Seed-stage B2B SaaS: stack the investor-gated tiers

Why this order, what to have ready, what lands

1. 01
   

   Amazon Web Services · Cloud

   AWS Activate (Founders, Portfolio, AI credits)

   $200K

   moderateYou apply for Portfolio with your VC's Org ID. A matched AWS partner can file MAP, POC or IW funding.

   The big ticket. Activate Portfolio pays up to $200,000 for pre-Series B startups whose VC or accelerator is an Activate Provider; the actual offer is set by the provider ($5,000, $25,000 and $100,000 are common). Your last round must have closed within 12 months, so this is step one. On top of it, a matched AWS partner can file the funding only partners can request: POC funding to test a new AI feature, IW funding for new work once you are on AWS, or MAP funding if you are moving onto AWS. It depends on the workload, and AWS approves.

   have ready

   • The confidential Org ID from your VC or accelerator (one use per ID)
   • An AWS account on the Paid Tier plan, linked to one Builder ID
   • Funding stage and round date exactly as announced; a mismatch sinks the application

   expected value

   $25,000 to $200,000 depending on your provider's offer

   Details →Official page ↗

   an AWS partner can file part of this step

   Activate you apply for yourself (Portfolio needs an Org ID from your investor or accelerator). MAP, POC and IW funding can only be requested by an AWS partner, not by you. $50K to $150K for startups. Depends on the workload; AWS approves. We match you with a vetted partner who can file it, for free.

   Get matched free →
2. 02
   

   Google Cloud · Cloud

   Google for Startups Cloud Program

   $350K

   moderateNo referral code, but Scale requires an institutional round.

   Scale tier: Year 1 covers 100% of spend up to $100,000, Year 2 covers 20% up to another $100,000, plus $12,000 of Enhanced Support, Workspace for a year and $10,000 for Claude or Mistral on Vertex AI. Google counts prior Google credits only, so holding AWS credits does not hurt you. Realistic value is the Year 1 cap.

   have ready

   • Public links proving the round (press, investor page); decks are not accepted
   • An 18-character billing account ID under your company domain
   • Founded within five years, under $5,000 in prior Google Cloud credits

   expected value

   $100,000 realistic; $200,000 on paper over two years

   Details →Official page ↗
3. 03
   

   Microsoft · Cloud

   Microsoft for Startups (Azure credits)

   $150K

   moderateInvestor Network referral code for $100,000 and up; $5,000 without.

   With a 10-character Investor Network referral code most startups start at $100,000 and can reach $150,000 over two years. Without a code the ceiling is $5,000. Microsoft does not publish the partner list; your VC either has codes or does not.

   have ready

   • The referral code from your VC, accelerator or university
   • A personal Microsoft account with no Azure history, plus a real card
   • Legal name and registered address that match your documents

   expected value

   $100,000 to $150,000 with a code; $5,000 without

   Details →Official page ↗
4. 04
   

   Cloudflare · Cloud

   Cloudflare for Startups

   $350K

   easyAffiliated investor for $100,000; $10,000 without.

   Tier 2 is $100,000 for startups under $5M raised whose VC or accelerator is on Cloudflare's affiliated-partner list. The list is not public; ask your investor or email startups@cloudflare.com before applying. If they are not affiliated, take the $10,000 tier now; a later upgrade does not reset the 12-month clock.

   have ready

   • Confirmation that your lead investor is a Cloudflare affiliated partner
   • Last round closed within 12 months, company under 10 years old
   • A business-domain email and a public LinkedIn, X or GitHub

   expected value

   $100,000 with an affiliated investor; $10,000 otherwise

   Details →Official page ↗
5. 05
   

   GitHub · Dev tools

   GitHub for Startups

   $10K

   easyPartner referral required.

   $10,000 in GitHub credits for Enterprise seats, Copilot and Advanced Security, decided in 2 to 3 business days. The gate is that your investor or accelerator is on the partner list (about 800 names). One-time only, and prior GitHub credits via Microsoft for Startups disqualify you, so sequence this after Azure if you expect GitHub perks there.

   have ready

   • Your partner's name as it appears on github.com/enterprise/startups/partners
   • The GitHub.com account that will own the Enterprise Cloud account
   • A payment method for the authorization charge

   expected value

   $10,000 for 12 months

   Details →Official page ↗
6. 06
   

   Atlassian · Dev tools

   Atlassian for Startups

   Varies

   easyVC-funded or partner accelerator; no code needed.

   Jira, Confluence, Loom, Rovo and Bitbucket Premium at $0 for 12 months, up to 50 seats each. VC-funded or in a partner accelerator, under $10M raised, not already paying Atlassian. No referral code needed, but have proof of funding ready.

   have ready

   • A Crunchbase or PitchBook profile showing the round
   • No existing paid Atlassian subscription
   • A list of the products and seat counts you will actually use

   expected value

   No published value; 50 Premium seats for a year

   Details →Official page ↗
7. 07
   

   Vercel · Cloud

   Vercel for Startups

   $30K

   moderatePartner referral required.

   Up to $30,000 of usage on Enterprise terms for 12 months, only through an approved VC or accelerator partner (YC, Sequoia, Accel, Index, Kaszek and others). Apply within 12 months of the round. You must upload a screenshot of the offer inside your partner's portal, so get portal access first.

   have ready

   • A full-window screenshot of the Vercel offer in your partner portal
   • The Vercel team to credit, with a valid payment method on file
   • A company-domain email

   expected value

   Up to $30,000, set by your partner's deal with Vercel

   Details →Official page ↗
8. 08
   

   Linear · Dev tools

   Linear for Startups

   Varies

   easyPartner link or code required.

   Up to six months of the Business plan free through your partner's link or code, self-serve, no review. Under 50 employees and not already paying. Small money, zero effort; do it the same afternoon as Vercel.

   have ready

   • Your partner's Linear link or code
   • Admin access to a Linear workspace on the Free plan

   expected value

   About $960 for a 10-person team

   Details →Official page ↗
9. 09
   

   Neon (a Databricks company) · Data

   Neon Startup Program

   $200K

   moderateNo referral. $200,000 tier needs $1M raised or a recognized accelerator.

   Postgres for a SaaS, with up to $200,000 in combined Neon and Databricks credits if you raised $1M or more or are in a recognized accelerator. One form, a decision in a few business days, 12 months from acceptance. Neon runs on AWS, so it sits cleanly next to Activate: Activate credits pay for compute, Neon credits pay for the database.

   have ready

   • Funding amount and investor names
   • A Neon or Databricks account to receive the credits
   • How you plan to use Neon or Databricks in the next year

   expected value

   Up to $200,000 shared with Databricks; most teams use a fraction

   Details →Official page ↗
10. 10
    

    Redis · Data

    Redis for Startups

    $25K

    moderateNo referral. Seed or earlier.

    Seed or earlier and never a paying Redis customer: $25,000 in Redis Cloud credits for 12 months, plus office hours. Redis Cloud bills through AWS Marketplace, which Activate credits will not pay for, so this fills a real gap. If you would rather burn Activate credits, use ElastiCache and skip this.

    have ready

    • Work email, company name and full name; the form is three fields
    • A Redis Cloud account on the same email
    • Apply from a localized page; the English page redirects as of October 2026

    expected value

    $25,000 for 12 months

    Details →Official page ↗