Startup credits: frequently asked questions

Yes. The major programs listed here (AWS Activate, Google for Startups Cloud, Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, Notion, HubSpot, etc.) are free to apply to. None of them take equity. You may need to provide a payment method that activates only after credits are exhausted or expire, always check individual terms before applying.

No. The easiest paths for bootstrapped founders are Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub (up to $5K with just business verification), AWS Activate Founders tier ($1,000), Google for Startups Cloud Start Tier ($2,000), and Cloudflare for Startups (up to $5K via the BOOTSTRAPPED code). VC or accelerator referrals unlock larger tiers ($100K–$350K) but are not required for a meaningful base.

Order matters. A good default for bootstrapped founders: (1) incorporate via Stripe Atlas, (2) join NVIDIA Inception if AI-focused, (3) apply for Microsoft Founders Hub, (4) AWS Activate Founders, (5) Google for Startups Cloud Start, (6) open Mercury or Brex, (7) then layer on Notion, MongoDB, GitHub, and others. See the Playbooks page for sequences optimized by archetype.

Typically 12 months from activation, though this varies. AWS Activate credits can last 1–2 years. Microsoft Founders Hub distributes over up to 4 years as you hit milestones. Google Cloud Scale tier runs 2 years. Each program detail page shows the exact validity.

Usually yes. AWS Activate, for example, lets you re-apply for a higher Portfolio tier after you burn through the Founders tier, as long as you now qualify. But most programs only pay out one-time per company, GitHub for Startups in particular has a strict "one redemption ever" rule.

Always use a professional domain email (name@yourcompany.com), not Gmail or Outlook. Programs verify you as a real company through your website and matching email domain. A Gmail address is one of the most common rejection reasons across AWS, Google Cloud, and Notion.

Yes, for most programs. Stripe Atlas lets non-US founders incorporate a Delaware C-Corp in ~2 business days. Mercury and Brex require a US entity but will onboard non-resident founders (Mercury compliance review can take weeks). Microsoft Founders Hub Ideate tier is the easiest entry point with no residency requirements. AWS Activate Founders accepts global applications.

The 83(b) election is a tax filing you make to the IRS within 30 calendar days of receiving founder stock. It locks in your tax basis at the time of grant, when equity is worth almost nothing, instead of when it vests (when it could be worth a lot). Missing the 30-day window can cost you tens of thousands in future taxes. The deadline is not extendable for weekends or holidays.

Both are excellent and have overlapping but different Marketplace perks. Brex leans toward travel/dining rewards and has a larger $50K+ cash reserve bar. Ramp leans toward software tools (better OpenAI credits, stronger compliance perks via Vanta/Drata/Secureframe) and is more accessible for earlier-stage startups. If you can qualify for both, having Brex for rewards and Ramp for spend controls is a common setup.

Terms, credit amounts, and eligibility rules change frequently. Listings on this site show the last time the program details were confirmed against the official provider page. We refresh all entries at least quarterly, but before you apply, always click through to the provider and confirm current terms.

It depends on the tier. The self-funded Founders tier starts around $1,000 (up to about $5,000). The Portfolio tier, which needs an approved provider, VC, or accelerator Organization ID, goes up to $100,000, and a 2026 AI tier can reach $300,000 for frontier AI startups. Credits typically last up to two years. Confirm current caps on the AWS Activate page.

Yes. AWS Activate credits are usually valid up to about two years from issuance, with some tiers shorter. Unused credits are forfeited at expiry, and your services keep running and bill at full price afterward. Time your application so you activate credits when you are ready to scale, not while the product is still half-built.

Founders is the self-serve tier for bootstrapped, unaffiliated startups and grants roughly $1,000 to $5,000. Portfolio grants up to $100,000 but requires a confidential Organization ID from an AWS Activate provider (a VC, accelerator, or incubator). The Organization ID is not a public coupon; you get it from your partner and enter it during the application.

Founders Hub tiers scale from about $1,000 up to $150,000 in Azure credits, unlocked progressively, plus GitHub Enterprise, Microsoft 365, and Azure OpenAI access. The self-serve entry gives up to roughly $5,000 with just business verification and no investor requirement; the top tiers usually need an Investor Network referral code. Verify current amounts on the Microsoft for Startups page.

Google for Startups Cloud has a Start tier (up to $2,000, early-stage and not yet equity-funded) and a Scale tier (up to $200,000 over two years for VC-backed startups). AI-first startups can reach up to $350,000 total: roughly 100% coverage up to $250,000 in year one plus 20% up to $100,000 in year two. It requires being genuinely AI-first and usually seed to Series A funding.

By headline ceiling: Google for Startups Cloud (up to $200,000, or $350,000 for AI), Microsoft Azure Founders Hub (up to $150,000), and AWS Activate (up to $100,000, higher for AI). But the headline is the top partner-referred tier, not what a self-serve founder gets. Choose by which services fit your stack, the expiry window, and which tier you actually qualify for, not the biggest number.

Yes. The three programs are not mutually exclusive and many startups apply to all three. You need legitimate usage on each and should avoid exclusive-commitment terms that conflict. In practice most teams pick a primary cloud and keep a smaller credit balance on a second for specific workloads.

The credits are usually genuinely free with no equity and no purchase obligation. The real catch is the cost cliff: once you build on proprietary services, migrating after the credits expire is expensive, and your first full-price bill can be a shock. Budget for that bill before you commit, and prefer portable architectures where you can.

Stripe Atlas incorporates a US company (a Delaware C-corp or LLC) online for a one-time $500. That covers the state filing, EIN, share issuance, and first-year registered agent (about $100 per year after). The company is usually formed in one to two business days, and you do not have to use Stripe payments to use Atlas.

No. Stripe Atlas is open to founders anywhere and is a common route for non-US founders to form a US entity. You will still need to handle US tax and banking steps, but Atlas sets up the company, EIN, and share issuance, and non-resident founders are explicitly supported.

Atlas bundles legal templates, help with the 83(b) election, Stripe payment processing credits, and a partner perks catalog (reportedly $50,000-plus across AWS, Mercury, and others). Perk lineups change often, so treat the extras as a bonus on top of the core incorporation rather than the reason to choose it.

For startups that raised and are affiliated with an approved partner, HubSpot for Startups offers up to 90% off year one, 50% off year two, and 25% off year three and beyond. Startups affiliated only through an entrepreneurial organization typically get 30% to 50% off year one. It is for new HubSpot customers, usually pre-seed to Series A and under about $20M raised.

Notion for Startups gives free credit toward the Business plan including Notion AI: up to six months free through a partner, about three months without a partner, and roughly one month for small or unverifiable teams. It is for new, non-paying customers under 100 employees, one redemption per company, and does not stack with other Notion promotions.

Zendesk for Startups gives six months free of the Suite plus Sell CRM for new customers under about 50 employees and up to Series B. Intercom Early Stage discounts its products steeply for year one (often around 90% off) for teams under roughly 15 employees and $10M raised. Both are new-customer offers with stage and size limits.

Plenty. Self-serve options with no VC or accelerator gate include AWS Activate Founders, Google for Startups Cloud Start ($2,000), Microsoft Founders Hub entry tier (up to about $5,000), Cloudflare for Startups, Notion, Zendesk, Perplexity, Retool, and most SaaS startup programs. VC or accelerator referrals only unlock the largest six-figure tiers. Use the funding-stage and referral filters on the programs page to see them.

Accelerator membership (YC, Techstars) unlocks the top perk tiers, sometimes hundreds of thousands in bundled cloud and AI credits. Opening a Brex, Mercury, or Ramp account acts as an alternative provider that unlocks bundled partner perks: Brex and Ramp marketplaces include AWS, OpenAI, GitHub, and compliance-tool credits. Opening one of these accounts is often the fastest non-dilutive way to reach perks otherwise gated behind a VC.