DigitalOcean for Startups (formerly DigitalOcean Hatch)
Open continuously
No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.
Cloud credits, not cash. DigitalOcean no longer publishes a headline credit figure: the page states 'Get the cloud infrastructure you need with DigitalOcean credits (amount varies)' over '12 months to scale', with the amount determined by the approving partner. The programme was previously branded 'Hatch'. Also includes 15 months of free Standard-tier support and third-party partner discounts. Recorded as null rather than repeating older blog figures.
DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc.
private · supranational
Deadline: rolling — Rolling applications.
This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.
Moderate — a form and supporting documents.
Who can apply
- Sectors: ai, any
- Stage: pre_seed, seed, series_a
'Must have raised $10m or less'; must have a company website and a domain-matched email; must not have used prior DigitalOcean credits. AI-native startups are prioritised and service/agency businesses are ineligible.
How to apply
- Create a DigitalOcean team account using a business email tied to your company domain. — link
- Apply to DigitalOcean for Startups, optionally via a partner accelerator/VC. — link
- If approved, credits are applied to the team account for a 12-month window.
What you will need
- Company website and domain-matched business email
- Funding information
Source. https://www.digitalocean.com/hatch — checked 2026-08-14
"12 months to scale. Get the cloud infrastructure you need with DigitalOcean credits (amount varies)"