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Dev tools · last verified Oct 9, 2026

Datadog startup credits: up to $100K (2026)

Up to $100K in Datadog Pro credits for one year, for Series A-or-earlier startups that are new to Datadog and come in through a referral partner (AWS Activate is one of them).

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I quick answer

Datadog offers up to $100,000 in credits (1 year of Datadog Pro).

No equity, no fees. You need a referral or partner code to apply.

Stage fit: Pre-seed. Difficulty: moderate.

II key facts

Datadog at a glance

Max value
Up to $100,000 in credits (1 year of Datadog Pro)
Stage fit
Pre-seed
Takes equity
No
Who files it
You, with a code (investor or partner code)
Geography
Global.
Referral needed
Yes
Difficulty
Moderate
Review time
A couple of days per the apply section
Credits expire
Acceptance expires if credits are not activated within 30 days.
III available programs and tiers

What Datadog actually gives you

  1. Standard partner referral
    Up to $100K in credits; full Datadog platform (all GA products) for up to 12 months from activation
    Series A or earlier, new to Datadog, referred by a VC, accelerator, hyperscaler or vendor startup program on Datadog's partner list
  2. AWS Activate route
    One full year of Datadog Pro credits (AWS lists estimated value $100,000); Datadog's AWS page says the dollar amount varies by program
    AWS Startups/Activate participants who have raised up to and including Series A (Datadog's own AWS page says under $4M raised) and are not current Datadog customers
  3. Named VC/accelerator routes (e.g. Maple, Sequoia India)
    One full year of Datadog Pro credits, or until your next funding round; specific dollar amount varies by partner
    Participants of that specific partner program; some partners set lower caps (Datadog's Maple and Sequoia India pages both say under $1M total funding)
  4. Not eligible fallback
    Standard 2-week free trial
    Any company that does not qualify
  5. Students (separate program)
    2 years of free Datadog with usage limits
    Students with the GitHub Student Developer Pack
IV eligibility

Who qualifies

You likely qualify if

  • Your company has raised Series A or earlier (pre-seed, seed, or Series A)
  • You were referred by one of Datadog's partners (a VC, accelerator, hyperscaler program such as AWS Activate, or another vendor startup program) and can select that partner in the application dropdown
  • You have never been a Datadog customer (current or past)
  • You have never received Datadog for Startups (DDFS) credits before
  • You have (or create) a valid Datadog account; a trial account works and can be used while the application is reviewed
  • After acceptance you confirm credit activation within 30 days
  • Your account shows usage at least once every three months during the program

You won't qualify if

  • Companies applying directly without a partner referral (the FAQ says all applicants must come through a referral partner)
  • Current or former Datadog customers
  • Companies that previously received DDFS credits
  • Startups past Series A (Series B and later)
  • Accounts inactive for 3 consecutive months (warning, then 30 days to start using products, then removal)
  • Credits cannot cover taxes, technical support, premier support, or professional services
  • Credits cannot be used under a different Datadog organization/account than the one they were granted to

Geography. Global. No country restrictions are stated on the official page; the only regional choice is the Datadog data region selected at signup (e.g. US1, EU1), which is permanent.

V how to apply

How to apply to Datadog for Startups

  1. 01Get a referral path: be part of a partner program (AWS Activate, a VC, accelerator, or vendor startup program). For the AWS route, open the Datadog offer on startups.aws.com and click Claim offer.
  2. 02Go to datadoghq.com/partner/datadog-for-startups and click Apply Now, then fill in the application about your team and pick your referral partner from the dropdown.
  3. 03Sign up for a Datadog trial account during the application (choose your data region carefully, e.g. US1 or EU1; it cannot be changed later). You can start using Datadog immediately while the application is reviewed.
  4. 04Wait for the acceptance email. The apply section says within a couple of days; the FAQ says approval typically takes 3 to 5 business days.
  5. 05Confirm activation of your Startup Credits within 30 days of the Acceptance Notice, or the acceptance expires and you must reapply.
  6. 06Credits are applied to your organization/account and run for up to 12 months from activation (or until exhausted). A customer success rep is assigned after a few months to plan graduation to paid.

Review time: A couple of days per the apply section; FAQ says typically 3 to 5 business days. Apply at www.datadoghq.com/partner/datadog-for-startups/#apply.

VI what changed

What changed in 2025 and 2026

Program terms were refreshed three times in 2026 (April 24, May 5, August 3). The April 24 terms already contained the early-removal conditions (3 consecutive months of inactivity, fraud/misuse/abuse, or MSA/Terms breach). The May 5 version mainly dropped the Case Study participation obligation, and the August 3 version cleaned up terminology, replacing the leftover 'Program Credits' wording with 'Startup Credits' and lightly rewording the Program Changes clause. The program page also moved: the old /partner/startups/ URL now returns 404 and the live page is /partner/datadog-for-startups/ (the old /startups/ path redirects to it).

Dated change log for every program →

VII the AWS angle

Datadog credits and your AWS bill

AWS Activate is an official referral partner: the AWS Startups portal lists 'Datadog for Startups' with an estimated value of $100,000 and one full year of Datadog Pro credits for AWS Startups participants up to Series A who are not current Datadog customers. The credits do not reduce your AWS bill, but they cover the monitoring, logging, APM, and security tooling you would otherwise pay for on top of AWS, and Datadog's AWS integration is the usual way founders watch EC2, Lambda, RDS, and ECS/EKS spend and performance.

VIIIfaq

Datadog startup credits, answered

How much does Datadog give startups?

Datadog offers up to $100,000 in credits (1 year of Datadog Pro). There are 5 tiers: Standard partner referral: Up to $100K in credits; AWS Activate route: One full year of Datadog Pro credits (AWS lists estimated value $100,000); Named VC/accelerator routes (e.g. Maple, Sequoia India): One full year of Datadog Pro credits, or until your next funding round; Not eligible fallback: Standard 2-week free trial; Students (separate program): 2 years of free Datadog with usage limits.

Does Datadog take equity?

No. Datadog for Startups is a credits program, not an investment; you keep 100% of your company. You need a referral or partner code to apply.

Who qualifies for Datadog for Startups?

Stage fit: Pre-seed, seed, and Series A. Some partner routes set tighter caps (Datadog's AWS Activate page says under $4M raised; the Maple and Sequoia India pages say under $1M). You usually qualify if: your company has raised Series A or earlier (pre-seed, seed, or Series A); you were referred by one of Datadog's partners (a VC, accelerator, hyperscaler program such as AWS Activate, or another vendor startup program) and can select that partner in the application dropdown; you have never been a Datadog customer (current or past). You will not qualify if: companies applying directly without a partner referral (the FAQ says all applicants must come through a referral partner); current or former Datadog customers.

How long does Datadog take to approve credits?

A couple of days per the apply section; FAQ says typically 3 to 5 business days. Difficulty: moderate, a real application and usually some back and forth.

When do Datadog credits expire?

Acceptance expires if credits are not activated within 30 days. Credits run until the earliest of: 12 months after activation, credits exhausted, or removal from the program.

Can I combine Datadog credits with AWS credits?

AWS Activate is an official referral partner: the AWS Startups portal lists 'Datadog for Startups' with an estimated value of $100,000 and one full year of Datadog Pro credits for AWS Startups participants up to Series A who are not current Datadog customers. The credits do not reduce your AWS bill, but they cover the monitoring, logging, APM, and security tooling you would otherwise pay for on top of AWS, and Datadog's AWS integration is the usual way founders watch EC2, Lambda, RDS, and ECS/EKS spend and performance. On AWS, CloudRoute matches you for free with a vetted partner who can file MAP, POC or IW funding when the workload qualifies and AWS approves it. The Datadog application you submit yourself.

Verified against www.datadoghq.com/partner/datadog-for-startups on Oct 9, 2026 (confidence: high). Programs change; always confirm on the official page. 9 sources checked.