A founder-first directory of credits, discounts, and programmes that lower your burn while you build.
Founders come here to answer one simple question:
What can I get for free or cheap right now, and can I actually qualify for it?
Cloud bills, AI compute, accounting software, and CRM costs add up fast in the first year, and most founders either miss the perks that would offset them or waste days applying for headline offers they were never eligible for.
This directory provides a neutral, founder-oriented reference for startup perks, credits, and discounts available to New Zealand companies. Most are open globally and work for NZ founders. A few are NZ-specific. A few are gated behind funding or an accelerator. We tell you which is which.
No pay-to-play. No affiliate links. No provider has paid to appear here.
Last verified: June 2026. Perk programmes change constantly, so always confirm the current offer on the provider's own page before you apply.
The NZ Startup Perks Directory:
Read This First: How Startup Perks Actually Work in 2026
Three things trip founders up. Knowing them saves you days.
1. The headline number is almost never what you get. "Up to $350,000" usually means a top tier that needs venture funding, an accelerator, or a partner referral code. Bootstrapped founders land in the entry tier (often $1,000 to $5,000) on most programmes. That is still real money, but plan around the number you will actually qualify for, not the marketing figure.
2. The fastest way to unlock a lot at once is your bank or incorporation account. Opening an account with a startup-focused financial platform (Airwallex or Emerge for NZ founders; Stripe Atlas if you have a US entity) unlocks a bundle of partner perks in one step, instead of applying to 30 programmes one by one. This is the single highest-leverage move in your first month.
3. Some credits don't stack, and some expire fast. AWS Lift and AWS Activate cannot both be claimed. Most cloud credits expire 12 months after they are issued (some tranches in as little as 4 months) whether you use them or not. Don't claim credits before you are ready to spend them.
Submit a Perk:
This directory is for open-access perks, credits, and programmes that genuinely help New Zealand founders save money while building.
👋 Founders
Know a perk we have missed? Recommend it here (takes less than a minute).
👋 Providers
Run a startup perk programme open to NZ founders? Submit it for review.
1. Cloud Infrastructure
Compute, storage, and database credits. For most early-stage teams this is the single biggest cost these credits offset.
AWS Activate (Founders)
https://aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
$1,000 in AWS credits (valid 2 years) plus $350 in Developer Support credits. For self-funded, bootstrapped startups under 10 years old, with fewer than 10 employees, under $1M in revenue or funding, pre-Series B, and no prior Activate credits. Open globally including NZ. Cannot be combined with AWS Lift.
AWS Activate (Portfolio)
https://aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
$1,000 to $100,000 in credits. Requires an Organisation ID from your VC, accelerator, or AWS partner. There is no public application; you go through your partner.
AWS Lift (NZ / APAC)
https://aws.amazon.com/events/apj/aws-lift/
Up to US$83,500 in promotional credits over 12 months, released in tranches as your usage grows (first tranche US$250). For NZ-registered SMBs that spent under roughly US$750/month on AWS in the prior 3 months. Not eligible if you have taken AWS Activate or more than US$500 in other AWS credits in the last 12 months. Each tranche expires 4 months after issue.
Google for Startups Cloud Program
https://cloud.google.com/startup
$2,000 (ideation) rising to up to $200,000 (seed to Series A) and up to $350,000 (AI-first, VC-funded). Includes Firebase, Workspace, and support credits at the higher tiers. Open globally. The larger tiers require equity funding and AI as a core product, and you must not have taken more than $5,000 in prior Google Cloud credits.
Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups
$1,000 instant, unlocking to $5,000 after verification on the self-serve path. The $100,000 to $150,000 tier is only available with an investor or accelerator referral code. Also includes GitHub Enterprise seats, Microsoft 365, and a mentor network. Self-serve tier is open to bootstrapped, pre-seed, and seed founders with no VC required. Not for consulting or crypto. Credits expire 12 months after issue.
Cloudflare for Startups
https://www.cloudflare.com/startups/
$10,000 (build and launch tier) rising to $100,000 and a $350,000 maximum by funding stage. Covers Workers, R2, CDN, security, and Zero Trust, plus enterprise-level service on up to 3 domains. The $10,000 entry tier is open to software startups founded in the last 5 years with no minimum funding. Higher tiers need funding and/or a Cloudflare partner. Credits valid 1 year, no extensions.
DigitalOcean Startups (formerly Hatch)
https://www.digitalocean.com/startups
Up to $100,000 in credits over 12 months, issued monthly (unused monthly credits are forfeited), plus support and GPU access. Actual amount varies by partner. Prioritises AI-native startups, must have raised $10M or less, and service businesses such as agencies and dev shops are not eligible. New DigitalOcean customers only. Direct applicants usually get less than the $100,000 headline.
Oracle Cloud (OCI) Always Free
https://www.oracle.com/cloud/free/
A genuinely free, no-expiry tier: 4 Arm Ampere cores, 2 AMD VMs, 200GB block storage and 10GB object storage, perpetually free. Open to anyone with an OCI account, globally. Oracle's separate startup credit programme adds discounts but is partner-gated, so the Always Free tier is the more useful piece for most bootstrapped founders.
2. AI & Compute Credits
AI model and GPU costs are now the fastest-growing line item for many founders. The largest tiers here almost always require a VC or accelerator referral.
NVIDIA Inception
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/
Free to join, no equity, no fee. DLI training credits, SDK access, preferred hardware pricing, partner cloud credits (including routes to AWS Activate and Nebius credits), and exposure to NVIDIA's VC network. Open to any incorporated startup under 10 years old with at least one developer and a working website, globally including NZ. Not for crypto, consulting, resellers, or public companies.
Anthropic for Startups (Claude credits)
https://www.anthropic.com/startups
Claude API credits plus priority rate limits and founder resources. Most startups get roughly $1,000 to $5,000, with $25,000+ premium tiers requiring an Anthropic-partner VC or accelerator. Per Anthropic's own page, you must have received equity funding from an institutional investor, been founded within the last 4 years, and not previously taken Anthropic startup credits. The funding criterion rules out most pure-bootstrapped companies.
OpenAI for Startups
Up to $2,500 to $5,000 in API credits. The direct credit path is mainly for portfolio companies of OpenAI's VC and accelerator partners; the roughly $2,500 self-serve route runs through Ramp. Also bundled via Stripe Atlas, Airwallex, and similar partners.
A practical note: if your spend is mostly model and API calls rather than infrastructure, AI credits stretch much further when you pick the right model for each task rather than defaulting to the largest one.
3. Developer Tools
GitLab for Startups
https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/startups/
Seed-stage startups get 12 months free of GitLab Ultimate (top DevOps tier) for up to 20 users, plus 50,000 CI/CD compute minutes per month. Series A and B typically get 50% off. Externally funded startups only; self-funded companies are not currently eligible. Must be a new GitLab customer and pass funding validation. Support is not included in the free Ultimate year.
GitHub (via Microsoft Founders Hub)
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups
GitHub Enterprise seats are included in the Microsoft Founders Hub package (see Cloud Infrastructure above). Same eligibility as Founders Hub.
DigitalOcean Welcome Perks
https://www.digitalocean.com/startups
DigitalOcean Startups members also receive partner perks in their welcome kit, including Segment credits and GitHub seats. Available to DigitalOcean Startups members.
Worth checking directly: Sentry, Datadog, Vercel, Linear, and JetBrains also run startup programmes, most commonly accessed through a financial-platform bundle (see Financial, Banking & Fundraising) or an accelerator.
4. Productivity & Collaboration
Notion for Startups
https://www.notion.com/help/notion-for-startups
3 months free of the Business plan (including Notion AI) for direct applicants, or 6 months if you apply with a partner code. SMBs and teams under 10 people get 1 month. For new Notion customers who have not taken a prior Notion startup credit. Open globally. A credit card is required at signup but you will not be charged during the free window.
Miro for Startups
Around $1,000 in Miro credits, now most reliably accessed bundled through partner programmes (for example the Intercom and Fin startup packs, or accelerators) rather than a flat self-serve offer. Eligibility and amount vary by route, so confirm the current offer before relying on a figure.
5. Analytics & Product Data
These offers move around a lot. Treat the values below as indicative and confirm on the provider's page before applying.
Twilio Segment for Startups
https://segment.com/industry/startups/
Up to roughly 2 years free of the Team plan (around $25,000 value) for eligible startups.
Mixpanel for Startups
https://mixpanel.com/releases/startups
Around 1 year free of the Startup or Growth plan, with up to roughly 1 billion events. Eligibility: founded under 2 years ago, under $5M raised, not currently on a paid plan.
Amplitude for Startups (Scholarship)
https://amplitude.com/startups
Around 1 year free of the Growth plan (200K MTUs), then a lifetime discount. Eligibility: under $10M funding, under 20 employees.
6. CRM, Support & Marketing
HubSpot for Startups
https://www.hubspot.com/startups
90% off year 1, 50% off year 2, and 25% off year 3 on Professional and Enterprise hubs (a flat roughly 30% partner discount exists if you do not qualify for 90%). The 90% tier requires pre-seed, seed, or Series A funding under $20M and affiliation with an approved HubSpot partner, accelerator, or verified VC. Not for services or agencies, and you must be a new HubSpot customer on Pro or Enterprise.
Zendesk for Startups
https://www.zendesk.com/business/startups/
Up to 2 years free of the Zendesk Suite or Resolution Platform for up to 50 agents (agent count varies by funding profile and partner). New Zendesk subscribers only, no prior or active paid customers. A credit card is required at signup, so cancel before the term ends to avoid charges.
Intercom Early Stage
https://www.intercom.com/early-stage
Deep multi-year discounts (year 1, then smaller discounts in years 2 and 3) on the Advanced plan, plus a monthly allowance of free Fin AI resolutions and $100K+ in partner discounts via their Dealbook. For new Intercom customers that have raised up to $10M and have fewer than 15 employees.
7. Financial, Banking & Fundraising
This is the highest-leverage category. The right account here unlocks a stack of other perks in one application, and the cap-table tools below are free at the stage most NZ founders are at.
Airwallex for Startups (NZ)
https://www.airwallex.com/nz/startups
NZD $50,000 in fee-free FX (0 fees, 0% margin) on your first conversions, 1% cashback on international card spend, eligibility for a NZD $10,000 Business Acceleration Grant, plus bundled partner perks across OpenAI, Google Cloud, HubSpot and others. For NZ-registered businesses with a valid NZBN and 2 to 100 employees. Prioritises startups that have raised external funding. New Airwallex customers. This is the cleanest way for an NZ founder to unlock a bundle, with no US entity needed.
Emerge (NZ business banking)
https://www.emerge.nz/solutions/startups
A free NZ-made business account (no monthly fees), virtual and physical cards, Xero integration, and a partner-perks marketplace with discounts on SaaS, accounting, and marketing tools. For NZ registered limited liability companies; you sign up as a director using your NZBN. Note: Emerge holds your funds in trust with a licensed NZ bank and is not itself a registered bank.
Carta Launch
https://carta.com/equity-management/launch/
Free cap-table management: issue equity, manage stakeholders, generate and track SAFEs, and access fundraising insights. Free for companies with under 25 stakeholders and under US$1M raised. Available in APAC. Most useful if you are structuring for US-style equity and investors.
Stripe Atlas
US C-corp incorporation from anywhere (roughly US$500 one-time: incorporation, EIN, founder equity, and 83(b) filing). Atlas startups also get $2,500 in Stripe credits and $50,000+ in partner discounts (Mercury, AWS, Xero and others). For founders who want a US entity, relevant if you are raising from US investors and less so if you are staying NZ-only.
A note on the banking-unlock route for NZ founders: Stripe Atlas, Brex, and Mercury bundle the largest partner-perk stacks, but they are built around a US entity. If you are NZ-incorporated and not setting up in the US, Airwallex and Emerge are the equivalent move and work on your NZBN. This is reference information, not financial or legal advice. Whether to set up a US entity is a real decision with tax and legal consequences, so talk to an advisor before doing it for the sake of perks.
8. NZ-Only Local Routes to Perks & Support
These are New Zealand-specific. Most are free, and most founders here underuse them. Some are tied to affiliation with the program itself.
Ministry of Awesome Startup Perks
https://ministryofawesome.com/perks/
Christchurch-based Ministry of Awesome maintains a public perks library for NZ founders. Includes Whimsical (12 months free, mention "MoA" as referrer), Xero (90% off for 6 months), and referral access to AWS Activate, Google Cloud, HubSpot, Notion, Stripe, Twilio/SendGrid, Intercom, Zendesk, Freshworks, and Deel, plus NZ-made tools Orchestra and Capture The Bug.
The Factory Perks & Resources
https://thefactorynz.co.nz/perks-and-resources
The Factory, a Manawatū-based incubator and angel group, publishes a founder perks page with up to 90% off HubSpot in year one, 12 months of Customer.io, 1 year of Make's Teams plan, $10,000 in Lua AI credits for 6 months, 100% off Webflow's CMS plan for 1 year, and Airwallex (3 months of Grow free plus fee-free FX up to $100,000). It also lists three free confidential counselling sessions for founder wellbeing, open to founders across Aotearoa.
Your NZBN Unlocks Third-Party Offers
https://www.nzbn.govt.nz/whats-an-nzbn/nzbn-benefits-for-business/
Holding an NZBN (free for any NZ business, including sole traders) is the key that unlocks supplier programmes, for example Bunnings PowerPass trade pricing, plus MYOB and Xero business offers. Get or check your free NZBN, then apply to the supplier programmes you actually use.
Regional Business Partner (RBP) Network
https://www.business.govt.nz/strategy-and-performance/regional-business-partner-network
A free, government-funded Growth Advisor, plus access to Capability Vouchers that co-fund up to 50% of management training to a maximum of $5,000 (excl. GST) per year. Register with your local RBP hub and book a discovery session. Some funding is only accessible after this assessment.
For the full picture of NZ government grants, R&D support, and founder programmes (RDTI, the R&D Experience and Career Grants, Te Puni Kōkiri Māori business support, and more), see the WFW directory, below:
9. Programmes That Unlock More Perks
These are not perks themselves. They are memberships or programmes that, once you join, open the door to bundles of supplier deals, often the same suppliers above but on better terms.
Y Combinator Startup School
https://www.startupschool.org/
A free online course, open to anyone globally. Completing it unlocks a bundle of partner deals (Google Cloud, Stripe and others) without equity or accelerator admission. Free.
NVIDIA Inception
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/
A free membership (also listed under AI & Compute Credits) that unlocks GPU pricing, partner cloud credits, and downstream AWS Activate access. Free, no equity.
F6S
A free platform listing hundreds of open deals and accelerator programmes. Some deals are open to all users; the high-value ones often need accelerator participation. Free to join and browse.
Secret (JoinSecret)
A paid marketplace aggregating over 1,000 SaaS deals in one place, with an application and approval process per deal. Paid membership (roughly US$149 to $199/year). Worth it only if the specific deals you want are behind it.
Product Hunt Founder Club
An annual membership unlocking roughly 80+ deals. Paid (around US$720/year). Only worth it if the specific big-ticket deals match your stack.
A straight word on the paid aggregators (Secret, Founder Club, and similar): you are paying a membership fee to access deals, many of which you can get directly from the provider for free. They only make sense if a specific deal you actually want is locked behind them and the saving clearly beats the fee. Do that math before you pay.
Submit a Perk:
This directory is for open-access perks, credits, and programmes that genuinely help New Zealand founders save money while building.
👋 Founders
Know a perk we have missed? Recommend it here (takes less than a minute).
👋 Providers
Run a startup perk programme open to NZ founders? Submit it for review.
How Inclusion Works
All submissions are reviewed.
Inclusion is based on:
- relevance to startup founders
- whether the perk is genuinely open-access or has a realistic path to qualify
- usefulness in lowering a founder's burn
Listings are factual and non-promotional. No provider pays to appear, and there are no affiliate links. Listings may be removed if information becomes outdated or misleading.
About What Founders Want
What Founders Want builds founder-first infrastructure for New Zealand's startup ecosystem.
We create directories, templates, and resources that answer the questions founders actually search for.
If something reduces wasted time, lowers risk, or improves decision-making for founders, it belongs here.
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