Credit for Startups — AI & Cloud Credits Directory

Discover AI and Cloud Credits for Your Startup

A founders best friend. The monthly newsletter & free directory of startup credits and perks — from OpenAI and Anthropic to Stripe and Zendesk. Compare $3M+ in offers side by side and build your tech stack with confidence.

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Tool	Potential Value	Description
Anthropic AI models / API	$100,000	Offers $25,000 to $100,000+ in Claude API credits for startups depending on stage.
Approval Index VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro Eligibility Available to startups backed by Anthropic’s VC partners. Programs Claude for Startups $25,000 - $100,000+ View full breakdown Apply on Anthropic
Zendesk Support	$80,000	Up to 2 years free on Zendesk's Resolution Platform for up to 50 agents through Zendesk for Startups.
Approval Index VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro Eligibility Must be less than 10 years old Must have raised an Angel, Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, or Series B round (no Series C or later) Must have 50 or fewer employees — or 250 or fewer if referred by a Zendesk accelerator/VC partner Must be a new Zendesk subscriber (previous or active paid customers cannot participate) Programs Zendesk for Startups Up to 2 years free View full breakdown Apply on Zendesk
Google Cloud Cloud	$350,000	Provides up to $200,000 in credits for cloud services and infrastructure.
Approval Index VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro Eligibility Must be less than 5 years old Must have received less than Series A funding Must not be a previous Google Cloud Platform program participant Must have a company website Must be associated with an approved accelerator, incubator, or VC firm (for full program) Programs Google for Startups Cloud Program $200,000 Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI track) $350,000 View full breakdown Apply on Google Cloud
Cloudflare Infra / Edge	$250,000	Offers tiered startup credits from $5,000 to $250,000 based on funding stage.
Approval Index Open to All Available to most startups Eligibility Tiers based on stage (bootstrapped → high‑growth); building a software product; typically ≤5 years old. Programs Cloudflare for Startups Up to $250,000 View full breakdown Apply on Cloudflare
Microsoft Cloud	$150,000	Offers up to $150,000 in Azure credits for cloud services and development tools.
Approval Index VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro Eligibility Must be less than 7 years old Must have annual revenue less than $10M Must not be a previous Microsoft for Startups participant Must have a professional website Must be building a business-to-business technology solution Programs Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub $150,000 Azure Cloud Credits for Startups $5,000 Microsoft for Startups — Investor Offer $100,000 View full breakdown Apply on Microsoft
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Mixpanel Product Analytics	$150,000	Provides over $150,000 in value with one year free including up to 1 billion events.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Incorporated ≤5 years; funding ≤$8M; not a current paid customer. Programs Mixpanel for Startups $150,000+ View full breakdown Apply on Mixpanel
IBM Cloud	$120,000	Provides up to $120,000 cloud credits for cloud services and AI.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Must be less than 5 years old Must have less than $1M in annual revenue Must not be a current IBM Cloud customer Must have a minimum viable product Must be building an innovative technology solution Programs Startup with IBM $120,000 View full breakdown Apply on IBM
AWS Cloud	$100,000	Offers up to $100,000 in AWS credits for cloud infrastructure, AI model credits via Bedrock, and up to $1M for select accelerator cohorts.
Approval Index Open to All Available to most startups Eligibility Must be less than 10 years old Must not have previously received AWS Activate credits Must be privately held Must have a professional company website and email Must be a member of an approved accelerator, incubator, VC, or other startup organization (for full $100k credits) Programs AWS Activate $100,000 AWS Activate Founders $1,000 AWS Activate (Portfolio/Founders) $100,000 View full breakdown Apply on AWS
DigitalOcean Cloud	$100,000	Provides up to $5,000 in infrastructure credits for their cloud platform.
Approval Index VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro Eligibility Must be less than 5 years old Must be part of an approved accelerator or incubator Must not have previously received DigitalOcean credits Must have a company website Must be building a scalable technology product Programs DigitalOcean for Startups $5,000 DigitalOcean for Startups $100,000 View full breakdown Apply on DigitalOcean
Datadog Monitoring / Observability	$100,000	Provides up to $100,000 in credits for one year of free Datadog Pro.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Amount varies by partner; targeted at early‑stage teams. Programs Datadog for Startups Up to $100,000 View full breakdown Apply on Datadog
Oracle Cloud Cloud	$100,000	Up to $100,000 in Oracle Cloud credits with $500 free to start and 70% discount.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Benefits vary by region/partner; Always Free services available. Must be less than 10 years old Must have a minimum viable product Must not be a current Oracle Cloud customer Must have a scalable technology solution Programs Oracle for Startups Up to $100,000 View full breakdown Apply on Oracle Cloud
Stripe Financial	$50,000+	$2,500 in Stripe product credits plus over $50,000 in partner discounts from AWS, Mercury, Carta, and more.
Approval Index Open to All Available to most startups Eligibility Must be a new startup or an established private business Must be intended to grow an online or online-enabled business Must comply with Stripe's compliance requirements Programs Incorporation Package $2,500 + $50,000+ in perks View full breakdown Apply on Stripe
Databricks Data & AI	$50,000	Provides up to $50,000 in credits for data and AI workloads.
Approval Index VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro Eligibility VC‑backed focus; pre‑seed/seed in accelerator. Programs Databricks for Startups Up to $50,000 View full breakdown Apply on Databricks
GitHub Development	$50,000	Up to $10,000 in platform credits for startups, plus $40,000 in non-dilutive funding through the Accelerator program.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Must be less than 5 years old Less than $1M in funding raised Must not be a previous GitHub Enterprise customer Must be a registered company Cannot be combined with other GitHub offers Programs GitHub Enterprise $21,000 GitHub Accelerator $40,000 GitHub for Startups $10,000 View full breakdown Apply on GitHub
Mistral AI AI models / API	$30,000	Provides approximately €30,000 in credits for La Plateforme plus cohort mentorship through their 6-month startup program.
Approval Index VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro Eligibility Cohorts of ~10 startups; 6‑month program. Programs Mistralship (Startup Program) $30,000 View full breakdown Apply on Mistral AI
Salesforce CRM	$25,000	Offers services valued at $25,000 for CRM and cloud services.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Must be less than 5 years old Must have raised less than $5M in funding Must not be a current Salesforce customer Must have a company website Must be building an enterprise-focused solution Programs Salesforce for Startups $25,000 View full breakdown Apply on Salesforce
Notion SaaS / Productivity	$12,000	Grants Business plan free for up to 6 months (saving up to $12,000) including Notion AI for new startup teams.
Approval Index Open to All Available to most startups Eligibility New, non‑paying startups; other partner routes offer fixed credits. Programs Notion for Startups $12,000 View full breakdown Apply on Notion
Perplexity AI AI search / API	$5,000	Grants 6 months of Enterprise Pro (up to 50 seats) plus $5,000 in API credits for AI-powered search integration.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Must be associated with an approved startup partner; early‑stage focus. Programs Perplexity for Startups $5,000 View full breakdown Apply on Perplexity AI
OpenAI AI models / API	$5,000	Up to $5,000 in OpenAI API credits — including the GPT-4o and ChatGPT API models — for venture-backed startups through OpenAI for Startups.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Must be less than 5 years old from incorporation Must be venture-backed via an OpenAI partner VC/accelerator OR enrolled through Ramp with verified VC funding Pre-revenue startups eligible with a functional product or prototype One credit grant per OpenAI organization — cannot be stacked Credits expire 12 months from issuance and are non-transferable Programs OpenAI for Startups Up to $5,000 in API credits View full breakdown Apply on OpenAI
Runnin' Down a Dream Foundation Foundation Grant	$5,000	Legendary Benchmark investor Bill Gurley's foundation awarding $5,000 non-dilutive micro-grants to early builders and founders chasing a dream — applicants (18+, US residents) showing real commitment through unpaid work and facing a specific financial obstacle the grant would unblock. Pilot applications open May 2026; deadline Aug 1, 2026.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Must be 18 years or older Must currently reside in the United States Must have read the book “Runnin’ Down a Dream” Pilot applications open May 2026 — deadline Aug 1, 2026; first grants awarded early Fall 2026 Programs Micro-Grants for Dream Chasers $5,000 per recipient View full breakdown Apply on Runnin' Down a Dream Foundation
ElevenLabs AI voice	$4,000+	33 million characters of audio generation (680+ hours) over 12 months for startups with fewer than 25 employees.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Early‑stage companies building with voice AI; rolling application. Programs ElevenLabs Startup Grants $4,000+ (33M characters) View full breakdown Apply on ElevenLabs
Stripe Atlas Legal	$500	Incorporate a US C-Corp from anywhere in the world. $500 flat fee covers incorporation, EIN, founder agreements, and Stripe product credits.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Open to founders globally Flat fee of $500 covers state + Atlas fees $100/yr registered agent renewal after year 1 Programs Stripe Atlas $500 flat View full breakdown Apply on Stripe Atlas
Amplitude Product Analytics	Free for 1 year	One year free of the Growth plan with up to 1.2 billion events and 200K monthly tracked users.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility <$10M funding; <20 employees. Programs Amplitude Startup Scholarship 1 year free Growth plan View full breakdown Apply on Amplitude
HubSpot Marketing	Varies	Offers up to 90% off on marketing, sales, and CRM software for startups.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Must have raised Pre-seed, Seed, or Series A funding (not Series B or later) Must be affiliated with an approved HubSpot for Startups partner OR have raised verified venture funding (verifiable via Crunchbase or Pitchbook) 30% tier requires association with an approved entrepreneurial organization Discount applies to net-new Professional or Enterprise level products only Programs HubSpot for Startups Up to 90% off Year 1 View full breakdown Apply on HubSpot
Cohere AI models / API	Varies	Offers discounted enterprise AI pricing (up to 25% off) and grant access through Cohere Labs for early-stage startups.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Early‑stage startups; separate Catalyst Grants for researchers/impact orgs. Programs Cohere Startup Program Varies View full breakdown Apply on Cohere
Pinecone Vector DB	Varies	Offers usage credits, discounts, Pro support, and access to all regions for vector database infrastructure.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Series A or earlier; <100 employees. Programs Pinecone for Startups Varies View full breakdown Apply on Pinecone
MongoDB Database / AI	Varies	Offers expanded Atlas credits, Voyage AI tokens, and go-to-market support for startups building on MongoDB.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Early‑stage; details vary; recent expansion increased credit amounts. Programs MongoDB for Startups Varies View full breakdown Apply on MongoDB
Snowflake Data & AI	Varies	Grants free usage credits plus 6-month accelerator with GTM support for startups building on the Snowflake data cloud.
Approval Index VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro Eligibility Early‑stage building on Snowflake; VC network involvement. Programs Snowflake for Startups / Startup Accelerator Varies View full breakdown Apply on Snowflake
Vercel Hosting / AI	Varies	Provides startup credits for serverless hosting and deployment, with multi-vendor credit pools through their AI Accelerator.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Apply to program or accelerator; credits vary by partner bundle. Programs Vercel for Startups / AI Accelerator Varies View full breakdown Apply on Vercel
Mercury Banking	Varies	Free startup banking built for founders — no monthly fees, FDIC-insured deposits, and integrated treasury for idle cash.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Must be a US-incorporated entity (C-Corp, LLC, etc.) Application includes business details and EIN Programs Mercury for Startups Free View full breakdown Apply on Mercury
Brex Banking	Varies	Corporate cards and finance stack built for startups — no personal guarantee, rewards on startup-relevant spend.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Must be a US-incorporated business with an EIN Approval based on cash balance / funding (not personal credit) Programs Brex for Startups Varies View full breakdown Apply on Brex
Clerky Legal	Varies	Startup-friendly legal paperwork — incorporation, fundraising docs, and equity grants done online with founder-friendly defaults.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility US-based startups, primarily Delaware C-Corps Programs Clerky $427 pay-per-use or $819 lifetime View full breakdown Apply on Clerky
Gusto HR & Payroll	Varies	Modern payroll, benefits, and HR for early-stage teams — automatic tax filings and contractor payments included.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility US-based businesses with at least one employee or contractor Programs Gusto From $49/mo + $6/employee View full breakdown Apply on Gusto
NVIDIA Inception AI Program	Varies	Free program for AI and data-science startups — discounts on NVIDIA hardware/software, technical training, and go-to-market support.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Building products in AI, deep learning, or data science Privately held; less than $20M raised (lower tiers) Programs NVIDIA Inception Free + partner discounts View full breakdown Apply on NVIDIA Inception
Mozilla Builders Corporate Grant	Varies	Mozilla's themed grant program for early-stage open-source AI builders. Awards up to $100K per project. Currently between cohorts — watch builders.mozilla.org for the next call.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Building open-source / trustworthy AI Cohort themes change — check current call Currently between cohorts (as of 2026) Programs Mozilla Builders Up to $100K per project View full breakdown Apply on Mozilla Builders
AWS Imagine Grant Corporate Grant	Varies	AWS Imagine Grant — three award tracks (Momentum to Modernize, Go Further Faster, Pathfinder/GenAI) of cash plus AWS Promotional Credits for nonprofits using the cloud for social impact.
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (US) or equivalent in UK/IE/CA/AU/NZ Annual application window (check site for current dates) Programs AWS Imagine Grant Cash + credits, varies by track View full breakdown Apply on AWS Imagine Grant
Google.org Corporate Grant	Varies	Google's philanthropic arm — funds nonprofits and social-impact startups working on global challenges (AI for good, education, equity).
Approval Index Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply Eligibility Nonprofits or social-impact projects (some open to for-profit social enterprises) Themed RFPs — check current calls (2026 windows closed in April) Programs Google.org Impact Challenge $500K–$3M per awardee View full breakdown Apply on Google.org

Tool

Potential Value

Description

Action

Anthropic

AI models / API

$100,000

Offers $25,000 to $100,000+ in Claude API credits for startups depending on stage.

Zendesk

Support

$80,000

Up to 2 years free on Zendesk's Resolution Platform for up to 50 agents through Zendesk for Startups.

Approval Index

VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro

Eligibility

Must be less than 10 years old
Must have raised an Angel, Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, or Series B round (no Series C or later)
Must have 50 or fewer employees — or 250 or fewer if referred by a Zendesk accelerator/VC partner
Must be a new Zendesk subscriber (previous or active paid customers cannot participate)

Programs

Zendesk for Startups

Up to 2 years free

View full breakdown Apply on Zendesk

Google Cloud

Cloud

$350,000

Provides up to $200,000 in credits for cloud services and infrastructure.

Approval Index

VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro

Eligibility

Must be less than 5 years old
Must have received less than Series A funding
Must not be a previous Google Cloud Platform program participant
Must have a company website
Must be associated with an approved accelerator, incubator, or VC firm (for full program)

Programs

Google for Startups Cloud Program

$200,000
Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI track)

$350,000

View full breakdown Apply on Google Cloud

Cloudflare

Infra / Edge

$250,000

Offers tiered startup credits from $5,000 to $250,000 based on funding stage.

Microsoft

Cloud

$150,000

Offers up to $150,000 in Azure credits for cloud services and development tools.

Approval Index

VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro

Eligibility

Must be less than 7 years old
Must have annual revenue less than $10M
Must not be a previous Microsoft for Startups participant
Must have a professional website
Must be building a business-to-business technology solution

Programs

Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub

$150,000
Azure Cloud Credits for Startups

$5,000
Microsoft for Startups — Investor Offer

$100,000

View full breakdown Apply on Microsoft

Mixpanel

Product Analytics

$150,000

Provides over $150,000 in value with one year free including up to 1 billion events.

IBM

Cloud

$120,000

Provides up to $120,000 cloud credits for cloud services and AI.

Approval Index

Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply

Eligibility

Must be less than 5 years old
Must have less than $1M in annual revenue
Must not be a current IBM Cloud customer
Must have a minimum viable product
Must be building an innovative technology solution

Programs

Startup with IBM

$120,000

View full breakdown Apply on IBM

AWS

Cloud

$100,000

Offers up to $100,000 in AWS credits for cloud infrastructure, AI model credits via Bedrock, and up to $1M for select accelerator cohorts.

Approval Index

Open to All Available to most startups

Eligibility

Must be less than 10 years old
Must not have previously received AWS Activate credits
Must be privately held
Must have a professional company website and email
Must be a member of an approved accelerator, incubator, VC, or other startup organization (for full $100k credits)

Programs

AWS Activate

$100,000
AWS Activate Founders

$1,000
AWS Activate (Portfolio/Founders)

$100,000

View full breakdown Apply on AWS

DigitalOcean

Cloud

$100,000

Provides up to $5,000 in infrastructure credits for their cloud platform.

Approval Index

VC-Backed Typically requires VC partner intro

Eligibility

Must be less than 5 years old
Must be part of an approved accelerator or incubator
Must not have previously received DigitalOcean credits
Must have a company website
Must be building a scalable technology product

Programs

DigitalOcean for Startups

$5,000
DigitalOcean for Startups

$100,000

View full breakdown Apply on DigitalOcean

Datadog

Monitoring / Observability

$100,000

Provides up to $100,000 in credits for one year of free Datadog Pro.

Approval Index

Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply

Eligibility

Benefits vary by region/partner; Always Free services available.
Must be less than 10 years old
Must have a minimum viable product
Must not be a current Oracle Cloud customer
Must have a scalable technology solution

Programs

Oracle for Startups

Up to $100,000

View full breakdown Apply on Oracle Cloud

Approval Index

Open to All Available to most startups

Eligibility

Must be a new startup or an established private business
Must be intended to grow an online or online-enabled business
Must comply with Stripe's compliance requirements

Programs

Incorporation Package

$2,500 + $50,000+ in perks

View full breakdown Apply on Stripe

Approval Index

Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply

Eligibility

Must be less than 5 years old
Less than $1M in funding raised
Must not be a previous GitHub Enterprise customer
Must be a registered company
Cannot be combined with other GitHub offers

Programs

GitHub Enterprise

$21,000
GitHub Accelerator

$40,000
GitHub for Startups

$10,000

View full breakdown Apply on GitHub

Approval Index

Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply

Eligibility

Must be less than 5 years old
Must have raised less than $5M in funding
Must not be a current Salesforce customer
Must have a company website
Must be building an enterprise-focused solution

Programs

Salesforce for Startups

$25,000

View full breakdown Apply on Salesforce

Approval Index

Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply

Eligibility

Must be less than 5 years old from incorporation
Must be venture-backed via an OpenAI partner VC/accelerator OR enrolled through Ramp with verified VC funding
Pre-revenue startups eligible with a functional product or prototype
One credit grant per OpenAI organization — cannot be stacked
Credits expire 12 months from issuance and are non-transferable

Programs

OpenAI for Startups

Up to $5,000 in API credits

View full breakdown Apply on OpenAI

Approval Index

Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply

Eligibility

Must be 18 years or older
Must currently reside in the United States
Must have read the book “Runnin’ Down a Dream”
Pilot applications open May 2026 — deadline Aug 1, 2026; first grants awarded early Fall 2026

Programs

Micro-Grants for Dream Chasers

$5,000 per recipient

View full breakdown Apply on Runnin' Down a Dream Foundation

Approval Index

Conditions Specific eligibility criteria apply

Eligibility

Must have raised Pre-seed, Seed, or Series A funding (not Series B or later)
Must be affiliated with an approved HubSpot for Startups partner OR have raised verified venture funding (verifiable via Crunchbase or Pitchbook)
30% tier requires association with an approved entrepreneurial organization
Discount applies to net-new Professional or Enterprise level products only