Thank You, AWS & Kiro: We've Been Granted Kiro for Startups Credits

Some genuinely exciting news to share: we've been granted credits through the Kiro for Startups program. A heartfelt thank you to the AWS and Kiro teams for the support — programs like this make a real difference for small teams trying to build big things, and I don't take it for granted.

What the program gives you

Kiro for Startups provides eligible early-stage companies up to a full year of Kiro Pro+ at no cost, with the credits applied directly to your AWS account. At the time of writing it's offered in three tiers based on team size — Starter (up to 2 users), Growth (up to 10 users), and Scale (up to 30 users) — so it scales with you as you grow.

Why this is great news for builders

For a startup, runway is everything. Tooling that would otherwise be a recurring line item becomes free for a year, and that has knock-on effects beyond the cost saving:

• More runway — a year of premium agentic coding without the subscription cost frees up budget for the things only you can fund.
• Ship faster — Kiro's spec-driven workflow helps a small team move from idea to working, reviewed code without the usual chaos.
• Punch above your weight — custom agents and steering let two or three people operate with the leverage of a much larger team.
• Room to experiment — when the tooling is covered, it's easier to try ideas, prototype, and learn quickly.

If you want the deeper why, I wrote a full post on how I actually use Kiro CLI day to day — workflow, steering, and memory tips included. This program just makes all of that accessible to more teams.

How your startup can apply

If you're building something, it's well worth applying. Here's the gist at the time of writing — always confirm the latest details and eligibility on the official page before you apply:

• Who: early-stage to Series A startups, globally (a few countries are excluded — check the terms).
• What you need: a business email that matches your startup's domain, and an AWS Account ID using a matching email.
• Heads up: if you currently have active AWS Activate credits, you may not be eligible — but you can apply for Activate after being accepted into the Kiro program.
• Timing: applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and you'll hear back by email. The current application window runs through June 30, 2026.
• After approval: credits are added to your AWS account automatically and expire one year after they're issued.

Apply directly through the AWS Startups page for Kiro:

Apply for Kiro for Startups →

Great tools shouldn't be a luxury for early teams. Thank you, AWS and Kiro, for putting serious tooling within reach of builders.

If you're a startup figuring out how to make the most of credits like these — wiring Kiro into your workflow, your AWS setup, or your product — that's exactly the kind of work I love helping with. Reach out and let's build.