cloud region.
- How to apply
- Fill in the online application on civo.com/startup-program.
- Watch out for
- GPU instances are not covered by program credits
- The credit amount depends on which stage you are accepted into
- Benefits can last as little as 6 months
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026
Official page for Civo Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Elastic Cloud AWS Marketplace credit offer (2026)
ElasticLimited time, ends 30 November 2026New customers via AWS Marketplace
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
Up to $1,000 Elastic Cloud credit for 3 months
Up to $1,000 in Elastic Cloud credits (1,000 ECU) for new customers who subscribe monthly via AWS Marketplace between 4 May and 30 November 2026. Credits last three months after a 7-day trial.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Elastic Cloud AWS Marketplace credit offer (2026)
- Who qualifies
- New customer: no paid Elastic Cloud account or Elastic AWS Marketplace subscription now or in the past 12 months
- Registered business with a working website
- Monthly pay-as-you-go subscription (Search, Observability or Security listings)
- Professional use only; personal and student accounts, partners and resellers excluded
- One redemption per AWS ID
- How long
- 3 months after the 7-day trial, or until 1,000 ECU are used, whichever comes first
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated; requires an AWS Marketplace subscription
- India
- Unclear. No country limit stated, but it depends on buying through AWS Marketplace; check that your AWS account (including AWS India/AISPL accounts) can subscribe to this listing.
- How to apply
- Subscribe to Elastic Cloud in AWS Marketplace by 30 November 2026, then within 72 hours fill in the registration form on Elastic’s offer page using the same email as your AWS account.
- Watch out for
- Miss the 72-hour registration window and you lose eligibility
- A 7-day free trial runs first; credits start after it
- Usage above the credit is billed through your AWS account
- Annual or multi-year terms do not qualify
- Unused credits are forfeited after three months
- Credits do not cover taxes or third-party fees
- Offer is ‘while supplies last’ and can be cancelled without notice
- Status note
- Offer runs 4 May to 30 November 2026; subscribe and register by 30 November 2026. Quantities are limited. Elastic has no standalone startup program page (elastic.co/startups returned 404 on 12 October 2026).
Official page for Elastic Cloud AWS Marketplace credit offer (2026) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Akamai Cloud Rise start-up program
Akamai (Linode)ActiveUnder 7 years old, with traction
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
Year-one credits from $500, then 2 years of discountsBest case: Up to $120,000 in year-one credits
A three-year program. Year one gives $500 to $120,000 in Akamai Cloud (formerly Linode) credits. Years two and three give discounted services. You also get an account manager and help from solutions engineers.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Akamai Cloud Rise start-up program
- Who qualifies
- Early-stage, for-profit, fewer than 7 years old
- At least one of: paid staff beyond the founders, active users who are not friends, family or investors, initial revenue, or VC funding
- A plan to scale with Akamai Cloud as one of your primary providers
- Not an existing Akamai Cloud customer, and new to Rise
- A new account with a corporate email, a valid credit card and a working website on the same domain, marked as a commercial account
- Resellers, MSPs, managed hosting providers and system integrators are not eligible
- How long
- 3 years. Credits come in year one as monthly allotments that do not roll over. Years two and three give discounts.
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral needed. VC funding is one of several traction signals that can qualify you.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated. The application form’s country list includes India.
- India
- Yes. Open to Indian start-ups under 7 years old that show traction. You need a new account with a corporate email and a card.
- How to apply
- Create a new Akamai Cloud account with a company email and card, then submit the Rise form on the program page. Most applications are reviewed within one to two weeks.
- Watch out for
- Use above the monthly credit limit is charged
- Unused credits do not roll over month to month or into later years
- Existing customers cannot join
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. The old linode.com/startups page returns 404; Rise is Akamai’s current start-up offer. The program page does not give the discount percentages for years two and three.
Official page for Akamai Cloud Rise start-up program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Render for Startups
RenderActive$25K+ seed; big tiers via partner VC
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
$500 in credits for 1 year (Prototype tier)Best case: $100,000 with $2.5M+ from an enrolled VC
Render credits valid for one year. Prototype: $500 for seed-funded startups. Build: $2,500-$5,000 via partners. Scale: $10,000-$25,000 via top-tier VCs. AI: $100,000 for startups with $2.5M+ from enrolled VCs.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Render for Startups
- Who qualifies
- New Render customer
- Less than 4 years in operation (5 years for Scale)
- Raised less than $50M, Series A or earlier
- Prototype: at least $25K in seed funding
- Scale: $10,000 if under $1M raised, $25,000 if $1M or more, from an enrolled top-tier VC
- AI: at least $2.5M from an enrolled top-tier VC
- How long
- 1 year from the approval confirmation email
- Referral or funding needed
- Prototype ($500) needs no partner, but needs at least $25K in seed funding. The Build, Scale and AI tiers need an application through an enrolled accelerator or VC partner.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated. A bootstrapped Indian startup with no seed funding does not qualify, even for the $500 tier.
- How to apply
- Create a Render account, then apply at render.com/startups, using your VC or accelerator’s perks link for the higher tiers. If your investor is not enrolled, email startups@render.com.
- Watch out for
- Existing Render customers are not eligible
- Credits expire one year after the approval email
- Higher tiers depend on your investor being enrolled with Render
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. A separate offer gives up to $10K in migration credits to teams moving production infrastructure to Render.
Official page for Render for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Miro Startup Program
MiroActiveFunded startups; $1K tier via a partner
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
$500 Miro credit for funded startupsBest case: $1,000 credit with a Miro partner referral
$1,000 Miro credit for startups referred by a Miro partner, or $500 for funded startups applying on their own (case by case). VC-backed startups already paying can ask for 25% off the Enterprise plan.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Miro Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Not an admin or member of any active, expired or trial paid Miro subscription
- Individual route: funded, verified via Crunchbase, with its own email domain (no Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail)
- Partner route: fewer than 30 employees and independently owned (not owned by a parent company)
- Not a service provider such as a consultancy
- One credit per startup; stay on the Free plan and start no trial while the application is reviewed
- How long
- Credit must be activated within 6 months of approval and lasts until the $500 or $1,000 is used up. Changing plan forfeits it.
- Referral or funding needed
- Partner route ($1,000): a referral from a Miro partner. Individual route ($500): no partner, but the startup must be funded and verifiable on Crunchbase. Bootstrapped startups do not meet the individual-route rules.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated. An Indian startup can apply for the $500 credit without a partner if its funding shows on Crunchbase and it uses a company email domain. Bootstrapped Indian startups need a partner referral.
- How to apply
- Create a free Miro account, then apply at miro.com/startups/apply (or through your partner’s form). After approval, follow the emailed link to the payment page; the credit is applied at checkout.
- Watch out for
- You pay by card for anything above the credit. Miro’s example: 20 users on Starter cost $1,920 a year, so $920 is charged on a $1,000 credit
- Downgrading or upgrading your plan later forfeits the promotion
- The credit is tied to the email on the application. If another user upgrades the team, the card may be charged in full
- Starting a paid trial while waiting can make you ineligible
- Miro may use your name and logo and ask for a case study or testimonial
- Cannot be combined with volume discounts; no cash value; Miro can change or end the program at any time
- Status note
- Confirmed on 12 October 2026 on miro.com/startups/apply and Miro’s help-centre article (last edited 15 September 2026). Individual applications are reviewed within 15 days and accepted case by case. The 25% Enterprise discount is for venture-backed startups that already pay for Miro.
Official page for Miro Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Mux for Startups
MuxActiveOpen: no referral needed
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
$500 in video API creditsBest case: More possible for investor-backed startups
$500 in Mux video API credits, with more possible depending on your investors, and a possible product consultation with a co-founder.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Mux for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Startups only
- Not an existing Mux customer
- First-time recipient of Mux credits
- How long
- Use within 1 year of activation
- Referral or funding needed
- No; investor-backed startups may get more (amount not stated)
- Card needed
- No
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Use the Apply now form on mux.com/startups.
- Watch out for
- Credits expire one year after activation
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for Mux for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Microsoft for Startups (Azure Startup credits)
MicrosoftChanged August 2026Open; investor tier needs a VC code
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
$200 at sign-up, $5,000 after verificationBest case: Up to $150,000 via usage or an investor code
Azure credits that grow with use: $200 when you join without a code, $5,000 after business verification, then up to $150,000 as Azure usage grows. With an Investor Network referral code you get $1,000 while the application is reviewed, and approved startups most often start at $100,000 (up to $150,000).
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Microsoft for Startups (Azure Startup credits)
- Who qualifies
- Builds a software-based product or service that the company owns
- Privately held and for-profit. The application guide targets B2B startups from pre-seed to Series B.
- Headquartered in a country where Azure services are available
- No more than $350,000 in lifetime free Azure credits. No Series C or later funding.
- Not an educational institution, government body, consultancy or agency, and not a crypto miner
- Sign up with a personal Microsoft account that has never had an Azure subscription
- $200 milestone: verify your identity with a personal LinkedIn account. $5,000 milestone: business verification as a registered legal entity.
- $25,000: 5+ Azure workloads for about 60 days. $50,000: 7+ workloads. $150,000: 10+ workloads and about $3,000 a month of Azure usage for about 60 days.
- How long
- Activate within 90 days of accepting the program agreement. Once activated, credits last up to two years with no extensions. Reaching the $25,000 milestone gives a one-time two-year extension.
- Referral or funding needed
- No for the milestone path. The Investor offer needs a 10-character referral code from a Microsoft for Startups Investor Network partner (VC, accelerator, incubator or university). Microsoft does not publish the partner list.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- No
- Countries
- Startup must be headquartered in a country where Azure services are available. The country on the billing profile must match your billing address and cannot be changed later.
- India
- Yes. India is not excluded. Eligibility depends on being headquartered where Azure is available. To pass the $5,000 business-verification step, you need a registered legal entity.
- How to apply
- At startups.microsoft.com, choose Get started and sign in with a personal Microsoft account. Enter an investor code or choose Continue without a code. Verify with LinkedIn, then set up Azure with a card. Reviews take about three business days.
- Watch out for
- A credit card is required. Subscriptions switch to pay-as-you-go automatically when credits run out or expire.
- Higher milestones need sustained spend. Each workload must stay above $1 for 60 continuous days.
- Work, school and company-domain emails are not accepted for sign-up. Entra ID accounts cause activation errors.
- Credits are tied to the subscription you redeem them on and cannot be moved to another Microsoft account
- You cannot change the country on an Azure billing profile later
- Declined applicants can reapply after 14 days
- Status note
- Checked 13 October 2026. The Learn getting-started page and FAQ (both last updated 5 August 2026) and the application guide (updated 9 October 2026) describe one application with automatic milestone credits: $200 on joining, then $5,000, $25,000, $50,000 and $150,000. Without a referral code you get $200 straight away after LinkedIn verification. The $5,000 step needs business verification as a registered company. The same FAQ still describes the non-investor offer as $1,000 for 90 days, then $4,000 for 180 days after business verification. An older Learn Investor Offer Benefits page (updated 16 June 2026) says Investor Network-backed startups may unlock up to $200,000. The newer Investor Network page (13 August 2026), the application guide and the main Microsoft for Startups page all say up to $150,000, so we show $150,000. Investor-offer startups can raise their allocation by spending $100 or more in one calendar month on Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights, Defender for Cloud, Sentinel or Purview.
Official page for Microsoft for Startups (Azure Startup credits) (opens in a new tab)Checked 13 October 2026
Databricks for Startups
DatabricksActive$1M+ raised or a recognised accelerator
Funded startupsAccelerator startupsBootstrapped startups
Credits set by stage; self-funded get Neon onlyBest case: Up to $100K Databricks + $100K Neon
Up to $200,000 in combined credits (up to $100K Databricks plus $100K Neon) for venture-backed or accelerator startups, plus hands-on guidance and Solution Accelerators. Amount depends on stage and funding.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Databricks for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Databricks page publishes no detailed criteria
- Shared form: venture-backed with at least $1M raised, or backed by a recognised accelerator or fund
- Early-stage product on data, analytics or AI
- Databricks account with a credit card on file and your Account ID
- Company email and LinkedIn sign-in
- How long
- 12 months from acceptance (per the shared program FAQ on Neon’s page)
- Referral or funding needed
- Apply directly or be nominated by an investor. Partner VCs named include Andreessen Horowitz, Battery, General Catalyst, Insight Partners, Menlo Ventures and NEA. Databricks credits need $1M+ raised or a recognised accelerator; self-funded startups get Neon credits only.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated; the form asks for country of incorporation
- India
- Yes. Same form as the Neon entry: no country restriction and any country of incorporation is accepted. A card on file is required.
- How to apply
- Create a Databricks account and add a card, then click Apply now on databricks.com/product/startups (shared Databricks x Neon form), or ask a partner investor to nominate you.
- Watch out for
- Same program as the Neon entry; do not count both
- Self-funded founders should not expect Databricks credits
- A credit card must be on file before applying
- No review timeline stated on the Databricks page
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. Same application form as Neon. The separate Databricks AI Accelerator Program (investment plus credits) is invitation-only.
Official page for Databricks for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program
Alibaba CloudLimited time, ends 31 March 2027AI-first startups under 10 years old
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
Cloud credits + free Model Studio tokens (amount varies)Best case: Up to $120,000 credits and 2B tokens
For AI-first startups: up to $120,000 in Alibaba Cloud credits, up to 2 billion free Model Studio tokens, POC coupons, office hours with AI experts and 12 months of Alibaba Cloud Academy.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program
- Who qualifies
- Uses AI as the core technology of its main product
- Unlisted company, founded within 10 years, with an accessible website
- A solid proposal for using Alibaba Cloud and its AI tools
- A valid Alibaba Cloud account. Accounts under resellers or distributors are not eligible.
- How long
- Campaign period 1 August 2026 to 31 March 2027. How long credits last depends on the amount; ask your account manager.
- Referral or funding needed
- No funding or referral requirement stated. Alibaba Cloud decides the amount internally.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Unclear. No country restriction is stated, but the page does not confirm that Indian companies can open an Alibaba Cloud international account and receive credits. Check before applying.
- How to apply
- Submit the online form linked from the program page. You may be asked for more information. Decisions come by email in about 4-5 business days.
- Watch out for
- Credits cannot be used for domain purchases, CDN, Alibaba Cloud Academy, Marketplace or prepaid products
- Credits are for your own use and cannot be passed to end customers
- Alibaba Cloud may list your name and logo, and its decisions on disputes are final
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. alibabacloud.com/startup now redirects to the AI Catalyst Program page (alibabacloud.com/en/startup/ai). Its terms set a campaign period of 1 August 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Official page for Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Backblaze Flamethrower startup program
BackblazeActiveData-heavy startups, Seed to Series B
Funded startupsBootstrapped startupsAccelerator startups
B2 storage credits, amount set case by caseBest case: Up to $100,000 in B2 storage credits
Up to $100,000 in Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage credits for data-heavy startups (AI/ML, video and media, analytics, gaming, backups), plus direct technical support.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Backblaze Flamethrower startup program
- Who qualifies
- Generally Seed to Series B
- Typically under 7 years old and under 100 employees
- Data-intensive product with real storage needs
- How long
- Not stated by Backblaze
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral needed. Venture-backed, accelerator-backed and bootstrapped startups can all be a fit. The credit amount is not published by tier.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is listed, and the application form does not ask for country. Indian data-heavy startups can apply.
- How to apply
- Fill in the form at backblaze.com/flamethrower (backblaze.com/startups redirects there) with name, role, email, company, website, funding level and storage size. People review the applications.
- Watch out for
- Backblaze does not publish how long the credits last. Ask before you migrate data.
- Submitting the form agrees to contact from Backblaze Sales and its business newsletter.
- ‘No surprise egress bills’ is not backed by published egress rates on the program page.
- Credits are for B2 Cloud Storage only, and you need real storage needs. Small apps with little data may not qualify.
- Status note
- Launched 18 February 2026 (Backblaze press release). The up-to-$100K figure and eligibility re-confirmed on backblaze.com/flamethrower on 12 October 2026. Credit duration and expiry are not published; the page only claims the credits last ‘4X longer than hyperscaler storage credit’ with no timeframe. Third-party claims of 12 months are not confirmed.
Official page for Backblaze Flamethrower startup program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Datadog for Startups
DatadogActiveNeeds an official referral partner
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Partner-referred only; others get a 2-week trialBest case: 1 year of Datadog Pro, up to $100,000
A year of the full Datadog platform (billed as ‘a year of free Datadog Pro’), up to $100,000 in credits, plus an optional Technical Engagement Manager for onboarding.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Datadog for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Series A or earlier
- New to Datadog: not a current or past customer, never received Datadog for Startups credits
- Referred by an official partner
- How long
- 1 year
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. You must apply through an official referral partner (many VCs plus hyperscaler and vendor startup programs, listed in the form’s dropdown).
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated, but you still need a listed referral partner.
- How to apply
- Apply via the program page choosing your referral partner, start a Datadog trial in the correct region while you wait, and confirm credit activation by email (3 to 5 business days typical).
- Watch out for
- Confirm activation within 30 days of acceptance or reapply
- Data region cannot be changed after the program starts
- After 3 months of inactivity you get 30 days to use it or are removed
- No direct applications without a partner; ineligible companies get the standard 2-week trial
- Students have a separate Student Developer program (2 years free with limits, via the GitHub Student Developer Pack)
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for Datadog for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Grafana Labs Startup Program
Grafana LabsActiveOpen; aimed at under $10M raised
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
Grafana Cloud credits for 12 months (size varies)Best case: Up to $100,000 in credits
Up to $100,000 in Grafana Cloud credits for 12 months or until your next funding round, then 20% off list price. Aimed at startups that raised under $10M and have fewer than 25 staff.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Grafana Labs Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- New Grafana Cloud customers, including Grafana Cloud Free accounts and Grafana OSS users moving to the managed service
- Ideally under $10M in funding and under 25 employees. Grafana says to apply even if you do not meet these guidelines
- You must agree to be a reference customer
- Admission is at Grafana Labs’ sole discretion
- How long
- 12 months or until your next funding round, whichever comes first; then 20% off list prices
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral needed; the guideline is under $10M raised
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction is stated, and Grafana Cloud sign-up is open globally. The form asks for total funding raised, so state it in USD.
- How to apply
- Fill in the short Typeform linked from the Grafana blog post (grafana-labs.typeform.com/to/cSI7ohks). It asks for your website, total funding, current observability tool and Grafana Cloud account.
- Watch out for
- The application form says accepted startups are expected to take part in co-marketing, such as a joint blog or webinar, during their 12 months
- Credits stop at your next funding round, even if 12 months have not passed
- After the credits end, you pay list price minus 20% (larger discounts depend on usage). Set usage alerts before the credits run out
- Amounts are ‘up to’ $100K. Grafana does not say how individual grants are sized
- Status note
- Announced on 25 September 2024 at ObservabilityCON. There is no dedicated program page on grafana.com (startup URLs return 404). The Typeform application was open on 12 October 2026 (not marked closed). Grafana Cloud also has an always-free tier.
Official page for Grafana Labs Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Vultr Digital Start-up Program
VultrActiveRecent Series A to E funding
Funded startups
Credits plus 35% long-term discounts (Series A+)Best case: Up to $100,000 in cloud credits
Up to $100,000 in Vultr cloud credits and 35% long-term discounts, plus executive sponsorship, architecture reviews and priority support. For startups with recent Series A to E funding.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Vultr Digital Start-up Program
- Who qualifies
- Recent Series A to E funding
- Name and contact details of your most senior technical executive and of your cloud infrastructure lead
- Share your last 6 months of cloud compute invoices
- Agree to be publicly named as a program member
- How long
- Not stated on the program page
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes: recent Series A, B, C, D or E funding. No referral code.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated. Only funded (Series A or later) Indian startups qualify.
- How to apply
- Use Apply Now on discover.vultr.com/startup-program and submit the funding details, contacts and recent cloud invoices.
- Watch out for
- You must hand over 6 months of invoices from your current cloud provider
- You must agree to be publicly referenceable
- The program is aimed at migrations. Credit term and expiry are not published.
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. The old vultr.com/startup-program/ URL shows Page Not Found; the vultr.com footer link now points to discover.vultr.com/startup-program.
Official page for Vultr Digital Start-up Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Infobip Startup Tribe
InfobipActiveOpen: any startup, no referral
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Infobip messaging credits, amount set per startupBest case: Up to $60,000 in product credits
Up to $60,000 in Infobip product credits for its messaging platform (SMS, WhatsApp Business, RCS, voice, email, Viber and more), plus Infobip Shift conference entry, a network pass and partner deals. No equity taken.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Infobip Startup Tribe
- Who qualifies
- Any startup with a use case, regardless of location, industry or funding
- Existing Infobip customers are not eligible, though Infobip says it may make exceptions if you explain your case
- Infobip takes no equity
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No; open to startups regardless of backing
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit; Infobip says it accepts startups regardless of location
- India
- Yes. The program says it is open regardless of location, and Infobip operates in India. Indian SMS traffic is subject to local sender-registration rules, so check how credits apply to Indian routes.
- How to apply
- Click ‘Apply’ on startups.infobip.com, which opens a Typeform. Infobip’s team reviews the application and replies; no timeline is given.
- Watch out for
- $60K is a maximum. Infobip does not publish how individual credit amounts are set
- Credit validity and expiry are not published, and the page does not say exactly which channels the credits cover
- When credits run low, you either top up (pay) or ask for extra credits
- Existing customers are excluded
- Status note
- The program site (startups.infobip.com) is live, with an open application form. No 2025-2026 change to the credit amount was found. The separate Scale 2.0 bootcamp, for Croatian startups, lists 2027 applications as TBA.
Official page for Infobip Startup Tribe (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Vercel for Startups
VercelChanged 6 August 2026Needs an approved startup partner
Accelerator startupsFunded startups
Partner-only: 1-year Enterprise contractBest case: Up to $30,000 of usage, set by your partner
An Enterprise-tier Vercel contract for one year, with a Flexible Commitment Amount of up to $30,000 for usage, seats, v0 and AI Gateway (at most 50% on AI Gateway). Available through an approved startup partner.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Vercel for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Affiliated with an approved Vercel for Startups partner
- Raised Series A or less, and applying within 12 months of the latest funding round
- Company website and an email address on the same domain
- Has not received Vercel for Startups credits before
- How long
- One year from activation, or until the amount is used up. Unused amounts do not roll over.
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. You must be affiliated with an approved Vercel startup partner (accelerator or VC) and upload proof from the partner’s portal. The amount depends on the partner, up to $30,000.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated. The application form lists all countries, including India.
- India
- Yes. Open to Indian startups backed by a listed partner. Many global accelerators and VCs are on the list; check yours in the dropdown.
- How to apply
- Log in and select or create a Vercel team. At vercel.com/startups/credits, choose your partner and upload a screenshot of the Vercel offer in your partner portal. Review takes 5-7 days; then you accept the terms.
- Watch out for
- A valid payment method must be on file before credits activate
- After one year, or once the amount is used, the account moves to standard terms and is billed monthly at list rates
- The contract is tied to one team and cannot be transferred. Activation cannot be postponed.
- At most 50% of each month’s credit can go to AI Gateway. Excess Gateway use is billed even if other credit is unused.
- An acceptance email or profile screenshot is not accepted as proof of partnership
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. Flex Commit credit terms apply to startups accepted on or after 6 August 2026. Founders accepted earlier keep the benefits in their acceptance email.
Official page for Vercel for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Neo4j Startup Program
Neo4jActiveOpen: Series B or earlier
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Up to $16,000 in Aura graph database credits
Up to $16,000 in Neo4j Aura (managed graph database) credits, expert guidance and co-marketing.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Neo4j Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Series B or earlier
- One product for many customers; dev shops, consultants and agencies excluded
- Live website and company LinkedIn profile linked to the applicant
- New and existing AuraDB users accepted
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral needed
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Apply at neo4j.com/startup-program/apply; decisions within about five business days.
- Watch out for
- ‘Up to’ amount; tiers and expiry not stated
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026 (page last modified 19 August 2026).
Official page for Neo4j Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Fly.io for Startups
Fly.ioActiveVC-backed, Seed or Series A
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Up to $15,000 in Fly.io credits for 1 year
Up to $15,000 in Fly.io usage credits for Seed or Series A startups backed by a VC or accelerator, plus a shared Slack channel with the Fly.io team.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Fly.io for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Seed or Series A stage
- Backed by a venture firm or accelerator
- Has not received Fly.io startup credits before
- The form requires a work email and a company website
- How long
- Credits expire one year after they are added to your organisation
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. You must be backed by a venture firm or accelerator at Seed or Series A. No referral code is needed, but Fly.io may ask for an email intro to your investor.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated. Indian startups with a VC or accelerator backer can apply.
- How to apply
- Fill in the two-minute form at fly.io/startups with your work email, website, stage and lead investor. A person reviews it and replies by email within a week. Credits go to your Fly.io organisation.
- Watch out for
- Credits do not cover support plans, compliance packages or Machine reservations
- After the credits run out, standard per-second Fly.io pricing applies
- You need a Fly.io organisation before credits can be added
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026
Official page for Fly.io for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Notion for Startups
NotionActiveWork email + website; partner for 6 mo
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
3 months of Business + AI free (1 month if <10 staff)Best case: 6 months (Notion says up to $12,000) via partner
Business plan with Notion AI free for 6 months (partner-affiliated), 3 months (business website + company-domain email) or 1 month (under 10 staff or incomplete details). Notion values the top tier at up to $12,000.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Notion for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Never been on a paid Notion plan: the workspace must not be paying now and must have no past payment history (Notion’s terms and application form, checked 13 October 2026)
- Work email required (no Gmail, Outlook and similar)
- No earlier Notion promotion, including in-product trial offers
- Fewer than 100 employees
- The 3- and 6-month tiers are for startups building scalable tech products. SMBs, service businesses, agencies, consultancies, solo applicants and teams under 10 get the 1-month trial
- How long
- 1, 3 or 6 months, depending on tier
- Referral or funding needed
- No for the 3-month tier, which needs a working business website and a company-domain email. The 6-month tier needs a link to a Notion startup partner.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated. An Indian startup with a live website, a company-domain email, at least 10 employees and a workspace that has never paid for Notion can aim for the 3-month tier without a partner.
- How to apply
- Apply through the form at notion.com/startups-apply (it opens app.notion.com/startups-apply). The tier you get depends on what Notion can verify.
- Watch out for
- Teams under 10 employees get only the 1-month trial
- A parked or broken website, only personal social profiles, or a solo applicant also drops you to 1 month
- A workspace that has ever paid for Notion is rejected automatically, even if it is on the free plan now
- Any earlier Notion promotion disqualifies you, including an in-product free trial
- Pick the right workspace on the form. Once the offer is applied it cannot be moved to another workspace or account
- The page does not say what happens at the end of the free period. Check billing before it ends
- Status note
- Terms confirmed on notion.com/startups on 12 October 2026; no end date stated. Eligibility checked again on 13 October 2026 against the Notion for Startup Terms and the live application form: a workspace that has ever paid for Notion is not eligible. Notion bases its value on the Business plan at $20 per member per month billed annually: 6 months for 100 employees is $12,000. On the same basis the no-partner 3-month tier is worth at most about $6,000, and much less for a small team (10 people x 3 months = $600).
Official page for Notion for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 13 October 2026
ClickHouse Cloud Startup Offer
ClickHouseActiveNeeds a partner or YC verification code
Accelerator startupsFunded startups
No offer without a code; 30-day trial with $300Best case: $5,000 with a partner code; $10,000 for YC
$5,000 in ClickHouse Cloud credits for 12 months for startups in selected partner programs; Y Combinator companies get $10,000 for 24 months.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for ClickHouse Cloud Startup Offer
- Who qualifies
- Partner track: company less than 3 years old
- Pre-Series D
- Not previously a paid ClickHouse Cloud customer
- Valid partner or YC verification code (YC track: current YC program)
- How long
- 12 months (partner track); 24 months (YC)
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. A verification code from a listed partner (Antler, Bessemer, Blackbird, Google for Startups, Lightspeed, Merantix, Station F, Techleap, Techstars) or a YC secret code.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit stated, but you need a code from a listed partner (for example Google for Startups).
- How to apply
- Start a ClickHouse Cloud trial, then submit the form at clickhouse.com/startup-offer (or /deals/ycombinator) with your Organization ID and partner code.
- Watch out for
- No self-serve route without a partner code; everyone else gets the standard 30-day trial with $300 credits
- Basic Support only
- Accepted startups may be featured in a joint blog post
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for ClickHouse Cloud Startup Offer (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
GitHub for Startups
GitHubActiveNeeds a partner investor or accelerator
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Partner-only: $10,000 GitHub credits for 12 months
$10,000 in GitHub credits for up to 12 months, usable on GitHub Enterprise, Copilot, Advanced Security, Actions and other metered products.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for GitHub for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Affiliated with a GitHub for Startups partner (any investor, incubator or accelerator can refer)
- Outside funding, Series B or earlier; non-equity credits do not count
- Not on GitHub Enterprise in the past six months
- Never received GitHub credits or Enterprise licences (including via Microsoft)
- How long
- Up to 12 months from approval or until credits are used
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. You need a GitHub for Startups partner affiliation and outside equity funding (Series B or earlier).
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated, but you need a partner and outside funding.
- How to apply
- Apply through a GitHub for Startups partner link; an email comes in 2 to 3 business days.
- Watch out for
- A valid payment method must stay on file: card or PayPal (prepaid cards are not accepted), and an Azure subscription can cover metered usage. Expect an authorization charge within a few weeks of onboarding; a missing method or failed charge locks the account
- Enterprise Cloud only; no Enterprise Server or data residency
- Downgrading before credits end forfeits them and bars reapplying
- Usage moves to paid billing (or an attached Azure subscription) after credits
- Status note
- Checked 13 October 2026. GitHub’s terms say its previous startup offer is discontinued; the change date is not stated. Third-party listings describe the old offer as free Enterprise seats for a year; not confirmed on an official page.
Official page for GitHub for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 13 October 2026
Zoho for Startups
ZohoActiveVia a Zoho enabler; India DPIIT direct
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
$1,500 in Zoho app credits for 360 daysBest case: $2,500 in USD regions; Rs 1.86 lakh in India
Zoho Wallet credits for 55+ Zoho apps for 360 days. USD regions: up to $2,500 ($1,500 + $1,000 if you host your domain with Zoho). India: up to ₹1.86 lakh (₹1 lakh + ₹86,000). EUR and GBP: up to 4,000.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Zoho for Startups
- Who qualifies
- India page: a startup under the Startup India definition; elsewhere registered with a Zoho-collaborating enabler
- No current or past paid Zoho subscription; a new account does not reset this (free trials are fine)
- No earlier Zoho One or Zoho Wallet credit benefits; one-time only, even with several enablers; rejected applicants cannot reapply
- MSMEs with only Udyam registration are excluded in India
- Stage 2 needs your business email domain hosted and mapped with Zoho within 15 days of Stage 1
- How long
- 360 days from when Stage 1 credits are enabled; cannot be extended
- Referral or funding needed
- No funding needed. In India a DPIIT-recognised startup can apply directly under the self-funded/bootstrapped category. Elsewhere you apply through a Zoho-collaborating incubator, accelerator or other enabler.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- Live, with limited access, in 23 countries: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda, UAE, UK. The US is not on the list.
- India
- Yes. India is the clearest route: with a DPIIT certificate you apply directly under the self-funded/bootstrapped category and get up to ₹1.86 lakh (₹1 lakh Stage 1 + ₹86,000 Stage 2). Without DPIIT you need a Zoho-collaborating enabler. Udyam (MSME) registration does not qualify.
- How to apply
- Create a Zoho account with your organisation’s primary admin email, then register on the Zoho for Startups page (DPIIT route) or through your enabler. Reply to the confirmation email to start validation.
- Watch out for
- Unused credits expire 360 days after Stage 1 and cannot be extended or refunded
- Stage 2 credits are lost if you miss the 15-day domain hosting and mapping window; an existing Zoho Mail account alone does not count
- Stage 2 credits cannot buy Zoho Workplace or Zoho Mail, and those two have a spending cap
- Credits can buy a yearly plan once per app but cannot renew it; they cannot buy domains, premium support, onboarding or training, third-party integrations, or Zoho Voice, Start, Domains, Backstage, Qntrl, Vikra or TrainerCentral
- Deleting the Zoho account wipes the credits permanently
- No cash value; no special renewal discount after credits run out
- Status note
- Confirmed on 12 October 2026. The page fills in amounts by region with a script; figures come from Zoho’s own price file behind the page. One FAQ answer on the main page says the program is open only to startups linked to collaborators, but the dedicated FAQ page confirms the direct DPIIT route. Processing takes 5-7 business days after you reply to the confirmation email.
Official page for Zoho for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Framer for Startups
FramerActiveNeeds a Framer-approved partner
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
1 year of Framer Pro free (Framer says $360)
A free year of the Framer Pro plan, which Framer says saves $360. For pre-seed and seed startups backed by a Framer-approved partner that have not used Framer before.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Framer for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Pre-seed or seed stage
- Has not used Framer before
- Backed by a Framer-approved partner
- The form asks for a company email, company domain, country, city, stage, employee count (2-10) and a Crunchbase or LinkedIn link
- How long
- 12 months
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. The application asks you to confirm backing by a Framer-approved partner and a pre-seed or seed stage.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- The application’s country list names 34 countries (including India, the US, the UK and much of Europe) plus ‘Other’
- India
- Yes. India appears in the application’s country list. You still need a Framer-approved partner.
- How to apply
- Fill in the ‘Apply for the startups program’ form on framer.com/startups and name your partner.
- Watch out for
- Not open to startups that have used Framer before
- Solo founders may not fit: the employee field starts at 2
- The form asks for a company email, so a personal address may not be accepted
- The page does not say what the plan renews at after 12 months
- Status note
- Confirmed on framer.com/startups on 12 October 2026. No end date is stated. The page’s meta description says ‘a 100% discount on your first year of the Startup plan’, while the page body says Framer Pro. Brex’s Day Zero Stack separately lists a Framer trial of a 1-year Launch Plan for Brex customers.
Official page for Framer for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Amplitude Startup Program (Startup Scholarship)
AmplitudeActiveOpen: under 20 staff, under $10M raised
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
1 year of Growth plan free, then 40% offBest case: Advertised as worth $60,000 (list price)
First year of Amplitude’s Growth plan free (up to 100M events a month or 200K MTUs), then 40% off an annual Plus plan in year two, or drop to the free plan.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Amplitude Startup Program (Startup Scholarship)
- Who qualifies
- Fewer than 20 employees
- Less than $10M raised
- Tech for Black Founders track: under $30M raised, under 150 employees, US-based
- How long
- 12 months, then a year-two discount
- Referral or funding needed
- No. Partner-referred startups get extra discounts; YC has a separate Bookface deal.
- Card needed
- No
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated (Tech for Black Founders track is US-only)
- India
- Yes. No country restriction on the main track; global self-serve sign-up.
- How to apply
- Sign up for a free Amplitude account, then apply from the banner in your workspace. Most startups are approved instantly.
- Watch out for
- A year-two quote arrives 60 days before the free year ends
- Free fallback plan is 2M events a month
- Priority and enterprise SLAs need a paid plan
- $60,000 is list value
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. Amplitude also now owns Statsig (since 5 May 2026), which runs its own startup program.
Official page for Amplitude Startup Program (Startup Scholarship) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Asana for Startups
AsanaActiveNeeds a partner code (VC, Mercury etc.)
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Discount on year 1 of annual Starter or AdvancedBest case: 80% off via Mercury’s perks list
A discount on the first 12 months of an annual Asana Starter or Advanced plan, using a code from an Asana partner. Asana does not publish the rate; Mercury’s perks list shows 80% off.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Asana for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Early-stage startup, Series A or earlier
- New to Asana or on Asana’s free plan
- Not on a paid plan, and not upgraded to paid within the last 60 days
- Annual Starter or Advanced plan only
- One redemption per startup
- How long
- First 12 months from redemption
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. You need a discount code from an existing Asana partner (an investor, accelerator, or a platform such as Mercury). Series A or earlier.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated, but you need a partner code. Ask your investor or accelerator, or use Mercury if you have a US company.
- How to apply
- Get a code from a partner, click ‘Claim my discount’ on asana.com/startups, choose an annual Starter or Advanced plan, enter payment details and apply the code at checkout.
- Watch out for
- After 12 months you are billed at Asana’s then-current prices
- Monthly plans are not eligible, only annual
- Upgrading to paid within the last 60 days disqualifies you
- Asana can change or withdraw the offer before you redeem it
- Status note
- Confirmed on asana.com/startups on 12 October 2026. The discount rate depends on the partner code and is not stated by Asana. Mercury’s perks page listed ‘Asana: 80% off’ on the same date.
Official page for Asana for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Atlassian for Startups
AtlassianActiveVC-funded (<$10M raised) or accelerator
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Premium Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket free for 12 monthsBest case: Up to 50 users per product
Premium Jira, Confluence and Bitbucket, plus Loom Business + AI and Rovo (Atlassian’s AI search, chat and agents), free for 12 months for up to 50 users each. Jira Service Management and Customer Service Management are capped at 10 seats. Jira Product Discovery: 10 creators and unlimited contributors.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Atlassian for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Not an existing paid Atlassian customer
- VC-funded, or associated with an Atlassian partner accelerator or incubator
- Raised no more than $10 million in external funding
- Atlassian reviews every application and may ask for proof of funding
- How long
- 12 months, one enrolment per startup
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. You must be VC-funded or linked to an Atlassian partner accelerator or incubator, with no more than $10M raised. VC-funded startups can apply directly; Atlassian may ask for a Crunchbase or PitchBook profile. The page gives no route for bootstrapped startups without an accelerator link.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated. Indian VC-funded startups with under $10M raised can apply with a Crunchbase or PitchBook profile as proof. Bootstrapped Indian startups need a link to a partner accelerator or incubator.
- How to apply
- Click Apply on atlassian.com/software/startups, which opens the request form at atlassian.com/software/views/startups-request. Atlassian reviews it and may ask for proof of funding.
- Watch out for
- Marketplace apps are not included
- Going past the seat limit needs a paid upgrade. For example, 75 Confluence users means an annual quote for the 51-100 user tier
- Usage-based pricing may apply in some cases. Rovo AI use is measured in monthly credits, and the startup page does not say how many credits are included
- Before the 12 months end you must renew each product at paid rates or cancel it
- The cloud products are supplied as ‘Free or Beta Products’ under section 17 of the Atlassian Customer Agreement
- Status note
- Official page fetched 13 October 2026 calls it an ongoing program with no end date and says the product list may change. The page’s product cards list Rovo with up to 50 seats, although the FAQ product list does not name Rovo separately. Atlassian’s Rovo licensing page says Rovo comes with Standard, Premium and Enterprise cloud plans and is measured in monthly credits; the startup page does not say how many credits startups get. Jira Product Discovery Premium includes 10 creators and unlimited contributors.
Official page for Atlassian for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 13 October 2026
Attio Startup Program
AttioActiveVC-backed or partner; workspace <90 days
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
80% off annual Pro in year 1, 30% in year 2
80% off Attio’s annual Pro plan and credits in year one, 30% off in year two, onboarding support, and partner perks such as 3 months of Linear and 6 months of Notion free.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Attio Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- VC-backed or affiliated with an Attio startup partner
- Signed up within the last 90 days
- Incorporated less than 10 years ago
- Workspaces of up to 10 seats
- How long
- 2 years (80%, then 30%)
- Referral or funding needed
- VC backing or a link to an Attio startup partner is required
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated. Indian VC-backed startups can apply within 90 days of creating a workspace.
- How to apply
- Apply on attio.com/startups. An Attio team member confirms eligibility. Existing workspaces can apply within their first 90 days.
- Watch out for
- You lose eligibility 90 days after creating the workspace
- The discount covers workspaces of up to 10 seats only
- Annual plan only
- The page does not say whether credits are discounted in year two
- Status note
- Confirmed on attio.com/startups on 12 October 2026. The FAQ says startups must be venture-backed, while a banner says venture-backed or partner-affiliated. Brex’s Day Zero Stack also lists Attio at up to 80% off one year of Pro.
Official page for Attio Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Auth0 for Startups
Auth0 (Okta)ActiveVC-backed, under $5M, under 2 years old
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
1 year of B2B Professional free (100K MAUs)
One year of Auth0’s B2B Professional plan free: 100,000 MAUs, enterprise MFA, Organizations, inbound SCIM, 5 enterprise connections and 3 third-party APIs (Token Vault).
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Auth0 for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Venture-backed with less than $5M in funding
- Less than $1M in annual recurring revenue
- Less than two years since incorporation
- Not an existing paid Auth0/Okta customer (enterprise or paid self-service)
- Not a previous member of the program
- How long
- 12 months
- Referral or funding needed
- Must be venture-backed (under $5M raised). No referral needed.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated; global self-serve sign-up.
- How to apply
- Start on the free plan, then use ‘Apply today’ on auth0.com/startups.
- Watch out for
- Bootstrapped startups do not qualify
- Paying Auth0 customers cannot switch into the program
- ‘Unlimited’ Organizations are subject to system limits
- You move to standard paid plans after 12 months
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for Auth0 for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Brex rewards, partner offers and Day Zero Stack
BrexActiveBrex customers only (US companies)
Funded startups
Partner deals, e.g. AWS up to $5K, OpenAI $1K creditsBest case: Over $350,000 in total partner discounts
Brex customers get partner discounts Brex values at over $350,000 (e.g. AWS up to $5K, OpenAI $1K, Deel up to $5K credits, Slack 30% off), plus card points: 7x rideshare, 4x Brex travel, 3x restaurants, 2x software.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Brex rewards, partner offers and Day Zero Stack
- Who qualifies
- US EIN, valid US incorporation and US operations
- US physical address; a virtual address works only if an owner or control officer has a verifiable US presence
- Funded startups (monthly payments): $50,000 minimum cash balance, lower with some partner referrals
- Daily payments: equity investment of any amount, or over $500,000 a year in revenue, or a referred tech startup
- How long
- Set per offer; many are for the first year
- Referral or funding needed
- No investor referral needed, but you must be an approved Brex customer. Startups on monthly payments need a $50,000 minimum cash balance if funded; the daily-payment card needs any equity investment, over $500K annual revenue, or a referral.
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Company must be US-incorporated with a US EIN, US address and US operations
- India
- Unclear. Brex’s requirements page does not address founders living abroad. An Indian founder would need a US company with a US EIN, US operations and a qualifying US address; an Indian private limited company is not eligible.
- How to apply
- Open a Brex account. Partner offers and the Day Zero Stack are redeemed inside the Brex product.
- Watch out for
- The $350K is a sum of partner discounts, not cash
- Brex underwriting decides who gets an account; meeting the criteria does not guarantee approval
- Funded startups need a $50,000 cash balance for monthly-payment terms
- Points and DoorDash credits come only from card spending
- Status note
- Confirmed on 12 October 2026: ‘over $350,000 in discounts’ and points multipliers on brex.com/rewards; Day Zero Stack offers on brex.com/dayzerostack (AWS up to $5,000 for new Brex customers, OpenAI $1,000 for 1 year, Deel up to $5,000 or 50% off, Slack 30% off Pro or Business+ for 12 months, Gusto 50% off year one, Linear 6 months, Notion up to 6 months, GitHub up to 20 Enterprise seats free for a year, ElevenLabs and Granola 3 months free). Free DashPass and 5% back in DoorDash credits on card use.
Official page for Brex rewards, partner offers and Day Zero Stack (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Carta Launch
CartaActiveJust sign up (<25 holders, <$1M raised)
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsSolo developers
Free cap table, SAFEs and fundraising tools
Free Carta cap table, share issuance, SAFE and fundraising tools for startups with under 25 stakeholders and under $1M raised. No card required.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Carta Launch
- Who qualifies
- Under 25 stakeholders
- Less than $1 million raised
- Sign up with an email address and your certificate of incorporation
- How long
- Free while the company stays under 25 stakeholders and $1M raised and does not need a 409A valuation
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- No
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Not stated on the page
- India
- Unclear. The page does not say which countries’ companies are supported. Stripe’s Indian-founder guide recommends Carta Launch for share certificates of a US C corp formed through Atlas, so it fits US entities. Check with Carta before using it for an Indian private limited company.
- How to apply
- Sign up on the Carta Launch page with an email and your certificate of incorporation, then upload documents to build the cap table. A law firm can also set it up for you.
- Watch out for
- Once you pass 25 stakeholders, raise over $1M, or need a 409A valuation, you move to paid Carta plans
- Country coverage is not stated
- Stripe Atlas founders get 20% off the first year of a paid Carta plan
- Status note
- Confirmed on carta.com/equity-management/launch on 12 October 2026.
Official page for Carta Launch (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Chargebee for Startups (formerly Chargebee Launch)
ChargebeeActiveNeeds a partner accelerator or VC link
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Free Chargebee Billing until $1M invoiced
Chargebee Billing is free until you have invoiced $1M in total through Chargebee. It includes usage-based pricing, prepaid credits, 40+ payment gateways, free data migration and 24/7 email support.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Chargebee for Startups (formerly Chargebee Launch)
- Who qualifies
- New to Chargebee and not on a paid plan
- Member of a partner accelerator or VC portfolio network
- Raised less than $5M in funding (otherwise a custom offer)
- How long
- Free until cumulative billing through Chargebee reaches $1M. After that you move to pay-as-you-go with no annual commitment.
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. You must belong to a partner accelerator or VC portfolio network (partners are not named) and have raised under $5M. Startups that raised $5M or more, or already bill over $1M, can pick the $5M+ option to ask for a custom offer.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated. Pricing is in USD, and customers outside the US get equivalent thresholds at current exchange rates.
- India
- Yes. No country limit is listed, and non-US thresholds are converted at current exchange rates. Chargebee’s docs cover India’s RBI e-mandate rules for recurring card payments. You still need a link to a partner accelerator or VC.
- How to apply
- Fill in the application form on chargebee.com/startups and choose your funding band. Chargebee says it replies within 2-3 business days. Questions go to startups@chargebee.com or the site chat.
- Watch out for
- The $1M limit counts everything you have ever invoiced through Chargebee. It is not ARR or MRR. The page’s example: $8K + $12K + $15K over three months counts as $35K.
- The partner accelerator/VC list is not published. Without a partner link you do not qualify.
- After $1M you move to pay-as-you-go. The startup page does not give that price. Chargebee says it will warn you before you reach the limit.
- CPQ, tax and revenue reporting are described as modules you add as you grow. The page does not say they are free under the offer.
- Only new customers qualify. You cannot join if you are already on a paid plan.
- Status note
- The old /launch/ URL 301-redirects to the ‘Chargebee for Startups’ page at /startups/. The page does not say when the program was renamed. Terms re-checked on 12 October 2026.
Official page for Chargebee for Startups (formerly Chargebee Launch) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Clerk Startup Program
ClerkActiveOpen: under 1 year since launch
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Discounted Clerk Pro (size unpublished)
Discounted Clerk Pro (SMS codes, RBAC, allowlists, device tracking) for early-stage startups; discount size not published. Free tier: 50,000 monthly retained users and 100 orgs.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Clerk Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Up to 1 year after launch
- Up to $5M in venture funding
- Must be signed in to a Clerk account that has an application
- How long
- Discount period starts on approval; length not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No. Choosing a partner (YC, Techstars, Antler India, Startup India, Stripe Atlas and others) is optional.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. The partner list on the form includes Startup India and Antler India.
- How to apply
- Sign in to Clerk, create an application, then submit the form on clerk.com/startups with your company email and website.
- Watch out for
- The discount clock starts at approval, so apply only when ready to upgrade
- Discount percentage and length are not published
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for Clerk Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Confluent for Startups
ConfluentActiveOpen: apply directly, no referral
Funded startupsAccelerator startupsBootstrapped startups
Up to 1 year of Confluent Cloud on free credits
Up to one year of Confluent Cloud (managed Kafka and Flink) on free product credits, two 1-hour expert sessions, bi-weekly office hours and a founder community. Credit amount not stated.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Confluent for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Early-stage startups (no published criteria)
- How long
- Up to 1 year
- Referral or funding needed
- Not stated. Apply directly; VCs and accelerators can also offer it as ecosystem partners.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Unclear. No country restriction stated, but no eligibility criteria are published.
- How to apply
- Use the Apply now form at confluent.io/startups. Questions to startups@confluent.io.
- Watch out for
- No credit amount published
- ‘Up to one year’ means credits may run out sooner
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. A separate AI Accelerator track runs twice a year in 10-week batches of 10 to 15 startups.
Official page for Confluent for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Convex for Startups
ConvexActiveUnder 3 yrs, <$3M; card on file needed
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
1 year of Pro: no seat fees, 30% off usage
Up to 1 year of Convex Professional free: no seat fees and 30% off usage-based fees up to $30,000.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Convex for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Series A or earlier, fewer than 20 employees
- Less than 3 years old
- Raised less than $3 million
- Company profile on LinkedIn, Crunchbase, PitchBook or similar
- Live website or MVP
- How long
- Up to 1 year
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral. Pre-seed to Series A with under $3M raised.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated. A card on file is required.
- How to apply
- Move to at least the Starter plan with a card on file, then apply on convex.dev/startups; reviewed on a rolling 30-day basis.
- Watch out for
- Usage is discounted 30%, not free
- Card on file required before applying
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for Convex for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Deel for Startups pricing bundle
DeelActive5 free seats need $500K+ raised
Funded startupsBootstrapped startups
Free U.S. payroll for founders, for lifeBest case: First 5 seats free with $500K+ VC raised
Deel’s startup bundle offers free U.S. payroll for founders for life, and the first 5 seats free for life for VC-backed startups that raised at least $500K. A banner also offers 3 months free of PEO.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Deel for Startups pricing bundle
- Who qualifies
- The free payroll is U.S. payroll, so you need a US entity
- 5 free seats: venture-backed with at least $500K raised, shown on Crunchbase
- How long
- ‘For life’ as stated, under Deel’s terms
- Referral or funding needed
- The 5 free seats need at least $500K raised, verifiable on Crunchbase. Free founder payroll has no stated funding rule.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- The offer is for U.S. payroll
- India
- Unclear. The offer covers U.S. payroll, so it helps only Indian founders who have a US company (for example through Stripe Atlas). It is not an offer for Indian payroll.
- How to apply
- Book a demo from the Deel startups page and ask for the startup pricing bundle.
- Watch out for
- Which products the free seats cover is not stated
- The 3-month PEO offer has terms that were not visible
- Requires a sales demo; there is no self-serve application
- Status note
- Seen on deel.com/segments/startups on 12 October 2026, including the ‘Get 3 months free of PEO*’ banner. The page does not say which Deel products the 5 free seats cover, and the PEO offer’s asterisked terms were not shown. Separate partner offers: Stripe Atlas $1,500 Deel credits; Brex up to $5,000 credits or 50% off the first year.
Official page for Deel for Startups pricing bundle (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
DigitalOcean Startups (replaced Hatch)
DigitalOceanChanged 13 May 2026Open: under $10M raised, no referral
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
12 months of credits (amount not published)
12 months of DigitalOcean credits (amount not published; set through partner organisations), 15 months of free Standard support and partner perks. AI-native startups get priority. GPU credits are a separate invite-only benefit.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for DigitalOcean Startups (replaced Hatch)
- Who qualifies
- Raised $10M or less
- Company website with a matching business email
- A new DigitalOcean team account, created with the business email and a valid credit card
- Service businesses (consulting, web or app development, marketing agencies) are not eligible
- No DigitalOcean credits used before
- AI-native startups are prioritised
- How long
- 12 months from acceptance. Unused credits are forfeited. No extensions.
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral needed: unaffiliated startups pick Other on the form. Credit amounts are set through DigitalOcean Startups partners and stated in your onboarding email.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. The program page states no country restriction. Indian startups need a company-domain email and a card on a new team account.
- How to apply
- Create a new DigitalOcean team account with your company email and a card. Then apply at digitalocean.com/startups, choosing your partner organisation or Other.
- Watch out for
- Usage is generally capped at $10,000 a month. Anything above that, or on non-qualifying services, is charged to your card.
- GPU and third-party AI model usage is not covered by core credits
- Credits are non-transferable and lapse after 12 months
- You owe any taxes, and the terms let DigitalOcean list your name, website and logo
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. The Hatch terms (updated 11 May 2026) say Hatch is no longer active and has been replaced by the DigitalOcean Startups Program; digitalocean.com/hatch now redirects to /startups. Since 13 May 2026, core credits exclude GPU Droplets, H100 GPU Kubernetes, bare-metal GPUs, Dedicated and Serverless Inference, third-party models such as Anthropic and OpenAI, Paperspace Machines, and Cloudways.
Official page for DigitalOcean Startups (replaced Hatch) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Docusign for Startups
DocusignActiveNeeds funding from a Docusign partner VC
Funded startups
30% off eSignature or 40% off IAM for 2 years
30% off annual Docusign eSignature Business Pro, or 40% off annual Docusign IAM Starter, for two years on up to 50 seats. For startups funded by a VC that partners with Docusign.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Docusign for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Funded by a Docusign partner VC
- Annual subscription to eSignature Business Pro or IAM Starter
- Up to 50 seats
- How long
- 2 years
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. You must be funded by a VC firm that partners with Docusign. Docusign checks your application with the VC.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Unclear. No country limit is stated, but Docusign does not publish its partner VC list, so it is unclear which Indian investors qualify.
- How to apply
- Click ‘Apply Now for Startup Offers’ and fill in the form. After Docusign verifies you with your VC, it emails a promo code to use at checkout.
- Watch out for
- Annual billing only
- Seats above 50 are not covered
- The partner VC list is not public
- Unstated ‘restrictions may apply’
- Status note
- Confirmed on docusign.com/lp/startups on 12 October 2026. The page says ‘restrictions may apply’ without detail.
Official page for Docusign for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
FounderPass membership
FounderPassActivePaid membership for full access
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsSolo developers
Free Basic tier; Premium $99 a year for all dealsBest case: Claims $4M+ in perks (sum of discounts)
Perk membership. Basic is free with fewer deals. Premium is $99 a year (shown against $149). Lifetime is $499 one-time. It claims $4,000,000+ in perks from 400+ companies.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for FounderPass membership
- Who qualifies
- Free Basic tier for free deals with lower discounts
- Paid Premium for full access
- Each deal carries the vendor’s own conditions
- How long
- Annual membership, or a one-time payment for lifetime access
- Referral or funding needed
- No. This is a paid membership aggregator.
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated. Check each deal’s vendor terms before paying for Premium.
- How to apply
- Join the free Basic tier, or buy Premium or Lifetime on founderpass.com/pricing.
- Watch out for
- Paid aggregator: many listed vendor programs can be applied for directly for free
- The headline value is a sum of discounts, not cash, and the page’s own figures conflict
- The page says you can cancel any plan at any time but gives no refund policy
- Status note
- Pricing confirmed on founderpass.com/pricing on 12 October 2026. The page is inconsistent: Premium claims ‘$4,000,000+’ from ‘400+ companies’, while the About section says ‘$3,000,000+’ and ‘300+ companies’. Lifetime includes a free 1-year Premium pass to give to another founder.
Official page for FounderPass membership (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
GitLab for Startups
GitLabActiveExternally funded, up to Series B
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
1 year of Ultimate free for 20 seats (seed stage)
Seed (up to $5M raised): free GitLab Ultimate for 20 seats for a year, then 50% off any tier in year two. Series A/B (up to $20M): 50% off year one, 25% off year two, up to 20 users.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for GitLab for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Pre-seed or seed with up to $5M external funding (free tier)
- Series A or B with up to $20M external funding (discount tier)
- New GitLab customers only
- Proof of funding via Crunchbase, PitchBook, VC or accelerator page
- How long
- Two years (year one free or 50% off, year two discounted)
- Referral or funding needed
- External funding required; self-funded startups are not eligible. No referral needed.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Fill in the form on GitLab’s startups page with a funding proof link. Questions to startups@gitlab.com.
- Watch out for
- No support in the free year
- Self-managed instances must enable usage analytics
- Applications without funding proof are not considered
- Not processed on US holidays
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for GitLab for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Help Scout for Startups
Help ScoutActiveTech startups under 2 years, <$1M ARR
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
6 months of Help Scout Plus with AI Answers free
Help Scout’s Plus plan with AI Answers free for the first 6 months, for new customers that are incorporated tech startups under two years old with under $1M ARR.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Help Scout for Startups
- Who qualifies
- New Help Scout customer
- Incorporated tech startup less than two years old
- Under $1 million in annual recurring revenue
- How long
- 6 months
- Referral or funding needed
- No funding or referral needed
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Unclear. No country limit is stated, but the form’s business-structure options are US entity types (Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, LLC, C Corp, S Corp, B Corp, Nonprofit), so it is unclear how an Indian private limited company is handled.
- How to apply
- Fill in the application form on helpscout.com/startups (revenue band and business structure).
- Watch out for
- Companies two years old or more are excluded
- The page does not say what you pay after month 6
- Seat limits are not stated
- Status note
- Confirmed on helpscout.com/startups on 12 October 2026. The page does not state seat limits, the price after 6 months, or an end date.
Official page for Help Scout for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
HubSpot for Startups
HubSpotActiveVC-funded (pre-seed to A) or partner
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
90% off year 1, 50% year 2, 25% year 3Best case: 30% then 15% via other approved groups
90% off year 1, 50% year 2 and 25% year 3 on net-new Professional or Enterprise products for pre-seed to Series A startups with a partner or verified VC funding. Other approved groups get 30% then 15%.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for HubSpot for Startups
- Who qualifies
- 90% tier: raised pre-seed, seed or Series A, and not Series B or later
- Discount applies only to net-new Professional or Enterprise products
- Annual commitment required
- How long
- Up to 3 years (90% tier) or 2 years (30% tier), with an annual commitment
- Referral or funding needed
- 90% tier: an approved HubSpot for Startups partner (4,000+) OR verified venture funding (the page names Crunchbase, Harmonic and PitchBook for checks). 30% tier: membership of an approved entrepreneurial organisation. A bootstrapped startup with no affiliation does not qualify.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated. An Indian startup whose venture funding shows on Crunchbase or PitchBook can apply for the 90% tier without a partner.
- How to apply
- Use ‘Check your eligibility’ or ‘Apply Now’ on hubspot.com/startups, then create or link your HubSpot account.
- Watch out for
- Only Professional and Enterprise products are discounted; Starter is not covered
- Annual commitment required
- Standard pricing applies after the discount years
- Products you already pay for are not ‘net-new’ and do not qualify
- The page’s own FAQ and tier table disagree on how long the discount lasts
- Status note
- Tiers confirmed on hubspot.com/startups on 12 October 2026. The FAQ says the discount period is ‘typically two years’, which conflicts with the three-year schedule shown for the 90% tier.
Official page for HubSpot for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Intercom Early Stage Program
IntercomActiveUnder $10M raised, fewer than 15 staff
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
93% off year 1 (from $65 a month), then 50%, 25%
93% off Intercom in year 1, 50% in year 2, 25% in year 3 (helpdesk from $65 a month), with 6 Advanced, 6 Copilot and 20 Lite seats, plus 300 Fin AI outcomes a month in year 1.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Intercom Early Stage Program
- Who qualifies
- Up to $10M in funding
- Fewer than 15 employees
- New customer, not already on Intercom
- How long
- 3 years, with the discount stepping down each year
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral needed. Up to $10M in funding; bootstrapped companies are not excluded.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated. Indian startups with under 15 staff and up to $10M raised can apply directly.
- How to apply
- Click ‘Apply now’ on intercom.com/early-stage and sign up through the Early Stage flow.
- Watch out for
- The price steps up sharply. Intercom’s help article puts the plan’s list price at $903 a month, so you pay $65 a month in year 1, $451.50 in year 2 and $677.25 in year 3
- The discount does not cover extra Fin outcomes ($0.99 each), extra qualifications ($9.99 each), or phone, SMS and WhatsApp, which are billed at list price
- Switching to a self-serve or sales-led plan forfeits the year 2 and year 3 discounts
- Companies with 15 or more employees are not eligible
- The 93% applies to usage over the included amounts: email, conversations over 1,000 a month, messages over 500 a month, seats over 6
- Status note
- Terms confirmed on intercom.com/early-stage on 12 October 2026. Free Fin usage drops each year: 300 outcomes a month in year 1, 150 in year 2, 75 in year 3, plus 15 qualifications a month every year. The linked help article (URL slug ‘pre-june-29-2026’, updated this week) says it covers customers who joined before 29 June 2026 and from 8 October 2026, and shows the same headline figures. Older joiners (before 3 April 2025) have smaller Fin allowances.
Official page for Intercom Early Stage Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
JetBrains Startup Program
JetBrainsActiveOpen: companies under 5 years old
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
50% off JetBrains IDEs and AI Pro for up to 5 yearsBest case: Partner route: 6 months free, then 50% off
50% off JetBrains IDEs, team tools (TeamCity, YouTrack, Qodana, Datalore) and JetBrains AI Pro/Ultimate for up to five years, capped at 10 subscriptions per product group.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for JetBrains Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Privately owned company
- Established within the last five years (evidence needed)
- Website or discoverable online presence
- How long
- Up to 5 years from approval, or until purchase limits are reached
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Apply on jetbrains.com/startups; reviews take about 48 hours, then you receive a quote.
- Watch out for
- Discount on paid commercial licences, not free
- Once per organisation; not for subsidiaries
- Not combinable with other JetBrains discounts
- Floating licences not eligible
- Exceeding 10 in a single order loses the discount on that order
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. Accelerators and VCs can join a partner program giving portfolio startups six months free on up to 10 licences, then 50% off for the rest of five years.
Official page for JetBrains Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Kiro Startup Credits
Amazon Web ServicesLimited time, no end date givenOpen: pre-Series B, no Activate credits
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Kiro Pro+ free for up to 2 users for up to 1 yearBest case: Up to 30 users on the Scale package
Up to one year of free Kiro Pro+ (AWS’s agentic AI coding IDE) for early-stage to Series A startups. Packages: Starter (up to 2 users), Growth (up to 10) or Scale (up to 30). Kiro Pro+ is normally $40 per user a month.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Kiro Startup Credits
- Who qualifies
- Early stage to Series A. The AWS FAQ says pre-Series B, under 10 years old, with a working website.
- Business email matching the startup’s domain, and an AWS account with a matching email
- Must not hold active AWS Activate credits (those credits can already pay for Kiro)
- One award per startup
- How long
- Credits expire one year after they are issued to your AWS account
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral or funding needed (early stage to Series A)
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- Most countries where AWS billing works. kiro.dev excludes Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, China/GCR, Cuba, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Mexico, North Korea, Poland, Russia, Spain, Syria, the UAE, Crimea, DNR and LNR.
- India
- Yes. India is not on either exclusion list. You need an AWS account on your company-domain email.
- How to apply
- Apply through the link on kiro.dev/startups (aws.amazon.com/startups/credits/kiro) with your AWS Account ID. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Once approved, credits are added to that AWS account.
- Watch out for
- You must sign in to Kiro through AWS IAM Identity Center. Builder ID, GitHub and Google logins cannot use the credits.
- Team members must cancel their individual paid Kiro plans and sign in with the organisation identity, or they keep being billed
- Choosing a plan above Pro+ or going over your package’s user count is charged
- Credits activate on issue, cannot be deferred, and cannot be refunded or re-issued
- You cannot get these credits while holding active Activate credits
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. kiro.dev calls it a limited-time promotion with no end date. The AWS Startups FAQ gives a shorter excluded-country list than kiro.dev (it omits Belarus, China/GCR, Poland, the UAE, DNR and LNR).
Official page for Kiro Startup Credits (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Linear for Startups
LinearActiveNeeds a Linear partner link or code
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Free Business plan for 3 or 6 months, by partnerBest case: 6 months via Stripe Atlas, Ramp or Brex
Free Linear Business plan for a set period for startups linked to one of Linear’s 493 partners. Linear does not publish the length. Stripe Atlas, Ramp and Brex list 6 months; Attio lists 3 months.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Linear for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Linked to an official Linear partner
- For non-paying Linear users only
- Fewer than 50 employees
- A workspace admin must redeem the offer while logged in
- How long
- Set per partner and not stated by Linear. Partner pages list 6 months (Stripe Atlas, Ramp, Brex) or 3 months (Attio).
- Referral or funding needed
- Yes. You need a partner link or code. Partners include VCs and accelerators plus platforms open to unfunded founders, such as Stripe Atlas, Mercury, Brex and Ramp.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. The partner list includes Peak XV, Z47, Nexus Venture Partners, Kae Capital, 3one4 Capital and Titan Capital. Ask your investor for the partner link. Founders with a US company can also get it through Stripe Atlas or Mercury.
- How to apply
- Get your partner’s dedicated link or code. Follow it, then log in and redeem as a workspace admin.
- Watch out for
- At the end of the discount period the Business plan renews automatically at the standard rate unless you change plan or cancel
- Paying Linear customers are excluded
- Companies with 50 or more employees must contact sales instead
- The length of the free period depends on which partner you come through
- Status note
- Partner list (493 partners) and rules confirmed on linear.app/startups on 12 October 2026. The free period is set per partner and Linear does not publish it.
Official page for Linear for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Mercury Perks
MercuryActiveMercury account holders (US company)
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
273 partner perks, e.g. AWS $5K, GitHub $10K credits
Mercury account holders get a perks directory (273 listings on 12 October 2026), e.g. Notion 6 months free + unlimited AI, Asana 80% off, Slack 25% off, Google Workspace 25% off, AWS $5K and GitHub $10K credits.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Mercury Perks
- Who qualifies
- Company formed and registered in the US or a US territory, with existing or planned US operations
- Founders cannot live in a country on Mercury’s prohibited list
- Open a Mercury account and log in to redeem perks
- Each perk has its own eligibility, restrictions and expiry
- How long
- Set per perk
- Referral or funding needed
- No investor referral needed. You need an approved Mercury account (US-registered company), and each perk sets its own conditions.
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Company must be US-registered. Founders can live abroad, except in about 50 listed countries (for example Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal). India is not on the list.
- India
- Yes. Indian residents are not on Mercury’s prohibited-countries list (updated 11 October 2026), so an Indian founder can apply, but only for a US-registered company (for example one formed through Stripe Atlas). An Indian private limited company cannot open an account.
- How to apply
- Open a Mercury account, then redeem offers from the Perks page in your dashboard.
- Watch out for
- Perks need an approved Mercury account, which needs a US company
- Partner perks can change, and each has its own terms
- Many perks are percentage discounts that only help if you would buy the tool anyway
- Mercury is a fintech, not a bank; deposits are held at partner banks
- Status note
- Directory size and sample perks confirmed on mercury.com/perks on 12 October 2026. Other listed values: QuickBooks Online 50% off, Gusto 3 months free, Linear 6 months free, HubSpot up to 30% off. Mercury does not publish a total dollar value. Business banking is listed at $0 a month.
Official page for Mercury Perks (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Mixpanel for Startups
MixpanelActiveOpen: under 5 years, $8M or less raised
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
First year of Startup Plan free (1B events a year)Best case: Valued by Mixpanel at $145,000 (list price)
First year on Mixpanel’s Startup Plan free: 1 billion events a year, Session Replay, Experiments, Feature Flags and all add-ons. Mixpanel values it at $145,000.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Mixpanel for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Incorporated less than 5 years ago
- Total funding of $8M or less
- Never on a paid Mixpanel plan
- Not redeemed another Mixpanel offer (including Product School)
- Not a previous participant; free-plan users can apply
- How long
- 12 months from acceptance
- Referral or funding needed
- No. Choose ‘I do not have a referral partner’ on the form.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated; global self-serve sign-up.
- How to apply
- Apply at mixpanel.com/startups-apply; eligible accounts are provisioned with the Startup Plan automatically.
- Watch out for
- Send data within 90 days of acceptance or you are removed and barred
- The year starts at acceptance; you cannot bank it
- No BAAs or MSAs on the Startup Plan
- Session Replay allowance differs: 1M on the landing page, 500,000 in the docs
- $145,000 is list value at full usage; no second free year
- Afterwards the free plan is 1M events a month
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. The old $50,000 credit program applied before 4 September 2024 and was replaced by this free Startup Plan.
Official page for Mixpanel for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
monday.com Startup Program
monday.comActiveOpen: no referral; company-domain email
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Up to 20% off any monday.com plan
Up to 20% off the monday.com plan of your choice, plus 24/7 support and the Startup for Startup community.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for monday.com Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Has not received monday.com credits or discounts before
- Has a company website or web profile
- Email domain must match the company website
- Privately held company
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No funding or referral requirement stated
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated. You need a company website and an email on the same domain.
- How to apply
- Click ‘Apply now’ on monday.com/lp/startups.
- Watch out for
- ‘Up to 20%’ means some applicants may get less
- Not available if you have had any earlier monday.com credit or discount
- A Gmail or other free email address will not match the domain rule
- Status note
- Confirmed on monday.com/lp/startups on 12 October 2026. The page gives only ‘up to 20%’; the exact rate and how long it lasts are not stated.
Official page for monday.com Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
MongoDB for Startups
MongoDBActiveOpen; higher tiers for VC-backed
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Atlas credits (amount unpublished) + 30 days support
Atlas credits and Voyage AI tokens in four stage-based tiers (Inspire, Grow, Innovate, Scale), 30 days of free Developer Support and a 1:1 expert session. Credit amounts are not published.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for MongoDB for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Less than 7 years old and Series A or earlier
- Building one software product or service; development shops and agencies are not eligible
- Not previously accepted into the program
- Active company website and LinkedIn profile
- New and existing Atlas users can apply
- Program rules: applicant aged 18 or over
- How long
- Activate the promo code within 12 months; credits then last 12 months (extensions considered case by case)
- Referral or funding needed
- No. Bootstrapped startups apply directly (Inspire tier). A VC, accelerator or incubator partner can refer you; higher tiers are for funded and VC-backed startups.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- No country limit stated; the HQ country list on the form includes nearly all countries
- India
- Yes. India is in the form’s HQ country list and no country restriction is stated.
- How to apply
- Fill in the form on the MongoDB for Startups page with a company email, or ask your investor or accelerator to refer you. The promo code arrives in the welcome email; an Organization Owner or Billing Admin applies it under Billing > Apply Code.
- Watch out for
- Credit amount is decided by MongoDB and not published
- Promo codes cover future charges only, not past usage
- Only an Organization Owner or Organization Billing Admin can activate the code
- Developer Support is free for 30 days, then from $49 a month (payable with credits)
- If MongoDB cannot reach you within 5 days of first contact, you forfeit the package
- Program rules let MongoDB use your name, logo and usage data for publicity
- Any taxes on the package are your responsibility
- Email startups@mongodb.com if you hear nothing after five business days
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. The page shows four tiers but no dollar amounts. The program rules (running since 24 January 2018, no end date) say credits are given in an amount set by MongoDB.
Official page for MongoDB for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
New Relic for Startups
New RelicActiveSeries A or earlier, vetted
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Full platform free for 5 users
Full New Relic platform with every AI feature free for 5 users and ‘generous’ monthly data ingest, plus a launch-day engineer, office hours and quarterly architecture reviews.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for New Relic for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Series A or earlier
- Vetted by New Relic; detailed criteria not published
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- Series A or earlier; startups are vetted. No referral stated.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Not stated
- India
- Unclear. No eligibility or country criteria are published.
- How to apply
- Register interest with the form on New Relic’s startups page; the team contacts you to confirm a place.
- Watch out for
- Data ingest amount is not stated
- Everyone already gets 100 GB a month ingest and 1 full user free on the standard free tier
- Status note
- Launched 23 June 2026 (New Relic press release). No credit amount; ingest volume and duration not stated.
Official page for New Relic for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
OVHcloud Startup Program (Start and Scale levels)
OVHcloudActiveOpen; Scale level needs Series A+
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
EUR 10,000 in credits for 12 months (Start level)Best case: Up to EUR 100,000 at Series A or later
Start level: EUR 10,000 in free cloud credits for 12 months plus 6 hours with an engineer (pre-seed and seed). Scale level: up to EUR 100,000 and up to 20 engineer hours for Series A and later.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for OVHcloud Startup Program (Start and Scale levels)
- Who qualifies
- An innovative tech project with at least a proof of concept or MVP that can run on OVHcloud
- Needs cloud infrastructure soon, because vouchers expire
- Not NGOs or associations, and not past participants (including the old Digital Launch Pad)
- Not resellers, white-label integrators, digital-services firms or consultancies
- No crypto mining, traffic exchange, black-hat SEO or game bots
- How long
- Up to 12 months from signing the program contracts. Remaining vouchers then become invalid.
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral. Start targets pre-seed and seed. Scale needs Series A or later funding, and the amount is set after reviewing 12 months of expected spend.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Global, with regional startup managers (Africa and Middle East, Americas, APAC, Europe). There are country sites, including India (startup.ovhcloud.com/en-in).
- India
- Yes. OVHcloud runs an India program site with the same EUR 10,000 Start and EUR 100,000 Scale levels. Questions go to the APAC startup team.
- How to apply
- Apply on startup.ovhcloud.com. The selection committee replies within 7 days. Benefits start when you sign the contracts sent after acceptance.
- Watch out for
- Vouchers only cover Public Cloud (GPU limited to V100, V100S and RTX5000) and Hosted Private Cloud. Bare Metal and Web Cloud (hosting, domains) are generally not covered.
- An invoice larger than your remaining voucher balance is not paid automatically from the vouchers
- Ask for quota increases through a support ticket, not the Increase My Quota button
- After 12 months you pay in full for everything you keep
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. Credits are in euros, so the USD fields are left blank. A separate Healthcare Accelerator closed to entries on 26 July 2026.
Official page for OVHcloud Startup Program (Start and Scale levels) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Pinecone for Startups
PineconeActiveOpen: Series A or earlier, <100 staff
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Free Standard tier + Pro Support (length unpublished)
Free access to Pinecone’s Standard tier and Pro Support (any cloud/region, RBAC, backups, dedicated Slack channel), plus usage credits and discounts. Amounts not published.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Pinecone for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Fewer than 100 employees
- Series A or earlier
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No referral stated
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Unclear. No country limit is stated; we did not confirm India sign-up on an official page.
- How to apply
- Use the Join the Program form on the Pinecone for Startups page; questions to startups@pinecone.io.
- Watch out for
- The length of the free Standard tier and the credit amount are not published, so confirm before migrating.
- Status note
- Program page live on 12 October 2026; credit and discount amounts not stated. Separately, Pinecone’s free Starter plan (2 GB storage, AWS us-east-1 only) stays open to everyone.
Official page for Pinecone for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Ramp partner rewards
RampActiveRamp customers only (US companies)
Funded startupsBootstrapped startups
103 partner perks, e.g. Retool $25,000 creditBest case: Ramp values the bundle at $350,000+
Ramp customers can redeem partner offers Ramp values at over $350,000 (103 listings), e.g. Datadog up to $100,000 in credits, Segment $50,000, Amplitude up to $40,000, Retool $25,000.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Ramp partner rewards
- Who qualifies
- US-registered corporation, LLC or LP (nonprofits welcome; no sole proprietors or individuals)
- At least $25,000 in cash in a linked US business bank account
- Physical US business address (no PO boxes, virtual offices, registered agent or mail-forwarding addresses)
- Most operations and corporate spending in the US; EIN required
- Business email address required
- How long
- Set per offer
- Referral or funding needed
- No investor referral needed, but you must be an approved Ramp customer. Ramp needs at least $25,000 in cash in a linked US business bank account.
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- Rewards page states no country rule. Ramp’s US sign-up needs a US-registered company with a physical US address and mostly US operations. Card disclosures cover the US, Canada, the UK and the EEA.
- India
- Unclear. Owners without an SSN can apply with a foreign passport, but the company must be US-registered, have a physical US address (virtual offices not accepted) and do most of its spending in the US. Most India-based startups will not meet this.
- How to apply
- Sign up for Ramp, then redeem offers inside the product dashboard.
- Watch out for
- The $350K headline is the sum of partner offers, not cash
- Large credits such as Datadog’s are ‘up to’ amounts with their own partner rules
- You need $25,000 cash in a US business account to open Ramp at all
- Status note
- Headline value and 103 listings across 7 categories confirmed on ramp.com/rewards on 12 October 2026. Other examples: Stripe $25,000 fee-free processing, Gusto 3 months free, QuickBooks 30% off for 12 months, Notion 6 months of Business with AI, Linear 6 months of Business.
Official page for Ramp partner rewards (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Retool for Startups
RetoolActiveOpen: under $10M raised
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
1 year free on a monthly Team or Business planBest case: Worth up to $60,000; then 25% off year two
100% off any monthly Retool Team or Business plan for one year (value up to $60,000), then 25% off in year two.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Retool for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Raised less than $10M in total
- Founded within the last 10 years
- New customer on a monthly Team or Business plan
- How long
- 1 year free, then 25% off the following year
- Referral or funding needed
- No. Bootstrapped, angel, debt-funded and pre-seed to Series A startups qualify.
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated. You must upgrade to a paid monthly plan first, so use a card enabled for international payments.
- How to apply
- Upgrade to a monthly Team or Business plan, then submit the startup application; the discount is applied to your first invoice at the end of the first billing cycle.
- Watch out for
- You must upgrade and be billed before the discount applies
- Customers on paid plans for several billing cycles are not eligible
- Not combinable with sales discounts; not transferable to another cloud account or self-hosted deployment
- $60,000 is a cap; actual value depends on seats and plan
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026.
Official page for Retool for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Salesforce Launchpad for Startups
SalesforceActiveVenture-backed startups only
Funded startups
Unpublished offers on Salesforce, Slack, Tableau
Free to join. Venture-backed startups get special offers on Salesforce products (Starter Suite, Pro Suite, Sales Cloud, Agentforce, Tableau, Slack), GTM and AI guidance, setup help and a founder community.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Salesforce Launchpad for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Venture-backed startup, any industry or growth stage
- Proof of funding checked within 5 business days
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- Venture backing is required; Salesforce verifies proof of funding. No partner referral is needed, and you do not need Salesforce Ventures funding.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated. You need venture funding you can prove.
- How to apply
- Fill in the application on salesforce.com/launchpad. The team reviews it within 5 business days, and benefits start on acceptance.
- Watch out for
- Exact discounts are not published before you apply
- Bootstrapped startups do not meet the ‘venture-backed’ requirement
- Joining does not mean Salesforce Ventures will invest
- Slack startup discounts run through this program and partner channels (for example Stripe Atlas, Mercury, Brex), not a separate Slack program
- Status note
- Confirmed on salesforce.com/launchpad on 12 October 2026. Salesforce does not publish discount amounts or free periods; members see the offers after acceptance. Third-party figures (such as a free year of Starter Suite) are not confirmed officially.
Official page for Salesforce Launchpad for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Secret perks marketplace (Premium membership)
Secret (JoinSecret)ActivePaid membership for most deals
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsSolo developers
About 353 free deals; Premium $149 a year for the restBest case: About 626-640 deals in total with Premium
Paid perk marketplace. About 353-356 deals are free to access. Premium ($149 a year or $399 one-time) unlocks the rest, for roughly 626-640 deals in total on 12 October 2026.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Secret perks marketplace (Premium membership)
- Who qualifies
- Free account for the free deals
- Paid Premium for the rest
- Each deal carries the vendor’s own conditions (often new customers only)
- How long
- Annual membership, or a one-time payment for ongoing access
- Referral or funding needed
- No. This is a paid membership aggregator, not a vendor program.
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country limit is stated, but each underlying deal has its own rules. Weigh the $149 fee against deals you would actually use.
- How to apply
- Sign up free at joinsecret.com and claim free deals, or buy Premium to unlock the rest.
- Watch out for
- Paid aggregator: many vendor startup programs (Notion, HubSpot, Retool, Intercom) can be applied for directly for free
- Deals are vendor promo codes with their own terms and can change
- Refund terms are not stated on the pricing page; the yearly plan says cancel anytime
- Status note
- Prices confirmed on joinsecret.com/pricing on 12 October 2026. The same page gives two different deal counts: 640 total (356 free, 284 Premium) and 626 total (353 free, 273 Premium). The ‘$500k+ in savings’ claim is a sum of deal values, not cash.
Official page for Secret perks marketplace (Premium membership) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Snowflake for Startups
SnowflakeActiveCriteria unpublished; tied to a contract
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Free usage on your first contract (amount unpublished)Best case: Startup Challenge: up to $1M investment
Free Snowflake usage on a startup’s first contract (Startup Package), free usage for portfolio companies of select VC firms, an accelerator, and a yearly Startup Challenge with up to $1M investment. No amounts published.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Snowflake for Startups
- Who qualifies
- ‘Eligible’ startups only; criteria not published
- FAQ says it suits startups working with data, especially AI/ML or large datasets
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- Startup Package: register interest directly. VC Community free usage: only for eligible portfolio companies of select VC firms.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Not stated
- India
- Unclear. No eligibility or country criteria are published.
- How to apply
- Use ‘Register your interest’ for the Startup Package, or ‘Apply to the Accelerator’ on the startup program page.
- Watch out for
- No dollar value or duration published; get terms in writing before signing a contract
- Free usage is tied to a first contract, so expect a sales process
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. The Startup Challenge page lists the 2026 top 3 finalists and invites interest for the 2027 challenge; no dates or prize terms shown.
Official page for Snowflake for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Statsig Startup Program
Statsig (Amplitude)Changed 5 May 2026Open: under 5 years, under $50M raised
Funded startupsBootstrapped startups
12 months of Enterprise with 1B eventsBest case: Valued at $50,000+
12 months of Statsig Enterprise features with 1 billion events (valued at $50,000+) for feature flags, A/B tests and analytics.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Statsig Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Founded less than 5 years ago
- Raised less than $50 million
- Best suited to apps with over 25K MAU; small teams are pointed to the free Developer tier (2M events a month)
- How long
- 12 months
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Submit the ‘Apply to Startup Program’ Google Form linked on statsig.com/startups.
- Watch out for
- After 12 months you choose Enterprise, Pro or the free tier
- Support is Slack/email at Pro level
- Product now owned by Amplitude; check whether the program is merged with Amplitude’s startup plan
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. Statsig was acquired by Amplitude on 5 May 2026 (after OpenAI hired the original team); Statsig’s own blog confirms this. The startup program page is still live, but terms could change as the two products are integrated.
Official page for Statsig Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Zendesk for Startups
ZendeskActiveFunded startups (angel to Series B)
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
6 months of Suite Professional + Copilot freeBest case: 1-2 years via a Zendesk VC/accelerator partner
Zendesk Suite Professional and Copilot free for 6 months for funded startups, or 1 to 2 years through Zendesk VC and accelerator partners. Up to 50 agents, depending on funding and partner.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Zendesk for Startups
- Who qualifies
- New Zendesk customer only (no previous or active paid account)
- Outside funding: angel, pre-seed, seed, Series A or Series B, and no more than Series B
- 250 or fewer employees if referred by a partner; 50 or fewer if not
- Company under 10 years old
- How long
- 6 months baseline (the terms call it an extended 180-day trial); 1 or 2 years through partners
- Referral or funding needed
- Outside funding is required (angel to Series B). A partner referral is needed for teams of 51-249 employees and for the 1-2 year terms.
- Card needed
- No
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. Zendesk runs an India version of the page (zendesk.com/in/business/startups/) with the same terms. You need outside funding; bootstrapped startups do not meet the stated criteria.
- How to apply
- Sign up at zendesk.com/startups, or use your VC or accelerator’s referral link to get a longer term.
- Watch out for
- No card upfront, but you must pick a paid plan when the free period ends to keep the account
- Zendesk can remove a company from the extended trial at its discretion
- Without a partner the term is 6 months, not the 2 years in the headline
- The number of agents depends on your funding profile and partner
- Status note
- Confirmed on 12 October 2026 (Indian visitors are redirected to the India page; page last modified 3 August 2026). The FAQ says bootstrapped founders are welcome, but the offer terms require outside funding.
Official page for Zendesk for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
IBM for Startups (IBM Cloud credits)
IBMNot fully confirmedNo live official page; unconfirmed
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
No confirmed offer; IBM’s startup page is downBest case: Third parties claim up to $120K (unconfirmed)
IBM’s startup credit program has no live official page as of 12 October 2026. Third-party listings still advertise up to $120,000 in IBM Cloud credits; this is unconfirmed.
Low confidence: we could not confirm the key details on an official page. Check the official page before you rely on this entry.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for IBM for Startups (IBM Cloud credits)
- Who qualifies
- Not confirmed on any official IBM page
- How long
- Unknown
- Referral or funding needed
- Unknown
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Unknown
- India
- Unclear. No official page could be found, so India eligibility cannot be confirmed.
- How to apply
- No current application route found. Ask IBM directly, for example through IBM Partner Plus.
- Watch out for
- Do not rely on third-party listings for amounts or eligibility
- Status note
- On 12 October 2026, ibm.com/startups returned IBM’s ‘page cannot be displayed’ notice (HTTP 404), and developer.ibm.com/startups redirected to the IBM Build Partners Technical Group community page, which does not mention credits. Third-party sites still list Builder ($1,000 a month) and Premium ($10,000 a month) tiers worth up to $120K; none is confirmed. Treat it as unavailable until IBM confirms. A second check on 13 October 2026 could not reach a live official page for this offer either.
Official page for IBM for Startups (IBM Cloud credits) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Redis for Startups
RedisNot fully confirmedFunding proof required; page in flux
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Reported free Redis for 6 to 12 months (unconfirmed)
Localized Redis pages describe free Redis for eligible startups (12 months on the French, Spanish, Italian and Korean pages; 6 months on the German page), with usage limits, support and co-marketing. No dollar amount.
Low confidence: we could not confirm the key details on an official page. Check the official page before you rely on this entry.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Redis for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Form requires funding status, last round raised and proof of funding
- October 2024 launch terms: venture-backed, pre-seed or seed stage
- How long
- 12 months per the fr/es/it/ko pages; 6 months per the de page; usage limits apply
- Referral or funding needed
- The application form asks whether you have funding, your last round (angel to Series B-G) and a funding-proof link. The October 2024 launch terms limited it to venture-backed pre-seed and seed startups.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated; the form’s country list includes India
- India
- Yes. India appears near the top of the application form’s country list and no restriction is stated. The program’s overall status is unclear, so confirm with Redis before relying on it.
- How to apply
- Use the apply button on a localized page such as redis.io/fr/redis-for-startups/ (the form itself is in English), or ask Redis sales or your investor’s perks portal.
- Watch out for
- The English program page no longer exists; terms may be changing
- 6-month vs 12-month duration conflict across language versions
- Do not rely on dollar figures from perk aggregators
- Free use is subject to usage limits
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026. redis.io/startups and redis.io/redis-for-startups redirect to the homepage, but localized pages (fr, es, de, it, ko; last modified January 2026) still describe the program and carry a live ‘Apply for the Redis startup program’ form. Duration differs by language. Launch press release dated 29 October 2024. Aggregator figures ($3K to $25K) are not on any official page.
Official page for Redis for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Scaleway Startup Program
ScalewayActiveUnconfirmed: under 5 years, <50 staff
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startups
Up to EUR 1,000 for 12 months (Founders)Best case: Up to EUR 36,000 on the Growth tier
Scaleway cloud credits in three tiers: Founders up to EUR 1,000 for 12 months; Early Stage EUR 1,500 a month for six months (EUR 9,000 in total); Growth EUR 3,000 a month for 12 months (EUR 36,000 in total).
Low confidence: we could not confirm the key details on an official page. Check the official page before you rely on this entry.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Scaleway Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Unconfirmed: under 5 years old, fewer than 50 employees and not yet a Scaleway customer
- Unconfirmed: you must create a Scaleway account before applying
- Unconfirmed: Early and Growth tracks cannot be combined, and you cannot move from Early to Growth
- How long
- 12 months (Founders and Growth) or six months (Early Stage)
- Referral or funding needed
- Unconfirmed. No referral or funding requirement appears in the indexed copies.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Unconfirmed. Indexed copies of Scaleway’s page say any startup going to market can apply, with a focus on the EU market. Third-party sites say EU or EEA companies only.
- India
- Unclear. Sources conflict. Third-party sites say EU or EEA companies only, while indexed copies of Scaleway’s own page say any startup going to market can apply. Check with Scaleway before applying from India.
- How to apply
- Through scaleway.com/en/startup-program/. Open it in a normal browser to check the current tracks.
- Watch out for
- Every number is unconfirmed. Check the official page before you apply.
- Scaleway’s own pages disagree on the Early Stage amount
- Status note
- Checked 13 October 2026. Scaleway’s site blocked our automated checks, so we could not read the official page directly. Search-engine copies of it describe rolling admissions, weekly reviews and an Early Stage total of EUR 9,000. Check the official page before applying.
Official page for Scaleway Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 13 October 2026
Ended and paused programs (3)
Claude for Startups (Claude Startups program)
AnthropicPaused: cohort full (15 October 2026)Closed to new applicants: cohort full
Bootstrapped startupsFunded startupsAccelerator startups
Closed to new applicants (cohort full)Best case: Members: up to $100K API credits via a partner VC
Closed to new applicants: the current cohort is full (checked 15 October 2026). Existing members keep Claude Startup Stack partner offers worth up to $45,000, Applied AI sessions (live group webinars every other week) and invites to Claude Startup events. The free Claude Team year and $1,000 API credit announced on 6 October 2026 no longer appear on the program page.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Claude for Startups (Claude Startups program)
- Who qualifies
- Not accepting new applications on 15 October 2026 (current cohort full). When open, the program took bootstrapped, pre-seed and venture-backed startups; VC funding was not required
- Applications were made from a Claude Console account
- The 6 October 2026 rule (founded in the last 5 years or funded in the last 2) is no longer shown on the program page (checked 12 October 2026)
- Higher API rate limits apply automatically only to members who receive program credits
- How long
- Varies by partner offer; VC-route API credits follow that route’s own terms
- Referral or funding needed
- Closed to new applicants (15 October 2026). Up to $100K in API credits is claimed only through a VC in Anthropic’s partner network.
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit on the program page; Anthropic’s supported-countries list applies to the Claude API
- India
- Yes. India is on Anthropic’s supported countries list (checked 12 October 2026) and the program page names no country limit. The program closed to all new applicants, including Indian startups, on 15 October 2026.
- How to apply
- Not open to new applicants on 15 October 2026. Subscribe to the Claude Startup newsletter on the program page to hear when applications open for the next cohort. Existing members redeem partner offers in Claude Console.
- Watch out for
- Program credits work only on the first-party Claude API in Claude Console, not on AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI or other third-party platforms.
- Startup Stack offers come from independent companies, not Anthropic. Many are discounts or time-limited free plans, not cash.
- Applications still in review on 15 October 2026 were not moved forward; Anthropic says it emailed everyone affected.
- The $100K figure applies only to startups backed by a VC in Anthropic’s partner network.
- Status note
- On 15 October 2026 claude.com/programs/startups said the current cohort is full and Anthropic is not accepting new applications. Applications still in review were not moved forward, and Anthropic says it emailed everyone affected. There is no reopening date; the page asks founders to subscribe to the Claude Startup newsletter to hear when applications open for the next cohort. Existing members keep Startup Stack offers, Applied AI sessions and events. The page still says founders backed by a partner VC may get up to $100K in additional API credits, claimed through their VC. Before that, on 6 October 2026 the program was expanded (a free Team year for up to five Premium seats plus a one-time $1,000 API credit); by 12 October 2026 Anthropic said it was over capacity on those two offers and would re-review all applications. Offers already claimed stay.
Segment Startup Program
Twilio SegmentEndedEnded: no startup credits now
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
No longer offered; small trial credit only
No longer offered. Segment’s startup page now redirects to Twilio’s startups page, which says Twilio gives no extra credits to startups; new accounts get only a small trial credit.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Segment Startup Program
- Who qualifies
- Program no longer listed
- How long
- n/a
- Referral or funding needed
- n/a
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not applicable
- Countries
- n/a
- India
- No. The program is not available to anyone.
- How to apply
- Not available. Use Twilio’s free trial account (small trial credit) and pay-as-you-go pricing.
- Watch out for
- Perk sites may still list old Segment startup terms
- Status note
- Checked 12 October 2026: segment.com/industry/startups redirects to twilio.com/en-us/solutions/startups, and the Segment startup-program docs URL redirects to a Twilio docs page that returns 404. Twilio’s FAQ says it does not offer additional credits to startups at this time. End date not stated.
Official page for Segment Startup Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Webflow for Startups
WebflowEndedEnded 30 June 2026; closed
Funded startupsAccelerator startups
Ended: was 1 year of a Premium Site plan free
Ended. Accepted startups got a promo code for 100% off the first year of a monthly Premium Site plan (and the legacy CMS Site plan). No new applications since 30 June 2026.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Webflow for Startups
- Who qualifies
- Only startups accepted before 30 June 2026 can still redeem their promo code
- How long
- Was the first year of a monthly site plan
- Referral or funding needed
- n/a: closed to new applicants
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Not applicable
- Countries
- n/a (program closed)
- India
- No. Closed to everyone since 30 June 2026. Webflow’s free Starter plan is still open.
- How to apply
- No longer possible. Existing participants apply their code when buying a Site plan, choosing monthly billing.
- Watch out for
- The code worked only with monthly billing, not yearly
- At the end of the committed period, accounts move to standard paid plans
- Stripe Atlas founders can still get 50% off an annual site plan and 100% off one template
- Status note
- Webflow’s help centre (updated 10 July 2026) says the program ended on 30 June 2026, no new applications are accepted, and program infrastructure is being retired. Current participants keep benefits for their committed period, then move to standard plans with notice. Webflow says it has no plans for a new early-stage program. webflow.com/startups redirects (via /solutions/startups) to this article.
Official page for Webflow for Startups (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Startup perks from Brex, Ramp, Mercury and Stripe Atlas
These are customer perks, not credit programs: you get them by opening an account or forming a company, and all four need a US-registered company. Brex, Ramp and Mercury ask for one, and Stripe Atlas forms one for you. Each perk then keeps its partner’s own rules.
- Brex values its partner offers at “over $350,000”, for example AWS credits of up to $5,000 for new Brex customers and $1,000 of OpenAI credits. You need a US EIN (Employer Identification Number, the US federal tax ID), a US address and US operations, and funded startups on monthly payment terms need a $50,000 minimum cash balance.
- Ramp also values its 103 partner listings at “over $350,000”. You need at least $25,000 in cash in a linked US business bank account and a physical US address; virtual offices are not accepted.
- Mercury listed 273 perks on 12 October 2026, such as $5,000 in AWS and $10,000 in GitHub credits, and publishes no total. The company must be US-registered, but founders can live outside the US unless their country is on Mercury’s prohibited list; Indian residents can apply with a US company.
- Stripe Atlas forms a Delaware C corp or LLC for $500 and gives $2,500 in Stripe credits, valid for 365 days, to companies incorporated on or after 16 October 2025. Stripe values its partner perks at “over $50,000”. After the first year, the registered agent costs $100 a year and renews automatically.
The Brex and Ramp figures are a sum of discounts, not cash. Most perks only save money on tools you would buy anyway, and the AWS perks from Mercury and Stripe Atlas are Activate credits, so they do not add to an Activate award (see stacking below).
Paid perk marketplaces. Secret charges $149 a year (or $399 once) for its Premium deals, and FounderPass charges $99 a year for Premium. Both have free tiers. Before you pay, check whether the vendor runs its own program: many do, and applying directly costs nothing. Notion and Retool give free periods, while HubSpot and Intercom give discounts.
Can you combine startup credits?
We found no rule against holding credits from different providers at once. The limits apply within one provider, where a second offer usually replaces or tops up the first instead of adding to it. These are the rules we confirmed on official pages. Where a page says nothing, ask the provider before you count on two offers.
- AWS pays only the difference. If you already hold Activate credits and are approved for a larger award, you receive the difference, up to a lifetime maximum. AWS’s own example: $10,000 first, then a $100,000 award, pays $90,000. A request for a smaller amount is declined. Mercury and Stripe Atlas both describe their AWS perks as AWS Activate credits, and Mercury adds that credits are not added on, so these perks do not add to Activate. Brex’s page says only “AWS credits”, so ask Brex before you count them on top.
- Neon and Databricks are one program. Self-funded startups (under $1M raised) get up to $1,000 in Neon credits. Venture-backed startups ($1M or more raised) or accelerator startups get up to $200,000 in total: up to $100,000 in Neon plus up to $100,000 in Databricks credits. We list Neon and Databricks separately because each has its own page, so never add the two entries.
- Accelerator deals replace the public ones. PostHog’s YC deal does not stack with PostHog for Startups, and Sentry’s YC and a16z speedrun deal does not stack with Sentry for Startups.
- MotherDuck cannot be combined with other offers.
- Cloudflare is one-time per startup, and its credits are non-transferable.
When credits run out: billing traps to check
Many programs start billing your card automatically when the credits end or run out, and some set deadlines that cost you the credit if you miss them. One line each, checked 12 and 13 October 2026:
- Microsoft switches subscriptions to pay-as-you-go automatically when credits run out or expire.
- Cloudflare bills overages automatically, and after expiry bills the card on file unless you sign a prepaid contract.
- AWS credits set up for Business Support enrol you in AWS Business Support. If those credits run out before they expire, you pay the support charges.
- Google‘s year 2 is a 20% credit on your spend, so the full extra $100,000 needs about $500,000 of year-2 usage.
- DigitalOcean charges your card for usage above $10,000 a month, and since 13 May 2026 its credits exclude GPU and third-party models.
- Intercom costs $65 a month in year 1, $451.50 in year 2 and $677.25 in year 3, against a list price of $903 a month.
- HubSpot‘s 90%, 50% and 25% discounts cover only net-new Professional or Enterprise products, on an annual commitment.
- Baseten credits expire 6 months after they are granted.
- Datadog must be activated within 30 days of acceptance, or you reapply.
- Mixpanel removes you if you send no data within 90 days of acceptance.
- GitHub for Startups makes an authorisation charge within a few weeks of onboarding, and a missing payment method or a failed charge locks the account. Prepaid cards are not accepted.
- Zoho‘s Stage 2 credits need your business email domain hosted and mapped with Zoho within 15 days of Stage 1.
- PostHog credits stopped covering its AI tools on 14 September 2026.
Set a reminder a month before each expiry date, and switch off or downgrade what you will not keep paying for.
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Startup credits are not cash
Credits have no cash value, usually cannot be transferred, and expire. Several programs’ terms say you owe any taxes on the value of the credits (Cloudflare, DigitalOcean), and several let the provider use your company name and logo in its marketing (AWS, Cloudflare, DigitalOcean). How credits are treated for tax depends on where your company is, so ask your accountant.
Headline values are mostly list prices. Mixpanel values its free year at $145,000, Amplitude advertises its free year as worth $60,000, and Retool says its free year is worth up to $60,000. Your real saving depends on team size and usage. Kiro Startup Credits cover up to 30 users of Kiro Pro+, which is normally $40 per user a month. None of this is money you can spend elsewhere.
When the credits stop, the full bill starts. Use our cash flow decision tool to plan for the month your credits run out.
Free download
Startup credits tracker for Excel
Log each credit grant with its expiry date and how much you use each month, and see which credits will run out or expire first. The workbook also lists the programs we track, with a link to each official page.
Download the tracker (.xlsx)Free Excel file. No email or sign-up needed. Programs checked 12 and 13 October 2026.
Before you apply: a checklist
- A live website and a public profile. AWS asks for a working website or public profile; Cloudflare wants a live site and a presence on LinkedIn, X or GitHub.
- The right email for each program. AWS, Google and Cloudflare want a business email on your own domain. Microsoft is the opposite: sign up with a personal Microsoft account, because work and company-domain emails are not accepted.
- A card the provider will accept for recurring charges. AWS, Microsoft, Cloudflare and DigitalOcean need one on the account, and PostHog and Neon need you on a paid plan before you apply. Outside the US, check that your card allows international recurring payments.
- A registered legal entity for Microsoft’s $5,000 step.
- A separate AWS account for each startup, on a Paid Tier Plan. Free-plan accounts cannot receive Activate credits, and an account already used by another startup is rejected.
- Matching domains for Google. Your business email, public website and billing account’s email domain must match, and you need the 18-character billing account ID.
- Your funding facts and investor contacts. Partner tiers ask for a code, an Org ID or proof from the partner’s portal. HubSpot, for one, checks funding on Crunchbase, Harmonic or PitchBook.
Can Indian startups apply?
Yes, for most of the big programs. The catches are practical: email domains, paid accounts and card checks.
- AWS Activate is open to Indian startups. Indian AWS accounts are billed by AISPL (Amazon Internet Services Private Limited).
- Google needs matching domains, and a Cloud billing account with an Indian address must pass identity verification within 30 days.
- Microsoft‘s $5,000 step needs a registered legal entity.
- Cloudflare lists no country limit, and Claude for Startups listed none before it closed to new applicants on 15 October 2026: see the India sections of our Cloudflare guide and Claude guide.
- OpenAI‘s credits need a partner VC, and the VCs it names are US firms.
- The Brex, Ramp, Mercury and Stripe Atlas perks need a US company.
Our India page has a program-by-program table for Indian private limited companies. For India-only routes such as Zoho’s DPIIT route, E2E Networks, Yotta and Sarvam, see startup credits and grants in India.
Startup programs we could not confirm, or that ended
We could not confirm these on an official page on 12 and 13 October 2026, so do not plan around any amount you see for them, including the third-party figure on IBM’s entry: Groq for Startups (its page redirects to Groq’s home page), the Meta Llama Startup Program (the page no longer loads), Perplexity for Startups (it redirects to Perplexity’s hub page), IBM Cloud for Startups (IBM’s startup page returns a not-found notice), Redis for Startups (the English page redirects to the home page, though some translated pages still carry a form) and the Scaleway Startup Program (Scaleway’s site blocked our checks, so its euro amounts come from search-engine copies of its page). Check with the vendor before you rely on any figure for them.
- Status unclear: the AWS Generative AI Accelerator. No official page confirms a 2026 cohort.
- Ended: Webflow for Startups (30 June 2026) and the Segment Startup Program (end date not stated).
- Paused: Vapi for Startups (applications on hold, with no reopening date) and Claude for Startups (new applications closed because its current cohort is full, checked 15 October 2026).
Free credits for startups: FAQ
Can a bootstrapped startup get cloud credits without an investor?
Yes. On 12 and 13 October 2026, with no investor, AWS Activate’s Founders tier started at $1,000, Google Cloud’s Start tier gave $2,000 for 12 months, Cloudflare gave $10,000 for a year to startups that raised under $1M, and Microsoft gave $200 on joining, then $5,000 after business verification.
What is an Activate Provider Org ID or a VC referral code?
It is proof that a partner investor or accelerator backs you. On 12 and 13 October 2026, AWS’s Activate Providers (accelerators, angels and VCs) gave an Org ID for the Portfolio tier of up to $200,000, and Microsoft and OpenAI used referral codes from partner investors. Ask your investor; you cannot buy or borrow one.
Do I need a registered company to get startup credits?
Often, yes. On 12 and 13 October 2026, Microsoft’s $5,000 step needed business verification as a registered legal entity, NVIDIA Inception needed an incorporation date, and the Brex, Ramp and Mercury perks needed a US-registered company. AWS, Google and Cloudflare also wanted a live website and a business email on your own domain.
What happens to my bill when startup credits run out?
You start paying list prices, often automatically. On 12 and 13 October 2026, Microsoft switched subscriptions to pay-as-you-go, Cloudflare billed the card on file unless you signed a prepaid contract, and OpenAI moved accounts to standard billing. Set a reminder a month before each expiry, and switch off what you will not keep paying for.
Can I get AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft startup credits at the same time?
Yes. We found no rule against it on the official pages on 12 and 13 October 2026: the limits apply within one provider, not across providers. AWS pays only the difference up to a lifetime maximum, Google’s Scale tier needs no more than $5,000 in earlier Google Cloud credits, and Microsoft excludes startups with over $350,000 in lifetime free Azure credits. Check each program’s terms before you count on two offers.
Are the Brex, Ramp and Mercury perks worth what they say?
Treat the headlines as list prices. On 12 and 13 October 2026, Brex and Ramp each valued their partner offers at over $350,000, a sum of discounts rather than cash, and Mercury published no total. All three need a US-registered company, and Ramp also needs $25,000 in a linked US business bank account.
How long do startup credits last?
Usually 12 months, sometimes two years. On 12 and 13 October 2026, Cloudflare’s credits lasted 1 year or until used; Google’s Start tier, DigitalOcean and PostHog gave 12 months; and Google’s Scale tier gave two years. Microsoft’s credits last up to two years once activated, and you must activate within 90 days of accepting the program agreement. AWS sets an expiry date on each grant, shown in the Billing console, and does not extend it.
Related guides
- Cloudflare for Startups guide: $10,000 without investors
- Claude for Startups guide: the October 2026 pause and what members keep
- Cash flow decision tool: plan for the month your credits run out
- Zoho Books vs TallyPrime for Indian startups
- AI API and GPU credits
- Free cloud tiers to use before you apply
- Startup credits and grants in India
- A to Z index of every program we track
Please note: we update this page from time to time, but startup programs change their amounts, tiers and terms often, and there can be a gap between a change and our update. We checked each program’s official page on 12 and 13 October 2026. Check the official page again before you apply or plan spending around a credit. Amounts are the providers’ advertised values in US dollars unless stated, not cash, and nothing here is tax or legal advice.
Sources
- AWS Activate: credit tiers, eligibility and how to apply (opens in a new tab)
- AWS Startups FAQ: the difference rule, lifetime maximum and the $10,000 to $100,000 example (re-checked 14 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- AWS Activate terms: Bedrock coverage, Business Support enrolment, publicity (opens in a new tab)
- AWS registration FAQ: Indian accounts billed by AISPL (opens in a new tab)
- Google for Startups Cloud Program: Start tier (opens in a new tab)
- Google for Startups Cloud Program: Scale tier, funding rules and year-2 credit (opens in a new tab)
- Google for Startups Cloud Program: AI-first tier (opens in a new tab)
- Google for Startups Cloud Program FAQ: billing account and domain matching (opens in a new tab)
- Google Cloud billing: identity verification for Indian billing accounts (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft for Startups: milestones from $200 to $150,000 (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft for Startups FAQ, including the $1,000 and $4,000 wording (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft for Startups application guide: personal account, referral code, card (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft Investor Offer Benefits: the older page with the $200,000 figure (opens in a new tab)
- Cloudflare for Startups: tiers, caps, FAQ and terms (opens in a new tab)
- Claude for Startups: program page and FAQ (cohort full, re-checked 15 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- OpenAI for Startups (opens in a new tab)
- NVIDIA Inception (opens in a new tab)
- DigitalOcean Startups: eligibility, qualifying services and monthly limit (opens in a new tab)
- DigitalOcean Startups program terms: taxes and publicity (opens in a new tab)
- PostHog for Startups (opens in a new tab)
- ElevenLabs Grants (opens in a new tab)
- Together AI Startup Accelerator (opens in a new tab)
- Deepgram Startup Program (opens in a new tab)
- Runpod Startup Program (opens in a new tab)
- Neon and Databricks Startup Program (opens in a new tab)
- Sentry for Startups application: the YC and a16z speedrun rule (opens in a new tab)
- MotherDuck Startup Program (opens in a new tab)
- Kiro Startup Credits (opens in a new tab)
- Intercom Early Stage program: prices by year (opens in a new tab)
- HubSpot for Startups (opens in a new tab)
- Baseten startup program terms: 6-month expiry (opens in a new tab)
- Datadog for Startups (opens in a new tab)
- Mixpanel startup program: the 90-day data rule (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub for Startups: terms and authorisation charge (opens in a new tab)
- Zoho for Startups: two-stage credits (opens in a new tab)
- Brex account requirements (opens in a new tab)
- Brex Day Zero Stack: the AWS credits offer (re-checked 14 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Ramp sign-up requirements (US) (opens in a new tab)
- Mercury Perks: AWS Activate credits and the “not added on” rule (checked 14 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Stripe Atlas: fee, registered agent and partner perks (opens in a new tab)
- Stripe Atlas: $2,500 Stripe credits FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- Stripe Atlas perks: AWS Activate credits for new users (re-checked 14 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)