Startup Program revamped: build and grow on Cloudflare with up to $250,000 in credits

Today, we’re pleased to offer startups up to $250,000 in credits to use on Cloudflare’s Developer Platform. This new credits system will allow you to clearly see usage and associated fees to plan for a predictable future after the $250,000 in credits have been used up or after one year, whichever happens first.

You can see eligibility criteria and apply to the start-up program here. 

What can you use the credits for?

Credits can be applied to all Developer Platform products, as well as Argo and Cache Reserve. Moreover, we provide participants with up to three Enterprise-level domains, which includes CDN, DDoS, DNS, WAF, Zero Trust, and other security and performance products that a participant can enable for their website.

Developer tools and building on Cloudflare

You can use credits for Cloudflare Developer Platform products, including those listed in the table below.

^{Note: credits for the Cloudflare Startup Program apply to Cloudflare products only, this table is illustrative of similar products in the market.}

Speed and performance with Cloudflare

We know that founders need all the help they can get when starting their businesses. Beyond the Developer Platform, you can also use the Startup Program for our speed and performance products. Getting customers where they need to go within milliseconds on your website or application is the difference between closing a sale or not. You can test your speed here and learn how to optimize your speed and performance here with solutions like: Images, Argo, and Early Hints.

Security from Cloudflare

But, wait, there’s more: beyond the Developer Platform products and speed tools, you can also use Cloudflare’s many security features through the Startup Program as well. These include Web Application Firewall (WAF), DDoS Alerts, bundled protection plans, and more. The Startup Program also includes Zero Trust solutions. Learn how others are securing their technology and tools with Cloudflare Zero Trust.

For more inspiration, check out our Built with Cloudflare site, which highlights what other startups are building. 

Who can use the credits?

Eligibility criteria can be found here and include:

• Companies building a software-based product or service

• Founded within the last 5 years (2019-2024)

• Have between $50,000 - $5,000,000 in funding

  • Note that for startups who have not yet raised at least $50,000, there may be other opportunities for lower credit amounts. Please apply with the promo code “BOOTSTRAPPED” if you haven’t raised $50,000 yet, but are interested in the Cloudflare Startup Program

• Have a LinkedIn profile, valid website, and email address

• Bonus criteria that adds to your application: being part of an approved accelerator

What will you build?

We’re excited to see what you will build. Please share what you’re up to with us so that we can help you however it makes sense. If you’re actively using Cloudflare’s Developer Platform, we’d love to hear more about what you’re building and share it on our Built with Cloudflare site.

Are you a startup looking for additional support, resources, or access to funding? Apply for our Workers Launchpad Program! The program runs for a few months, and in addition to the Startup Program, participants get access to hands-on bootcamp sessions, Solutions Architect office hours, introductions to VCs, and the opportunity to present at Demo Day.

Why does Cloudflare support founders and startups? 

Founders and developers face enough challenges without having to worry about incurring egregious costs to test technology and start building in the earliest days. You have the world at your fingertips and should be empowered to build and create without limitations. Invest money in your innovation, not in the infrastructure and technology that supports it.

The Startup Program understands this founder experience deeply, as the team is made up of former founders. Cloudflare is committed to programs like this to empower founders building the next big thing. Offering up to $250,000 in credits will allow folks to leverage even more of what we have to offer: a developer experience that removes friction, saves money, and gets applications spun up in hours, not days. 

We want to support founders from everywhere on earth.

Be bold and keep building! Follow @CloudflareDev and join our Developer Discord server.

Are you a startup building on Cloudflare? Apply here!