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New Zealand’s Longest List of Open Access Startup Perks — Every offer here helps reduce your burn while building momentum. All perks are open-access — no accelerator or private group required.
Welcome to the What Founders Want Perks Library: every perk here is fully verified for New Zealand founders. No fake codes, no US-only exclusions, no expired offers. Just clean, valuable tools to build and scale your startup — fast.
Total Perks Value: Over $1 Million NZD across cloud credits, tools, and services.
What you’ll find:
- Cloud infrastructure: AWS, GCP, Azure, IBM, DigitalOcean — up to $350K+ in credits
- Productivity tools: Notion, Miro — up to $6K in collaboration perks
- Growth stack: Intercom, Zendesk, Mixpanel, Segment, Freshworks — over $100K in CRM and analytics credits
- Financial tools: Stripe fee waivers up to $25K, Carta free cap table for early-stage startups
- Legal & accounting: No open-access legal perks, but free government R&D grants and tax credits available
- Customer support & monitoring: Raygun, Uploadcare, Zenduty — up to $20K in dev-facing support perks
How to use the What Founders Want Perks Library
- Scan categories and perk values to prioritise.
- Click direct links to claim your credits (no email captures or hidden requirements).
- Save thousands as you scale.
Cloud Infrastructure
These perks provide cloud computing credits and related benefits to help startups build and scale their infrastructure.
Organization | Description | Offer (Monetary Value) | Value | Verified Link |
Amazon Web Services (AWS) – Activate Founders | AWS startup program (self-service track) for early-stage companies | $1,000 AWS cloud credits (valid 2 years) + $350 AWS Developer Support credits
pages.awscloud.com | $1,000 (+$350) | AWS Activate
pages.awscloud.com |
Amazon Web Services (AWS) – Lift NZ | AWS Lift program for NZ small/medium businesses (including startups) | Up to $83,500 USD in AWS credits over 12 months
aboutamazon.com.aua | $83,500 | AWS Launch Announcement
aboutamazon.com.au |
Microsoft – Startups Founders Hub | Microsoft’s ANZ startup hub offering Azure and tools | Up to $150,000 in Azure cloud credits (tiered as startup grows)
mercia.co.uk | $150,000 | Mercia (Microsoft)
mercia.co.uk |
Google Cloud – Startups Program | Google for Startups Cloud Program (early-stage and funded tracks) | Up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits (e.g. $2k for early MVP, $200k for funded, $350k for AI startups)
cloud.google.com | $350,000 | Google Cloud
cloud.google.com |
Oracle – Oracle for Startups | Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) startup program | $500 USD in free OCI credits + 70% discount for 2 years on OCI usage
codeproject.com | $500 (+70% off) | CodeProject (Oracle)
codeproject.com |
DigitalOcean – Hatch Program | DigitalOcean global startup program (apply directly) | Up to $100,000 in DigitalOcean credits for compute & cloud services
businesswire.com | $100,000 | BusinessWire (DO)
businesswire.com |
Developer Tools
Perks that provide development and DevOps tools at reduced or no cost, enabling engineering teams to work more effectively.
Organization | Description | Offer (Monetary Value) | Value | Verified Link |
GitLab – Startup Program
(Note: GitHub’s startup benefits are available via Microsoft Founders Hub (above), and other developer tool perks are often provided via partner platforms listed later.) | GitLab’s program for early-stage startups (no partner needed) | 12 months free GitLab Ultimate (top-tier DevOps platform) – up to $10,440 USD savings
joinsecret.com | ~$10,440 | Secret (GitLab deal)
joinsecret.com |
DevRev for Startups | Developer-first platform that connects product, engineering, and support into one system. Ideal for startups, it streamlines issue tracking, customer feedback, and roadmap planning in a single workflow.
| Get 12 months of DevRev Pro (up to $10,000 in credits) plus 50% off your next year — ideal for product-led teams building in public. Includes access to technical experts, guides, and early-stage support.
• Backed by an incubator or accelerator
• Seed or Series A funded
• New to DevRev | ~$10,000 |
Productivity & Collaboration Tools
Perks that help startups with team productivity, documentation, and collaboration software.
Organization | Description | Offer (Monetary Value) | Value | Verified Link |
Notion – Notion for Startups | Workspace wiki & notes platform (open to all eligible startups) | Free Notion “Plus” Plan for 3–6 months, including unlimited AI features (valued up to $6,000)
notion.com | $6,000 | Notion Blog
notion.com |
Miro – Startup Program (Open) | Online collaborative whiteboard tool for teams | $500 in Miro credits for any plan (available to startups not in a partner network)
miro.com | $500 | Miro Help Center
miro.com |
Analytics, Monitoring & Product Data
Perks for product analytics, user tracking, and monitoring tools to help startups understand their customers and product performance.
Organization | Description | Offer (Monetary Value) | Value | Verified Link |
Twilio Segment – Startup Program | Customer data platform (CDP) by Twilio, for product analytics | Segment Team Plan free for up to 2 years (up to $25,000 value)
startup.shibin.co | $25,000 | Startup Wiki
startup.shibin.co |
Mixpanel – Startups Program | User behavior analytics platform (product analytics) | 1 year free Mixpanel Growth Plan (includes up to 1 billion events; $50,000 in credits)
startup.shibin.co | $50,000 | Startup Wiki
startup.shibin.co |
Amplitude – Startup Scholarship | Product analytics and experimentation suite | 1 year free Amplitude Growth Plan (up to $40,000 value, incl. 200k MTUs/month)
startupcredits.io | $40,000 | StartupCredits (Amplitude)
startupcredits.io |
CRM, Support & Marketing Tools
Perks that offer customer relationship management (CRM), customer support, and marketing software credits or discounts to early-stage startups.
Organization | Description | Offer (Monetary Value) | Value | Verified Link |
Zendesk – Startups Program | Customer support/helpdesk software suite | 6 months free Zendesk Suite + Sell for up to 50 agents (full product access)
support.zendesk.com | Varies (~$218×6 min.) | Zendesk Help
support.zendesk.com |
Intercom – Early Stage Program | Customer messaging & live chat platform for support and engagement | 90% discount in 1st year, 50% in 2nd, 25% in 3rd for Intercom platform (new startups)
intercom.com | 90% off | Intercom
intercom.com |
Freshworks – Startup Credits | Suite of CRM, marketing, support, and IT tools (Freshworks Cloud) | Credits up to $10,000 USD usable across Freshworks products (e.g. $1,250 per product)
startup.shibin.co | $10,000 | Startup Wiki
startup.shibin.co |
Financial, Accounting & Fundraising Tools
Perks to help manage cap tables, accounting, and finance. (Note: NZ startups commonly use local accounting software like Xero, which offers standard free trials; no special open startup credit is available from Xero at this time.)
Organization | Description | Offer (Monetary Value) | Value | Verified Link |
Carta – Launch Plan | Cap table and equity management platform (early-stage companies) | Free cap table management for startups with ≤25 stakeholders and ≤$1M raised (Carta Launch)
carta.com | Free ( ~$2,000/yr ) | Carta Pricing
carta.com |
Airwallex for Startups | A fintech-driven program offering Kiwi startups financial tools, exclusive perks, and community support to accelerate growth. | NZD $50,000 in fee-free FX conversions, 1% cashback on international card spend, and eligibility for a NZD $10,000 Business Acceleration Grant.
https://www.airwallex.com/nz/airwallex-for-startups | High – significant financial benefits and access to a supportive startup ecosystem. | Airwallex for Startups
https://www.airwallex.com/nz/airwallex-for-startups |
NZ Government Grants & Programs
New Zealand government provides several grants, tax incentives, and co-funding programs to support startup innovation and growth. These are open to NZ-incorporated businesses (subject to eligibility criteria) and can provide significant monetary support:
⚠️ Note on Callaghan Innovation Funding (2025):
Several grants listed on this page rely on Callaghan Innovation’s funding. As of Q2 2025, this funding is under government review and may be subject to changes in structure, availability, or scope. Confirm funding status directly before applying.
Program (Agency) | Description & Eligibility | Offer (Monetary Value) | Value | Verified Link |
R&D Tax Incentive (RDTI) (MBIE/IR) | A refundable tax credit for businesses performing R&D in NZ (available to all sectors).
Eligibility: ≥$50k R&D spend/year (or via approved research provider),
airtree.vc | 15% tax credit on eligible R&D expenditure (annual cap $120m spend),
airtree.vc
Unused credit refundable for pre-profit startups under certain conditions. | 15% of R&D costs | RDTI NZ
airtree.vc |
New to R&D Grant (Callaghan Innovation) | Grant for companies new to performing R&D, to build capability over 2 years.
Eligibility: NZ companies with < $50k R&D spend in last 3 years and no large prior R&D grants.
airtree.vc.
(Must co-fund 50%.) | Up to $400,000 NZD over 2 years, split 50/50: up to $200k for R&D project costs and $200k for building internal R&D.
airtree.vc | $400,000 | AirTree VC Guide
airtree.vc |
R&D Experience Grant (Callaghan) | Supports hiring an undergrad tertiary student intern for a summer R&D project.
Eligibility: Active R&D program and ability to mentor the student. | $8,840 NZD grant (plus GST) per student for a 400-hour (~10 week) full-time internship
airtree.vc
(Covers student stipend/payment.) | $8,840 | AirTree VC Guide
airtree.vc |
R&D Career Grant (Callaghan) | Supports hiring a recently graduated Masters or PhD student into your R&D team.
Eligibility: Active R&D program and project for the grad. | 50% of annual salary for 6 months, up to $30,000 (Masters) or $35,000 (PhD) NZD + GST
airtree.vc
(Paid to company as salary subsidy for first 6 months of employment.) | $30–35 k | AirTree VC Guide
airtree.vc |
Capability Voucher (RBP Network) (NZTE) | Government-funded via Regional Business Partners: subsidy for business training or coaching.
Eligibility: NZ SMEs <50 employees looking to build management capabilities. | Up to $5,000 NZD per year in co-funding for approved training/advisory services (covers 50% of course/consultation fees)
ebopchamber.co.nz. | $5,000 | NZ RBP Program
ebopchamber.co.nz |
Trusted Partner Platforms for Gated Perk Programs
In addition to the above open-access offers, NZ startup founders can also explore trusted perk platforms and networks that aggregate “gated” deals (requiring membership or certain program participation). While these platforms are not themselves perk providers, they connect founders to many supplier deals (often the same suppliers as above, but sometimes on better terms) if you join or qualify. Here are some notable ones:
Platform Name | Description | Key Benefit for NZ Startups | Link |
Secret (JoinSecret) | A dedicated marketplace for startup perks, operating on a freemium/premium membership model.
jeanloup.medium.com.
Secret negotiates discounts and credits for 300+ SaaS tools.
Premium membership (~$149–199/year) unlocks all deals. | Access to hundreds of curated startup deals in one place (e.g. up to $1,000 in Notion credits, Slack credits, etc.), with an easy application process and support ensuring you get the perks.
Over 88,000 startups use Secret- joinsecret.com. | Secret Premium Deals
joinsecret.com |
Founder Club (Product Hunt) | An invite-only perks program run by Product Hunt (known as “Founder Club”)
jeanloup.medium.com.
Requires a paid annual fee. Aimed at serious founders, it provides high-value offers (many overlapping with others). | One membership ($720/year) gives unlimited access to ~80+ deals (worth $100K+ total)- jeanloup.medium.com
– e.g. large credits for AWS, Airtable, Notion, etc. Useful if those specific big-ticket deals align with your needs. | Product Hunt Founder Club
jeanloup.medium.com |
Y Combinator Startup School | A free online program & community by Y Combinator. By completing the Startup School coursework (open to anyone globally), founders unlock a bundle of perks. | 100+ startup offers (valued ~$30K total) made available upon Startup School graduation- jeanloup.medium.com.
This includes many common perks (Stripe, Google Cloud, etc.) but without needing equity or accelerator admission – just course completion. | YC Startup School
jeanloup.medium.com |
F6S | The world’s largest free platform for founders and startup programs.
jeanloup.medium.com.
F6S hosts a “Deals” section with hundreds of offers. Many are extended trials or discounts open to all F6S users, while others are tied to specific partner accelerators. | Free to sign up and browse 537+ offers- jeanloup.medium.com.
Delivers over $2.5 B in startup deals historically
f6s.com.
A great catalog of available perks (e.g. “6 months free Zendesk” is featuredf6s.com), though some high-value deals may require proof of accelerator participation. | F6S Startup Deals
f6s.com |
Know Something We Don’t? We’d Love to Hear from You.
It’s hard to keep track of an ever-changing ecosystem.
We appreciate your contribution to What Founders Want. Together we can make starting a startup easier for founders in New Zealand.