Playbook
Credits for pre-seed and bootstrapped founders
You do not need funding to claim startup credits, but you almost always need a registered company. The self-serve tiers of the major clouds are open to anyone incorporated; the six-figure tiers generally require an accelerator, incubator or VC referral rather than a specific funding amount.
The most common misconception we hear is that credits are for funded startups. Most programs cap funding at the top, not the bottom: they are trying to exclude Series B companies, not you.
What does block pre-seed founders is the entity requirement and, for the largest tiers, the referral. Both are solvable, and this page is about the order to solve them in.
The order to do this in
- 1
Incorporate first, then apply
Nearly every program needs a registered company to contract with and pay out to. This is the single most common blocker at pre-seed, and it is the one entirely within your control.
- 2
Take the self-serve tiers immediately
They need no referral and no funding history. They are smaller than the headline numbers, and they are enough to run an early product for a year.
- 3
Treat an accelerator as the key to the larger tiers
The gap between a self-serve tier and a partner tier is usually much larger than the gap between providers. Any recognised programme, local or remote, unlocks that door.
- 4
Apply before you raise, not after
Several programs cap eligibility by funding raised. Claiming while you are still pre-seed can mean a larger allocation than waiting until after a round closes.
Which of these do you clear?
Five questions against the real eligibility rules.