---
title: "DigitalOcean Hatch Startup Credits"
slug: "digitalocean-hatch"
provider: "DigitalOcean"
status: "verified"
verifiedAt: "2026-10-12"
listedAt: "2026-09-12"
canonical: "https://aifree.dev/offer/digitalocean-hatch"
---

# DigitalOcean Hatch Startup Credits

> DigitalOcean cloud credits for startups that raised $10M or less

- Provider: [DigitalOcean](https://aifree.dev/provider/digitalocean-com)
- What is free: Startup program
- Status: verified by a person on 2026-10-12
- Credit card: required
- Sign-up: required
- For: Startups
- Claim at: https://www.digitalocean.com/startups

## What you get

DigitalOcean Startups (Hatch) awards cloud credits to startups that have raised $10m or less, with the amount varying by partner and a $10,000 monthly credit limit over a 12-month program.

## The catch

Credits come via approved partners, carry a $10,000 monthly limit, and unused credits are forfeited with no extensions.

## Eligibility

Startups that have raised $10M or less; AI-native startups prioritized; service-based businesses ineligible
- Startups that have raised $10M or less
- service-based businesses ineligible
- Company website and matching corporate email
- Registered DigitalOcean team account created with a business email and valid credit card
- Apply through a DigitalOcean Startups partner or select 'Other'

## Limits

- 12-month program
- $10,000 monthly credit limit; overage billed
- Credits distributed via approved partners (or 'Other' selection)
- Excludes GPU Droplets, Bare Metal GPUs, Paperspace Machines, Cloudways, and third-party AI inference
- Non-transferable; unused credits forfeited; no extensions
- Standard-tier paid support included free for 15 months

## Details

## Overview

[DigitalOcean Startups](https://www.digitalocean.com/startups), commonly known as Hatch, awards cloud credits to early-stage companies building on DigitalOcean. Credits are granted through approved DigitalOcean Startups partners, the amount varies by partner and startup, and the program runs for 12 months to scale.

## Program Credits & Benefits

- **Cloud credits:** Amount varies. Participants generally receive a $10,000 monthly limit, and charges apply for usage in a month that exceeds it.
- **Coverage:** As of May 13, 2026, credits apply to any DigitalOcean service except GPU Droplets, NVIDIA H100 GPU Kubernetes, Bare Metal GPUs, Dedicated Inference, Serverless Inference using third-party models outside DigitalOcean infrastructure, Paperspace Machines, Cloudways services, and other third-party pass-through charges.
- **GPU credits:** A separate benefit; select startups are invited to apply for GPU credit packages.
- **Support:** Free access to Standard-tier paid support for 15 months, plus expert one-on-ones with product managers and engineers.
- **Partner perks:** Marketplace exposure and partner offers such as Cloud66 ($500 in credit), Notion ($1,000 credit), Airtable ($2,000 in credit), QuickNode (up to $5k in credit), and Stripe Atlas (20% off).
- Credits cannot be used for cryptocurrency mining, are not transferable, and unused credits are forfeited. The program does not grant extensions.

## Eligibility

Startups must have raised $10m or less, have a company website and an email address matching the corporate domain, a registered team account, and a valid credit card. Priority is given to AI-native startups, and the program targets new startups that have not used prior DigitalOcean credits. Service-based startups (consulting, web/app development services, marketing agencies) are not eligible.

## How to Apply

1. Visit the DigitalOcean Startups page and open the application form.
2. Unaffiliated founders apply through the same form, selecting the general option; approved partner organizations submit startups through the partner route.
3. Provide company, funding, and website details, then submit.

## More

- HTML page: https://aifree.dev/offer/digitalocean-hatch
- Change history: https://aifree.dev/offer/digitalocean-hatch/history
- How it was verified: https://aifree.dev/offer/digitalocean-hatch/verification
- More in [Free AI API credits](https://aifree.dev/free-api-credits.md)
- JSON: https://aifree.dev/api/v1/offers/digitalocean-hatch