AWS Activate - Portfolio Package ($100,000)
Source: https://aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
Description
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+ 1 Provider-backed startups can receive up to $100,000 in AWS Activate Credits covering 200+ eligible AWS services, including compute (EC2, ECS, EKS), databases (RDS, DynamoDB), storage (S3), AI/ML (SageMaker, Bedrock), and analytics. To qualify, your startup must be affiliated with an Activate Provider (accelerator, VC, or angel investor) such as Y Combinator, Techstars, Sequoia, a16z, or AngelList, and you need their Organization ID (a unique, case-sensitive code). Credits expire 1-2 years from the date of issuance (exact duration varies by provider arrangement). Beyond credits, the package includes up to $10,000 in AWS Business Support credits (24/7 technical support, architecture reviews), 80 self-paced training lab credits, and access to $800K+ in third-party exclusive offers from partners like Slack, Notion, and MongoDB.
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+ 7 RequirementDetail
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+ 8 Funding stagePre-Series B (self-funded through Series A)
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+ 9 Activate ProviderMust be affiliated with an approved accelerator, VC, or incubator
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+ 10 Organization IDMust have a valid Org ID from your provider
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+ 11 Funding recencyMost recent funding round must be within the last 12 months (if applicable)
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+ 12 Company ageFounded within the last 10 years
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+ 13 Funding capMust not have raised more than $100 million total
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+ 14 Prior creditsMust not have previously received AWS Activate Credits of equal or greater value
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+ 15 WebsiteMust have a fully functioning company website
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+ 16 AWS accountMust be on a Paid Tier Plan (not free tier)
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+ 17 ExcludedGovernment entities are not eligible
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+ 19 Who qualifies in practice: If you went through Y Combinator, Techstars, Antler, On Deck, Plug and Play, or similar accelerators, or if your VC is an approved Activate Provider, you likely qualify. Ask your investor or program manager for the Organization ID -- they should know what this is.
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+ 21 Who does NOT qualify: Solo developers without a registered company, side projects, companies past Series B, companies older than 10 years, or startups not affiliated with an Activate Provider. For unaffiliated early-stage startups, see the Founders Package ($1,000) instead.
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+ 27 1. Get your Organization ID -- Contact your accelerator, VC, or incubator and ask for the AWS Activate Organization ID. This is a unique, case-sensitive code. Without it, you cannot apply for the Portfolio Package
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+ 28 2. Go to aws.amazon.com/startups/credits and click "Apply Now"
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+ 29 3. Create an AWS Builder ID -- use your personal email address. This ID stays with you across organizations. Verify via the confirmation email before proceeding
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+ 30 4. Complete your profile -- use your business email (matching your startup's domain) for both the Activate profile and the credit application. Using consistent domain information helps validate your application
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+ 31 5. Select "Portfolio Package" when prompted to choose between Founders and Portfolio
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+ 32 6. Link your AWS account -- connect your startup's primary AWS account to your Builder ID. If you don't have an AWS account yet, create one using your business email, then return to link it
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+ 33 7. Provide startup details -- fill in product information, funding details, and your Organization ID. Be specific about your product and AWS usage plans. Providing inaccurate information will get your application denied
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+ 34 8. Submit and wait 7-10 business days for a decision. Track your status on the Credit Application Status page
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+ 35 9. Once approved, credits appear in your AWS Billing Console within 3-4 hours
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+ 36
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+ 37 Important caveats:
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+ 38 • Use a business email (not Gmail/Yahoo). Generic email domains can delay or disqualify your application
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+ 39 • Your website must be live with a clear product description and team details. Incomplete or placeholder websites will get you rejected
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+ 40 • You need administrator permissions on your AWS account (root user or IAM admin)
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+ 41 • Apply within 12 months of your most recent funding date or you lose eligibility
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+ 42 • Time your application carefully -- credits start expiring from the date of issuance, not from when you first use them
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+ 50 CategoryKey Services
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+ 51 ComputeEC2, Lambda, ECS, EKS, Fargate, Lightsail
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+ 52 StorageS3, EBS, EFS, Glacier
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+ 53 DatabasesRDS, DynamoDB, Aurora, ElastiCache, Redshift
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+ 54 AI/MLSageMaker, Bedrock, Rekognition, Comprehend, Polly, Transcribe, Translate
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+ 55 AnalyticsAthena, EMR, Kinesis, Glue, QuickSight
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+ 56 NetworkingVPC, CloudFront, Route 53 (hosting only), API Gateway, ELB
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+ 57 DevOpsCodeBuild, CodeDeploy, CodePipeline, CloudWatch
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+ 58 SecurityGuardDuty, AWS Config, WAF, Secrets Manager
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+ 59 SupportDeveloper Support, Business Support
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+ 63 Credits explicitly cover third-party foundation models on Amazon Bedrock, giving you access to:
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+ 64 • Anthropic (Claude family)
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+ 65 • Meta (Llama models)
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+ 66 • Mistral AI
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+ 67 • AI21 Labs (Jamba models)
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+ 68 • Cohere (Command, Embed)
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+ 69 • Stability AI (image generation)
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+ 70 • Amazon (Titan models)
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+ 72 This is a significant benefit -- Bedrock API calls from third-party models are normally billed through AWS Marketplace, but Activate Credits cover this usage.
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+ 76 • AWS Marketplace purchases (except Bedrock third-party models)
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+ 77 • Amazon Mechanical Turk
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+ 78 • AWS Managed Services
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+ 79 • AWS Professional Services
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+ 80 • AWS Training and Certification
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+ 81 • Route 53 domain registration/transfer
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+ 82 • Upfront fees for Savings Plans and Reserved Instances
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+ 83 • Cryptocurrency mining
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+ 84 • Reseller accounts
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+ 90 BenefitDetail
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+ 91 Business Support creditsUp to $10,000 for AWS Business Support (24/7 technical support, architecture reviews, cost optimization)
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+ 92 Training credits80 self-paced lab credits covering ML, security, infrastructure, and application development
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+ 93 Activate Exclusive Offers (AEO)Up to $800,000 in third-party discounts (Slack, Notion, MongoDB, Auth0, ClickHouse, Amplitude, Confluent, CrowdStrike, and more)
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+ 94 Startup ShowcaseDirectory listing to share your product with investors and peers
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+ 95 Architecture reviewsAccess to AWS specialists for infrastructure design and scaling guidance
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+ 96 Amazon Q DeveloperAI-powered coding assistance
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+ 102 • Auto-applied: Credits apply automatically to all eligible charges each month. You cannot select or prioritize which services consume credits first
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+ 103 • No retroactive coverage: Credits only offset new charges going forward, not past bills
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+ 104 • Expiration is strict: AWS will not extend the expiration date under any circumstances. Unused credits are permanently forfeited
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+ 105 • Expiry reminders: AWS sends email alerts at 60 days before, 30 days before, and after expiry, plus at 75% and 100% usage
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+ 106 • Post-expiry billing: When credits run out or expire, standard AWS rates kick in immediately for all running services. Set up budget alerts in the Billing Console
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+ 107 • Non-transferable: Credits cannot be shared with or passed to end customers
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+ 108 • Reapplication possible: If you previously received a smaller amount (e.g., $10,000) and now qualify for $100,000, you can reapply and receive the difference ($90,000)
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+ 109 • Support downgrade: If your Business Support credits expire before your service credits, you automatically drop to Basic Support
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+ 115 FeatureFoundersPortfolioGenerative AI
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+ 116 Credits$1,000Up to $100,000Up to $300,000
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+ 117 Provider requiredNoYes (Org ID)Yes (selective)
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+ 118 Target stagePre-funding / earlyPre-Series BAI model builders
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+ 119 Business SupportNot includedUp to $10,000Included
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+ 120 Duration1 year1-2 years1-2 years
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+ 121 Architecture guidanceNoYesYes + dedicated mentors
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+ 122
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+ 123 The $300,000 Generative AI tier is restricted to startups building foundation models (not API wrappers). It requires a partnership through the AWS Generative AI Accelerator, a 10-week program with dedicated mentorship.
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+ 129 • Timing matters: Don't apply the day you get accepted to an accelerator. Wait until you're ready to ramp up AWS usage so credits don't expire before you need them. But don't wait more than 12 months from your funding date
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+ 130 • Founders Package first: If you're just starting out without a provider, apply for the $1,000 Founders Package immediately. You can upgrade to Portfolio later when you join an accelerator or raise funding
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+ 131 • Check your provider: AWS does not publish a full list of Activate Providers. Always ask your investor/accelerator directly if they are an approved provider and request the Org ID
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+ 132 • AWS Free Tier stacks: The AWS Always Free Tier (Lambda 1M requests, DynamoDB 25 GB, S3 limited, etc.) continues to work alongside Activate Credits. Free tier usage does not consume credits
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+ 133 • Set billing alarms: Configure AWS Budgets and CloudWatch billing alerts immediately after activation. Startups have been surprised by large bills when credits expire with services still running
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+ 134 • Business email required: Applications from personal Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail addresses are frequently rejected. Use your company domain email
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+ 135 • Over 350,000 startups have joined AWS Activate since 2013, with over $8 billion in credits distributed globally
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+ 139 Sources:
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+ 140 • AWS Activate Credits Page
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+ 141 • Applying for AWS Activate Credits: Step-by-Step Guide
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+ 142 • Everything You Need to Know About AWS Activate Credits
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+ 143 • AWS Activate Terms & Conditions
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+ 144 • AWS Activate Providers
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+ 145 • AWS Startups FAQ
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+ 146 • AWS Activate Exclusive Offers
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+ 147 • AWS Activate Credits for Bedrock Models
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+ 148 • AWS Generative AI Accelerator
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+ 149 • AWS Activate Program Guide 2026 (Cloudvisor)
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+ 150 • AWS Startup Credits Guide (StormIT)
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