Google Cloud for Startups: Start, Scale and AI tiers

What you get

• Start tier (not yet equity-funded): up to $2,000 USD in credits to use over a year
• Scale tier (equity-funded): year one Google Cloud and Firebase usage covered up to $100,000, plus 20% of usage covered in year two (up to an additional $100,000)
• AI-first startups: up to $350,000 USD in cloud cost coverage, plus dedicated AI training and webinars
• Startup Success Manager, Google Cloud engineers, Google Workspace discounts and Google Maps Platform credits (Scale tier)

Eligibility

• Publicly available company website and a business email on the same domain
• Founded within 5 years of applying (10 years for Scale tier)
• Start tier: digital-native startup with a working MVP, clear business model and plans to raise venture funding; Scale tier: VC/equity-funded, Seed to Series A
• PE, government grants, crowdfunding, angel or friends-and-family money does not qualify for Scale; AI tier requires AI built into the company's foundation
• Excluded: companies that have IPO'd or been acquired, education, government, nonprofits, dev shops, consultancies, agencies, crypto mining

How Google Cloud for Startups credits work

Credit types and validity

• Start tier (not yet equity-funded): up to $2,000 USD in credits used over one year
• Scale tier (equity-funded Seed–Series A): year-one Google Cloud and Firebase usage covered up to $100,000, plus 20% of year-two usage up to an additional $100,000
• AI tier (AI-first startups): up to $350,000 USD in cloud cost coverage, plus AI training and webinars
• Scale-tier extras: Startup Success Manager, Google Cloud engineers, Google Workspace discounts and Google Maps Platform credits

How the credits are applied and when they expire

Create a Google Cloud account to get your 18-character billing account ID, then apply at cloud.google.com/startup for the pre-funded ($2,000) or Seed–Series A option using a business email matching your website. Scale-tier applicants give links to public sources showing equity investment. Credits cover Google Cloud services such as BigQuery and Gemini, not third-party or Marketplace offerings; Start credits run for one year and Scale/AI coverage spans your first two years in the program.

Approval time

Most decisions within a few business days; manual reviews can take 10 days or more

For founders in India

No India-specific terms are published; the same global criteria apply. Angel or government-grant funding common among Indian early-stage startups does not count toward the Scale tier, so such teams should apply for the Start tier.

How to apply, step by step

1. Create a Google Cloud account if needed to get your 18-character billing account ID (Console → Billing → Manage your billing account)
2. Open cloud.google.com/startup and click 'Apply now' for the early-stage (Seed–Series A) or pre-funded ($2,000) option
3. Apply with a business email matching your website domain; the billing account ID auto-fills from the linked Google Cloud account (edit if wrong)
4. For Scale tier, give links to public sources showing equity investment (stealth startups verify via their investor)
5. Most decisions arrive within a few business days; manual reviews can take 10 days or more

Documents and details to keep ready

• 18-character Google Cloud billing account ID
• Business email matching your public website domain (and the billing account's email domain)
• Links to public sources detailing equity funding (Scale/AI tiers) — Google asks for links, not pitch decks

Common reasons applications are declined

• No public company website or no business email on the same domain
• Founded more than 5 years ago (10 years for Scale tier)
• For Scale/AI tiers: funding is not VC/equity (PE, government grants, crowdfunding, angel or friends-and-family money does not qualify)
• Excluded types: companies that have IPO'd or been acquired, education, government, nonprofits, dev shops, consultancies, agencies, crypto mining

Tips before you apply

• Find your billing account ID first (Console → Billing → Manage your billing account) and make sure it is the one linked to your application
• Use a business email on the same domain as your public website
• For Scale tier, prepare links to public funding announcements; Google asks for links, not pitch decks
• Budget for third-party models and Marketplace products separately, as credits don't cover them

Terms to know

• Credits cover Google Cloud services (e.g. BigQuery, Gemini), not third-party or Marketplace offerings; third-party models are billed separately
• Start tier credits are used over one year; Scale/AI coverage spans the first two years in the program