DigitalOcean for Startups: Credit Program Eligibility & Application Guide

DigitalOcean Hatch is a startup support program designed to empower founders with free cloud credits, mentorship and product support so they can focus on building their business, not worrying about infrastructure bills.

Whether you’re launching a SaaS platform, API, mobile app or AI-powered tool Hatch gives you the credits and tools you need to scale.

• Up to $100,000 in DigitalOcean credits
• Access to scalable cloud services (Droplets, App Platform, DBaaS, etc.)
• Mentorship from DigitalOcean experts
• Free credits from partners like Stripe, GitHub, HubSpot, Intercom, and more
• Co-marketing and visibility opportunities

The Hatch program is open to early stage startups that meet these basic criteria.

You Must:

• Be less than 6 years old
• Have less than $10M in annual revenue
• Be pre-Series B (Seed or Series A stage is fine)
• Be part of a recognized accelerator, incubator, or VC fund (e.g., Y Combinator, 100X.VC, Startup India, iCreate, Techstars, etc.)
• Not already be using DigitalOcean at scale

Note: If you’re not part of a partner incubator, you can still apply directly though the credit amount may be lower.

Hatch is available in 100+ countries including

• 🇺🇸 USA
• 🇮🇳 India
• 🇬🇧 UK
• 🇸🇬 Singapore
• 🇦🇺 Australia
• 🇩🇪 Germany
• 🇨🇦 Canada

Your credits can be used for

• Hosting web & mobile apps (Droplets, App Platform, Kubernetes)
• Databases (PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB - fully managed)
• APIs & microservices (via App Platform or serverless functions)
• CI/CD pipelines & container orchestration (Docker + Kubernetes)
• Real-time apps and chatbots
• Deploying AI/ML APIs or models with GPU droplets (via partners)

Indian startups affiliated with incubators like iCreate, CIIE, THub, and Startup India are eligible to apply directly or through partner Org IDs.

Option 1: Through Incubator or VC:

1. Ask your incubator or VC for their DigitalOcean Hatch referral link
2. Fill out your startup details and technical stack
3. Submit your application - credits will be issued upon approval

Option 2: Apply Directly:

1. Go to: https://www.digitalocean.com/hatch 
2. Click “Apply Now”
3. Provide basic startup details (team size, funding stage, use case)
4. Wait for confirmation via email

🕒 Approval usually takes 3 - 10 working days.

Q1: Is Hatch only for funded startups?

No. Even bootstrapped startups can apply, but higher credit tiers require ecosystem affiliation.

Q2: Can I migrate my app from AWS or GCP to DigitalOcean?

Yes! Hatch credits can be used for migrations too. DO offers Migrate and App Platform support.

Q3: Do the credits expire?

Yes. Typically, credits last for 12 months. Some startup partners offer renewal extensions.

Q4: Can I reapply if denied?

Yes, especially if your startup gets accepted by an incubator or gains traction.

If you're a startup looking for simple, powerful cloud infrastructure, DigitalOcean Hatch is one of the most accessible and developer friendly credit programs out there.

With up to $100,000 in cloud credits, product mentoring and scalable services like App Platform, Droplets and DBaaS Hatch helps you go from idea to global launch without upfront cloud costs.

• Apply for DigitalOcean Hatch

• Get your incubator’s Hatch referral link

• Contact DigitalOcean if you're a startup partner or ecosystem enabler

From CI/CD pipelines to Kubernetes deployment, if you're looking to integrate or automate DevOps workflows on DigitalOcean -

feel free to reach out for tailored DevOps consulting and cloud solutions.