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

Max value

Up to $100,000 in NVIDIA DGX Cloud credits (qualified members only)

Stage fit

Any funding stage including bootstrapped

Takes equity

No

Who files it

You (no code needed)

Geography

Global.

Referral needed

No

Difficulty

Moderate

Review time

Not published by NVIDIA, and staff have said on the developer forums that there is no definitive timeframe

Credits expire

Membership has no stated expiry but can lapse if you stop keeping your portal profile current.

1. Base membership
   Free: codes for free self-paced NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute courses, discounted instructor-led workshops, latest SDKs and model libraries, NVIDIA Developer Forums access, preferred pricing on a subset of enterprise GPUs and select software (a rebate deducted from the standard supplier price; NVIDIA does not sell direct and cannot guarantee GPU availability), official Inception badge and co-marketing assets, monthly newsletter, and VC introductions through Inception Capital Connect (based on eligibility)
   Every approved applicant; no application fee, membership fee, equity, cohort or deadline
2. NVIDIA DGX Cloud credits
   Up to $100,000 in DGX Cloud credits for dedicated NVIDIA H100 GPU capacity, plus expert office hours for members approved for the benefit (announced at GTC, March 25, 2025). NVIDIA's main startups page does not list this benefit, but its Cloud Partners page still advertises it. Current availability could not be confirmed.
   'Qualified members' approved by NVIDIA after requesting the benefit in the portal; criteria for 'qualified' are not published
3. NVIDIA Cloud Partner credits
   Free cloud credits from NVIDIA Cloud Partners (the March 2025 GTC announcement named Nebius, Scaleway and Lintasarta for free credits, and Yotta and Lambda for credits). NVIDIA said these and other partner and ISV offers total nearly $300,000 in credits and discounts combined. Each partner sets its own amount and terms.
   Members who request the specific partner benefit from the portal catalog and are approved by that partner
4. AWS Activate via Inception
   NVIDIA is listed as an AWS Activate Provider: approved members request the AWS benefit in the portal, receive an Organization ID, and apply to AWS Activate Portfolio. AWS now lists Portfolio at up to $200,000 and publishes no Inception-specific cap; its only Inception figure (up to $100,000) is from a March 2019 AWS blog. Members report tiers of $10,000, $25,000 and a Scale tier up to $100,000 (one member reported $75,000 approved in 2025). NVIDIA does not publish the mapping.
   Members approved by NVIDIA for the AWS benefit who then meet AWS's own rules: pre-Series B, founded in the last 10 years, most recent funding round within the last 12 months if any, paid-tier AWS account, and no previously received Activate credits of equal or greater value. AWS makes the final decision.
5. NVIDIA Innovation Lab
   60 days of hands-on NVIDIA GPU access on a self-serve platform with pre-optimized environments and expert support, in cohorts; NVIDIA provides the cloud instance and publishes no dollar value
   Selected Inception members only, reviewed on a rolling basis subject to availability and fit; membership alone does not qualify; at least one product must be listed in the portal profile; you may reapply once at least 3 months have passed since a non-accepted submission

Geography. Global. NVIDIA publishes no country restrictions for Inception on its program page or FAQ, but the application itself is a JavaScript app that could not be read, so restrictions inside it are unverified. Startups in China are handled by a separate team (inception_cn@nvidia.com). NVIDIA's VC Alliance, a separate program, excludes entities in embargoed or restricted countries, including China, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Syria.

1. 01Confirm you pass the four tests: incorporated, under 10 years old, at least one developer, working website; and that you are not in an excluded category (consulting, crypto, cloud provider, reseller, public company).
2. 02Prepare a pitch deck (required upload) plus company details, product description, incorporation date and funding status.
3. 03Submit the application at programs.nvidia.com/phoenix/application (the 'Apply Now' button on nvidia.com/en-us/startups). There is no fee, deadline or cohort. If a VC Alliance member refers you, NVIDIA says review is fast-tracked.
4. 04Wait for NVIDIA's review; your portal status shows 'Pending Review'. If you hear nothing, email inceptionprogram@nvidia.com (inception_cn@nvidia.com for China). NVIDIA staff say the forums are not monitored for application status.
5. 05After approval: sign up for a welcome session, add teammates under 'Manage Users', and add at least one product to your profile (several benefits, including Innovation Lab, require a listed product).
6. 06Request individual benefits under Benefits > Explore Benefits in the portal: AWS Activate Org ID, DGX Cloud credits, partner cloud credits, Innovation Lab, DLI course codes. For AWS, once NVIDIA approves the request, use the Org ID to apply at aws.amazon.com/startups/credits for the Portfolio tier. AWS, not NVIDIA, makes that decision and says to expect an email about 7 to 10 business days after you apply.

Review time: Not published by NVIDIA, and staff have said on the developer forums that there is no definitive timeframe. Applicants commonly expect about 10 business days and some report faster approvals, but in 2026 multiple applicants reported 2 to 3 months at 'Pending Review' (one applied Feb 25, 2026 and was still pending May 13, 2026). VC Alliance referrals are fast-tracked. The separate AWS Activate review after you get an Org ID usually takes 7 to 10 business days per AWS.. Apply at programs.nvidia.com/phoenix/application.

March 25, 2025 (GTC): NVIDIA added up to $100,000 in DGX Cloud credits for dedicated H100 capacity plus expert office hours for qualified members, and said partner and ISV offers total nearly $300,000 in credits and discounts. March 16, 2026: an NVIDIA press release describes Inception as having over 40,000 members and offers robotics startups a dedicated entry point to NVIDIA's physical AI stack. Spring 2026: applicants report review backlogs of 2 to 3 months on NVIDIA's forums. Summer 2026: some applicants report declines without a stated reason; one reports a 'not currently the right fit' decision with a reapplication cooldown, and an unpublished requirement of two distinct contacts (applicant claim, not confirmed by NVIDIA).

Dated change log for every program →

• Google Cloudup to $350KCloud · moderate · referral: no
• AWSup to $200KCloud · moderate · referral: top tier only
• Microsoftup to $150KCloud · moderate · referral: top tier only
• Oracleup to $100KCloud · moderate · referral: no
• Together AIup to $50KAI models · moderate · referral: no
• Scalewayup to $48KCloud · moderate · referral: no

NVIDIA is listed as an AWS Activate Provider. An approved member requests the AWS benefit in the Inception portal, receives an Organization ID, and applies to AWS Activate Portfolio, where AWS makes the decision. AWS now lists Portfolio at up to $200,000 and publishes no Inception-specific cap; its only Inception figure, up to $100,000, is from a March 2019 blog. This route is not additive with a direct Activate application: AWS requires that you have not previously received Activate credits of equal or greater value, applies a lifetime cap, and for stage-based offers from the same provider pays only the difference. Members have reported auto-rejections on this basis. The DGX Cloud and NVIDIA Cloud Partner credits are separate GPU capacity outside AWS and do not reduce an AWS bill.

• Runpodup to $25KGPU compute · moderate · referral: no
• Lambda$1KGPU compute · moderate · referral: no
• SaladCloudGPU creditsGPU compute · moderate · referral: no

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