Credits and infra access
AWS Activate Founder
AWS Activate Founders credits start at $1,000, and selected participants may qualify for up to $5,000. Portfolio credits can reach up to $200,000 with an Activate Provider Org ID, and an invite-only route for AI startups goes beyond $200,000.
Rolling Provider: AWS
Checked on · next review due · confirm current terms on the official page before applying.
- Status
- Rolling
- Deadline
- Rolling / eligibility based
- Amount
- Founders tier starts at $1,000 with up to $5,000 for selected participants; Portfolio tier up to $200,000 needs an Activate Provider Org ID; the $200,000+ AI startup route is invite-only
- Type
- Cloud credits
- Best for
- Early AI/tool builders with backend, storage, data, inference, or deployment costs.
- Effort
- Medium prep
Conditions
What the programme asks for
Must have
- fully functioning company website
- clear product/use case
- founded in the last 10 years
- pre-Series B startup
- AWS paid-tier account
Summarised from the official page. The provider decides; confirm every condition at the source.
Prepare
Materials to have ready
- project description
- AWS account
- paid-tier AWS account
- fully functioning company website
- startup age and funding facts
- expected AWS services
Next step
Recommended action
Estimate your AWS workload and check billing and credit exclusions before upgrading to a Paid Tier Plan. Confirm company-age and funding requirements. Founders and Portfolio are separate routes; Portfolio requires an Activate Provider Org ID from a participating accelerator, investor or other provider.
Curator note
What we found at the source
Official AWS Activate credits page checked 2026-09-20: the Founders tier starts at $1,000 rather than $5,000, with up to $5,000 for selected participants. The $200,000 Portfolio tier still needs a Provider Org ID and the $200,000+ AI route is invite-only, so neither is a default path.
Caveat
Before you rely on it
AWS makes the final eligibility decision. Credits cover covered AWS charges, not cash expenses or every service. Founders awards and Portfolio ceilings are conditional; a Provider Org ID does not guarantee an award. Check expiration, excluded charges and your billing plan before using credits.