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Deepak Gupta markStartup Offers
DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean Startups

Cloud credits for startups that have raised $10M or less, with AI-native companies prioritized. Amounts vary by partner.

Cloud InfrastructureNo referral needed3–10 day reviewEasy to applyWidely used
Apply at DigitalOcean ↗
In a sentence

DigitalOcean Startups offers up to Credits vary by partner, $10,000/month spend cap to bootstrapped, pre-seed, seed startups, no VC referral required. Review takes 3–10 business days.

Max value
Credits vary by partner, $10,000/month spend cap
Credits valid
12 months
Regions
Global
Last verified
Sep 2026

About

DigitalOcean Startups, previously called Hatch, provides cloud credits alongside technical guidance and community access. The old /hatch URL still resolves through a redirect.

DigitalOcean no longer publishes tier amounts. The page states that credit amounts vary by partner and directs you to your program manager, so the $100,000 AI tier and $20,000 partner tier this entry previously listed are no longer supported by anything on the vendor site. There is a stated $10,000 per month spend limit.

Eligibility is now explicit on two points. You must have raised $10M or less, and AI-native startups are prioritized. Service businesses, agencies, and consultancies are called out as ineligible.

Tiers

Direct application
Credits vary, subject to a $10,000 monthly spend cap
  • New business account, no partner affiliation
How to qualify: Apply at digitalocean.com/startups.
Partner-referred
Larger credit amounts, set by your partner
  • VC, incubator, or accelerator referral
How to qualify: Include partner details in the application. DigitalOcean no longer publishes tier amounts.
AI-native track
Prioritized review, amount set case by case
  • AI-native product, partner-referred
How to qualify: Apply at digitalocean.com/startups and flag the AI use case. No published maximum.
Aiven via Hatch
$10,000 Aiven credits 12 months
  • Hatch member, up to 7 years old
How to qualify: Apply via Hatch to Aiven add-on.

Eligibility

✓ You qualify if
  • Raised $10M or less
  • AI-native startups are prioritized
  • Live product or working prototype
✗ You don't qualify if
  • Service businesses, agencies, and consultancies are explicitly ineligible
  • Companies that have raised more than $10M

How to apply

  1. 1
    Create team account
    Business email + team account.
  2. 2
    Apply
    Apply at do.co/hatch.
    www.digitalocean.com/hatch ↗
  3. 3
    Add partner info
    If partner-affiliated, include referral.
  4. 4
    AI tier
    Email hatch@digitalocean.com for AI info.

What else you get

  • 15 months Standard-tier paid support free
  • Connections to DO PMs and engineers
  • DO Marketplace exposure
  • Hatch Slack community
  • Newsletter + social amplification
  • Welcome Kit: $5K Segment, 90% off HubSpot, GitHub seats

What credits cover (and don't)

✓ Covered
  • Compute Droplets
  • Databases
  • Spaces Object Storage
  • GPU Droplets (AI tier)
✗ Not covered
  • GPU Droplets excluded from base tier

Tactical tips

  • Tip 1.Use a matching business email domain, not personal Gmail.
  • Tip 2.Ask your VC/accelerator: partner-referred unlocks 20× credits ($1K → $20K) and 100× for AI ($100K).
  • Tip 3.Plan for the 12-month cliff, credits expire whether used or not.
  • Tip 4.Don't miss the Welcome Kit, many founders forget $5K Segment, HubSpot, GitHub seats.

Common rejection reasons

  • Personal Gmail email
  • Individual (non-team) account

Frequently asked about DigitalOcean Startups

Is DigitalOcean Startups free to apply?

Yes. Applying to DigitalOcean Startups does not cost anything and does not require giving up equity. Some programs require a payment method on file that activates only after credits are consumed or expire, check the program detail page for specifics.

How long does DigitalOcean Startups take to review applications?

Processing times are shown on the program detail page. Most programs reply within 1–3 weeks. Self-serve tiers (like AWS Activate Founders) can approve in 2–7 days; partner-referred tiers (like AWS Activate Portfolio) usually take 5–10 days.

Can I combine DigitalOcean Startups with other startup programs?

Most programs stack. The "Stacks well with" section on each detail page lists commonly combined programs. A few important exceptions: if you already claimed AWS credits via Brex or Mercury, your direct AWS Activate amount may be reduced.

What is the most common reason applications to DigitalOcean get rejected?

The top rejection reasons are (1) using a personal Gmail/Outlook address instead of a company domain, (2) having a thin or placeholder website, and (3) mismatched information between the application and Crunchbase/Pitchbook. The tips section on the program page details program-specific factors.

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