Routes open in China
| Route | Max credits | Who qualifies | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Activate Founders | $1,000 | Self-funded, no institutional funding, live website | Apply online in the Activate console |
| Activate via a Provider | Up to $100,000 | Backed by an accelerator, VC or incubator in the Activate network | Get an organization ID from your provider |
| AWS Startup Accelerator, Greater China | Activate credits (amount not stated) | Generative AI startups registered in mainland China or Hong Kong, Series B or earlier. Confirmed; dates not stated. | Through AWS's local team |
| Local accelerator or VC | Varies | Accepted into a local program | Apply to the program; credits follow |
| Our partner match | Same as AWS | Any stage; we suggest the best route | Use the credit check on this page |
Amounts are the maximums AWS advertises; approval is never guaranteed. Source: AWS Activate terms
Who qualifies from China
- Your company is usually under 10 years old and hasn't had Activate credits before.
- You have a live company website, and you sign up with an email on that domain.
- For the $100,000 tier, you're backed by an Activate Provider and haven't raised a Series B yet.
- Company in China: apply with it directly. Company abroad (for example a US Delaware company): apply with whichever entity owns the AWS account. No company yet: start with Founders once your website is live.
Region, latency and data rules
- Data protection law
- PIPL + DSL + CSL
- Must data stay in-country?
- Yes: important and large volumes of personal data must stay in mainland China
- Regulator
- Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC)
What your credits buy here
A typical early-stage stack (a few small servers, a managed database, storage and traffic) costs about $600/month in cn-north-1.
$1,000
1.7
months
$5,000
8.3
months
$25,000
42
months
$100,000
99
months
Estimates. Credits usually expire after 12 to 24 months, so large amounts rarely last their full length.
Startups like you
Local accelerators
We haven't listed local accelerators in China yet. These global programs accept founders from anywhere.
Seedstars
Remote / emerging markets · Accelerator and investor
Ask the provider
Surge (Peak XV)
Bengaluru / Singapore · Accelerator (India and SE Asia)
Ask the provider
Y Combinator
Remote / San Francisco · Accelerator
Up to $100,000
Techstars
Remote / many cities · Accelerator
Up to $100,000
Antler
30+ cities · Pre-seed investor
Up to $25,000
500 Global
Remote / many cities · Accelerator and VC
Ask the provider
Entrepreneur First
London, Paris, Bengaluru, San Francisco · Talent investor
Ask the provider
Founder Institute
Remote / 200+ cities · Pre-seed accelerator
Ask the provider
Plug and Play
Many cities · Corporate accelerator
Ask the provider
MassChallenge
Remote / several hubs · Equity-free accelerator
Ask the provider
AWS Generative AI Accelerator
Remote · AWS program for AI startups
Up to $1,000,000
AWS Impact Accelerator
Remote · AWS program for under-represented founders
Ask AWS
Stripe Atlas
Remote · Company setup with startup perks
Ask the provider
Check with each program that it's a current Activate Provider before you rely on it.
Notable local investors and funds
Investors, accelerators and government funds active in China. If one backs you, ask whether they can give you an Activate Provider code.
Grants, non-dilutive funding and R&D tax credits
Money you can stack on top of AWS credits in China.
Setting up a local company
- Common startup entity
- LLC; foreign-owned = WFOE (Foreign Investment Law, negative list)
- Minimum share capital
- Paid-in minimum capital: 0% of income per capita (World Bank Doing Business 2020; data as of May 2019)
- Time and cost to register
- 8.55 days, 4.55 procedures, cost 1.1% of income per capita (Doing Business 2020; data as of May 2019, series discontinued)
Capital and registration figures are from the World Bank (Doing Business 2020 / B-READY 2025). Check the registry for current rules.
What's different in China
- Billing entity
- Sinnet / NWCD (China Regions); AWS Inc. (global)
- Currency
- CNY (cards and bank redirects) or USD
- Tax AWS adds
- China Regions: local operators; global: none listed. Not covered by credits.
- Payments and verification
- AWS China accounts need a Chinese business licence and are billed in yuan by the local operator.
Credits don't cover taxes. Source: AWS Promotional Credit terms
Paying the AWS bill from China
- Use a card that allows international recurring payments, or a multi-currency business card.
- Enter your VAT or tax number in the AWS console so tax is handled correctly.
- Credits don't cover tax, so a small cash charge can appear even while credits last.
Startup scene
170
unicorns
ByteDance ($480B), Moonshot AI ($50B), DeepSeek ($50B), Xiaohongshu ($17B), Yuanfudao ($15.5B)
Startup sectors
Main economic sectors
Unicorn data: CB Insights, as of 2 October 2026. Sectors: CIA World Factbook.
Startup visa
China has no dedicated startup visa. Founders usually use a general work or business residence permit.
AWS events and community in China
- AWS User Groups in AWS's official directory: 23 (Beijing, Changji, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Hong Kong, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Xian, Zhangjiakou, Zhengzhou) [11].
- AWS Summit China: Shanghai, 23–24 Jun 2026 [12]. AWS Founder Country Guide · as of Oct 2026 Page 82 of 174
Sources for China (12)
- 1. https://investinasia.com/blog/china-tax-incentives-for-foreign-investors/
- 2. https://english.shyp.gov.cn/ywb/policyexpress1/20240423/453194.html
- 3. https://docs.aws.amazon.com/global-infrastructure/latest/regions/aws-regions.html
- 4. https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/global-infrastructure/localzones/locations/
- 5. https://aws.amazon.com/legal/aws-contracting-party/
- 6. https://repost.aws/knowledge-center/supported-aws-currencies
- 7. https://repost.aws/knowledge-center/accepted-payment-methods
- 8. https://aws.amazon.com/tax-help/
- 9. https://aws.amazon.com/awscredits/
- 10. https://www.dlapiperdataprotection.com/index.html?t=law&c=CN
- 11. https://builder.aws.com/community/user-groups
- 12. https://aws.amazon.com/events/summits/shanghai/
Research current as of 2 October 2026. Not legal or tax advice.
Questions
Is AWS Activate available in China?
AWS in mainland China is a separate partition run by local operators. Global AWS accounts and Activate credits don't carry over.
How much in AWS credits can a startup in China get?
Self-funded teams usually start with $1,000 from Activate Founders. Teams backed by an Activate Provider can get up to $200,000.
Do I need a company registered in China?
No. You can apply with a China company, a company registered abroad (for example a US Delaware company), or as an early team with a live website. Use the entity that owns the AWS account.
Do AWS credits cover VAT/GST in China?
No. Credits don't cover taxes, so any VAT/GST is charged to your card.
What's the closest AWS region to China?
cn-north-1 in Beijing (separate AWS China partition), inside the country. Typical latency is under 20 ms from the main cities.
Can I apply without an accelerator or VC?
Yes. Activate Founders is open to self-funded startups. A partner can also point you to other routes.
Will using a partner change how much I get?
No. The credits come from AWS on the same terms. A partner just helps you find the right route and prepare the application.
Find your best route from China
Answer four questions and we'll match you with a partner who knows China. Free, and the credits are the same as going direct.
Cloud Credits is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Amazon Web Services. AWS and AWS Activate are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Data last checked 2 October 2026; check AWS for current terms.