The 2026 Guide to Startup Credits: AWS, Google, Azure & OpenAI

Cloud and AI credits are the closest thing to free money for startups — commonly $100,000 to $350,000 per provider — yet most founders apply late or not at all. Here is the 2026 landscape.

The big four: AWS Activate (up to $100k, easiest via accelerators or the Founders tier), Google Cloud for Startups (up to $350k for AI-focused companies), Microsoft for Startups (up to $150k Azure plus OpenAI access), and direct AI-lab programs from OpenAI and Anthropic for API credits. Stack them — they are not mutually exclusive — and add Notion, Stripe, HubSpot, and Segment startup programs for the software layer.

Application tips that actually matter: apply BEFORE you scale usage (credits rarely apply retroactively), a real domain and coherent one-pager beat a deck, and affiliation with any accelerator or VC unlocks higher tiers instantly. Our Startup Credits page catalogs current programs with direct links.