Build your AI startup with confidence
Get up to $150,000 (USD) of Azure credits to put toward a wide range of AI models, including Azure OpenAI Service, Meta Llama, and Microsoft’s own Phi small language models.
Launch your startup today
Designed for founders that are ready to start their business, Microsoft for Startups provides benefits and support that help you build the best big idea.
Build with AI that's ready for scale
Discover scalable AI tools that help cut costs and future-proof your business.
Go to market faster with Microsoft
Join the Microsoft partner ecosystem for opportunities to co-sell and create better solutions together.
Access 1:1 expert advice
Attend unlimited 1:1 sessions with our network of Azure engineers, business experts, and fellow founders.
“No other cloud provider comes close to what Microsoft offers startups.”
Tal Kollender
CEO and Co-Founder, Gytpol
Build the next big thing
Access AI and development tools—not to mention expert guidance and Azure credits—when you join Microsoft for Startups.
Apply in minutes (no funding required) and activate Azure within 3 months of onboarding to start using exclusive benefits and cloud credits.
Get more credits as you build and grow and tap into our extensive network of experts to learn how to optimize AI and innovate on Azure.
Deploy with peace of mind and go to market with a cloud designed for enterprise-ready scale and security.
“How we differentiate from competitors is by centering our infrastructure around AI.”
“We are focused on building and delivering the best experience to our customer—and Microsoft’s outstanding AI tools and infrastructure solve the problems our customers need to address.”
Andy Pandharikar
CEO and Founder, Commerce.AI
Grow your startup with access to expert guidance
Technical advisory and consulting
Access 1:1 technical advisory with expert engineers at any stage to get help across a range of topics, including learning the latest in AI, choosing the right products, optimizing infrastructure, reducing costs, boosting performance, and road mapping.
Expand your network with 1:1 access to a global team of experts and mentors
Learn from subject matter experts, successful former founders, and venture capitalists from M12 who can provide unlimited 1:1 guidance on topics including industry best practices, scaling your organization, go-to-market strategy, and fundraising.
“We’ve been blown away by this level of help, and plan to use it more as we continue to scale our business.”
“By connecting with experts from the Microsoft network, we’ve been able to gain invaluable insights on our Teams integration, co-selling with Microsoft, fundraising, AI, and more.”
Alex Poe
CEO and Co-Founder, Chambr
Speed up development and conserve runway with essential tools and technology
Up to $150,000 (USD) in Azure credits
Conserve runway while you build with AI. Credits can be used across Microsoft AI products and include access to a range of models including OpenAI GPT 3.5 Turbo and GPT-4, all backed by the security promise of Azure. Credits are redeemable over time so you have the support you need, when you need it.
Free access to the development tools your team depends on
Take advantage of GitHub Enterprise, VS Code, Azure OpenAI Service, and more with Microsoft for Startups.
Startup-friendly offers from trusted partners
From development to compliance and security, our startup-friendly offers help you do more with less. Access dev tools like Bubble, sales and marketing platforms including LinkedIn Premium and LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and business tools like Stripe Atlas, and so much more.
Run more efficiently with free access to Microsoft tools and platforms
“Access to Azure AI services and the broader Microsoft product portfolio give us the ultimate building experience.”
Jyoti Kukreja
Chief of Staff, Aisera
Support throughout the startup lifecycle
As your startup grows, Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub offers specialty programs that can provide additional support at every step of your journey.
Why build your startup on Azure?
Industry-leading AI innovation
Future-proof your startup by accessing Azure’s industry-leading AI infrastructure, that includes large-scale models and easy-to-use APIs, at any stage in your journey.
Azure makes deploying AI easy so you can focus on what matters—your customers.
Integration with the dev tools you love
Azure's integration with GitHub, VS Code, and more means reduced time-to-market with streamlined workflows, automated deployments, and fewer devs required.
We’re open source friendly, too, so you can use the tech you prefer, including Python, Node.js, MySQL, and PostgreSQL.
An all-in-one platform for SaaS startups
We’re proud to have the longest-running program designed to help startups sell into the enterprise, unmatched by any other cloud.
With enterprise-grade security and compliance features, Azure is a leading choice for startups looking to sell to enterprises in any industry.
“We decided that to be a high-growth company selling to the Fortune 1000, it made business sense to partner with Microsoft and to build on Azure.”
Evan Reiser
CEO and Co-Founder, Abnormal Security
Discover the startups we’re helping scale to the next level
Take your idea to the next stage with Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub
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