Azure startup credit offer (self-serve)
Microsoft·United States
The no-referral Azure credit path: $1,000 for 90 days, then a further $4,000 for 180 days once the business is verified.
What you get
“If you're new to Azure, you can start with the Azure startup credit offer: $1,000 for 90 days, then an additional $4,000 for 180 days after business verification.”
Can you apply
To be eligible for Microsoft for Startups, your company must meet the following criteria: Develop a software-based product or service that is owned by your company; Be privately held and for-profit; Be headquartered in a country where Azure services are available; Not have received more than $350,000 in lifetime free Azure credits; Not have raised Series C funding or later; Not be an educational institution, government organization, consultancy, or agency; Not be involved in cryptocurrency mining.
When
Always open, applications reviewed on a rolling basis.
What Microsoft funds
Microsoft for Startups gives privately held, pre-Series C software startups Azure credits plus AI tooling and go-to-market support. Everyone applies through the same door, but the credit ceiling jumps by roughly 20x when the application carries a referral code from a Microsoft for Startups Investor Network partner.
Everything Microsoft funds →Details
Microsoft's own docs also state that startups may "unlock up to $150K in Startup credits over time as your startup demonstrates verified progress, service adoption, and sustained Azure usage", but the only self-serve amounts Microsoft publishes are the $1,000 and $4,000 steps below. Credits must be activated within 90 days of accepting the program agreement.
Read off the Microsoft page on 29 Aug 2026. Funders move amounts and eligibility without announcing it, so confirm any figure here before you count on it.