AWS Activate Credits for AI Startups
AWS Activate provides startups with AWS credits, technical support, and training to help build and scale on AWS. For AI agent development, this can significantly reduce infrastructure costs during the critical early stages.
Eligibility
- Early-stage startup (typically pre-Series B)
- Building a technology product or service
- Not previously received AWS Activate credits
- Associated with an approved accelerator, incubator, or VC (for higher tiers)
How to Apply
- 1.Create an AWS account if you don't have one
- 2.Apply through the AWS Activate portal
- 3.Provide company details and business plan summary
- 4.Wait for approval (typically 1-2 weeks)
- 5.Credits are automatically applied to your account
Best Use Cases for AI Agents
- Running AI model inference on EC2 or SageMaker
- Hosting agent runtime environments
- Storing training data and model artifacts in S3
- Using Bedrock for foundation model access
- Building with Lambda for serverless agent orchestration
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does AWS Activate approval take?
Typically 1-2 weeks for standard applications. If you're part of an approved accelerator or VC portfolio, approval can be faster.
Can I use AWS Activate credits for AI model training?
Yes, credits can be used for SageMaker, EC2 GPU instances, and other compute resources commonly used for AI/ML workloads.
Do AWS Activate credits expire?
Yes, credits typically expire 12-24 months after activation depending on your tier. Check your Activate dashboard for exact expiration dates.
Can I apply if I've already used AWS?
Yes, existing AWS customers can apply as long as they haven't previously received Activate credits and meet the startup eligibility criteria.
Up to $100,000 in AWS credits · Application typically takes 5-10 minutes