Startup programs give young companies free credits or a free year of a paid plan. Many ask for venture capital (VC) funding, but 16 of the 32 open programs below accept bootstrapped or self-funded founders. Each one is checked on its official page, with the amount, who can apply, whether a card is needed and the catch.
Bootstrapped OKThe official page names a bootstrapped or self-funded tier, or only sets limits such as team size, company age or a funding cap.
Check eligibilityThe page states no funding rule, or the rules are unclear. Read the official page before you apply.
VC or partner requiredYou need venture funding, an accelerator, or a referral from one of the vendor's partners.
ClosedNot taking applications right now, or not offered at all.
First year 100% free on the Growth plan, up to 100M events a month
Who can apply
Fewer than 20 employees and less than $10M raised.
Card
No card needed
The catch
Sixty days before the free year ends, Amplitude sends a usage-based quote for year two. To pay nothing, drop to the free plan (2M events a month), which keeps your data and dashboards.
Up to $200,000 in credits; the Founders tier is up to $5,000
Who can apply
Eligibility for AWS Activate: Pre-series B, founded in the last 10 years, AWS Account on Paid Tier Plan, and either new to Activate Credits or requesting more credits than previously received.
12 months of Cartesia's Scale plan free, then $299 a month unless you cancel
Who can apply
A startup at any stage. Students and one-off projects are considered case by case. You agree to let Cartesia use your logo and to post about the grant if asked.
Card
Not stated
The catch
When the 12 months end, your account moves to $299 a month to stay on Scale. Cancel or switch to a lower plan before then if you do not want to pay.
$500,000+ in credits and perks, including a free year of Intercom and Fin
Who can apply
An early-stage startup with fewer than 50 employees. Pre-launch is fine if you have a working prototype or MVP. You do not need to be an Intercom customer, and the page lists no funding requirement.
Card
Not stated
The catch
Most offers must be redeemed within 60 days of approval, some partners need their own separate approval, and each offer has its own eligibility rules.
First year free on the Startup Plan, worth $145,000
Who can apply
Incorporated less than 5 years ago, no more than $8M raised in total, never a paid Mixpanel customer, and no earlier Mixpanel startup offer.
Card
Not stated
The catch
You must start sending data within 90 days of acceptance or you are removed for good. The free year starts when you are approved, and there is no second free year.
Up to $200K in Neon and Databricks credits; self-funded startups get up to $1,000
Who can apply
Self-funded track: early-stage, self-funded startups with less than $1M in funding, building an early-stage product or MVP. Venture-backed track: VC-backed startups with at least $1M in funding or participants in recognized accelerators (e.g. Y Combinator), building an early-stage product or MVP.
Card
Not stated
The catch
Every application is reviewed, the exact amount depends on your stage and funding, and credits expire 12 months after acceptance.
Bootstrapped, angel-funded, debt-funded, pre-seed, seed, or Series A; less than $10 million raised in total; founded within the last 10 years; new customer on the monthly Team or Business plan.
Card
Card requiredYes (a paid monthly plan first)
The catch
You must upgrade to a paid monthly plan before applying, the coupon is applied to your first invoice at the end of the first billing cycle, and it cannot be combined with other sales discounts.
Up to $1,000 in free credits for bootstrapped and pre-seed teams, no deposit
Who can apply
Starter: bootstrapped or pre-seed with a working product, plus a business email on your company's own domain and a live website. Applications from personal email addresses are declined.
Card
Not stated
The catch
The Starter amount is not fixed, and AI generation must be a core part of your product. Growth and Scale need a deposit that is not refundable.
Up to $50K in free platform credits; startups with up to $5M raised get up to $15K
Who can apply
Build tier: up to $5M raised. Scale tier: $5M to $10M raised. Grow tier: over $10M raised.
Card
Not stated
The catch
Selection-based, so approval is not guaranteed; the application asks which VCs you are affiliated with, and credits do not apply to Reserved GPU Clusters.
Up to €36,000 in cloud credits; the Founders Program gives up to €1,000
Who can apply
Less than 5 years old, less than 50 employees and not yet a Scaleway client. Early Stage starts at €500 a month in cloud spend, and Growth Stage at €1,500 a month.
Card
Not stated
The catch
Only identity-verified applications are reviewed by the committee, the bigger tiers require existing monthly spend, and you cannot move from Early Stage to Growth Stage.
Credits across Grok, Grok Build, Grok Bot and the Grok API
Who can apply
Venture backing, a live product, and a company email that matches your website. Personal email addresses are not approved.
Card
Not stated
The catch
Applications without venture backing are not approved yet; you can reapply once you have raised. The amount depends on your funding, revenue and current AI spend.
Not offered. Twilio says every customer gets a small credit when they open an account, but it does not offer additional credits to startups at this time.
Most programs review each application. Many want a live website and an email on your company's own domain.
Credits usually expire, often after 12 months. Apply when you are ready to build, not before.
Some free periods turn into paid plans. For example, the Cartesia grant moves to $299 a month after 12 months unless you cancel. Set a reminder.
Be honest about your stage and funding. Programs can remove you if your details are wrong.
Programs come from each vendor's official page. Amounts are the maximums the page states. Not listed because the official page could not be read or gives no clear terms: OpenAI for Startups, Replit for Startups, Zendesk for Startups. See also the startup credits guide and free cloud credits for new accounts.
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