AWS Activate / AWS startup programs

Offers up to $200,000 AWS Activate credits and other support, with some programs providing up to $1 million credits, for early-stage to growth startups. These are non-dilutive credits to reduce infra burn. AWS Activate's credit tiers scale with a startup's backing: self-funded and early teams typically qualify for smaller Builder-tier credits, while VC-backed startups referred by a partner fund or accelerator can access the higher $100,000-$200,000 tiers referenced here. The GenAI Accelerator track, layered on top of standard Activate credits, is markedly more competitive with a sub-2% acceptance rate given the volume of global AI applicants. Because credits are usage-based rather than cash, they suit startups already running or about to run meaningful compute/hosting workloads on AWS rather than pre-product teams.