AWS Activate
Closes at Series BTerms read on 9 Aug 2026
Up to $200,000 in AWS credits, tiered by who backs you
Read this first
Credits land on the linked AWS account, so linking the wrong account is the common mistake. Without the Org ID you are in the self funded tier no matter how much you have raised, and asking your investor for it after the fact means reapplying.
How to claim it, in 5 steps
Tick them off as you go. Saved in this browser.
What the terms actually say
The headline number is real and almost nobody gets it. AWS publishes three tiers and the gap between them is the whole story: Activate Founders, for self funded companies, is up to $5,000. Activate Portfolio, up to $200,000, requires an Org ID from an accelerator or VC in the AWS network, which means the top tier is not something you can apply for on your own. A third tier above $200,000 for AI startups is invite only. Credits are redeemable against third party models on Amazon Bedrock, which matters if inference is your largest line. One requirement is easy to miss: your AWS account has to be on a paid support plan before credits are applied.
Who can claim it, in AWS Activate's words
Pre Series B, founded in the last ten years, an AWS account on a paid tier plan, and either new to Activate credits or asking for more. The $200,000 tier additionally needs an Org ID from an accelerator or VC in the AWS network.
What you get without this
The AWS free tier, which is a fixed monthly allowance rather than a credit balance, and does not cover Bedrock inference at any scale.
We list a perk because it beats walking up to the vendor unannounced. If it ever stops doing that, it comes off the index.
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