Routes for space tech startups
| Route | Max credits | Who qualifies | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Activate Founders | $1,000 | Self-funded, live website, no prior Activate credits | Open |
| Activate via a Provider | Up to $100,000 | Backed by an accelerator, VC or incubator in the Activate network | Open |
| AWS Space Accelerator: Korea 2026 | Up to $100k | Satellites, launch, space software (Korean startups) | Announced 9 Sep 2026 |
| Our partner match | Same as AWS | Any space tech startup; we suggest the best route | Open |
Amounts are programme ceilings, not what every company gets. Approval is never guaranteed.
What credits cover, and what they don't
- Compute: EC2, Lambda, ECS, Fargate
- Databases: RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB
- Storage: S3, EBS
- AI models: Amazon Bedrock on-demand usage
- Networking: CloudFront, data transfer
- Most first-party AWS services
- AWS Marketplace third-party software
- Route 53 domain name registration
- Upfront Reserved Instances and Savings Plans
- Business or Enterprise Support plans
- Taxes added to your bill
- Mining or other prohibited use
AWS programmes for space tech
- Open
AWS Space Accelerator: Korea 2026
Up to $100k
Satellites, launch, space software (Korean startups). Announced 9 Sep 2026.
Source: Venture Square
Does a space tech company qualify?
- Product startups (software or hardware you sell) qualify for Activate. Agencies, consultancies and dev shops that bill by the hour usually don't, unless they're building their own product.
- Your company is usually under 10 years old, pre-Series B for the Provider tier, and hasn't had Activate credits before.
- Past the startup stage? Established space tech companies can look at business and migration funding instead.
- Nonprofit or researcher? The AWS Imagine Grant and Cloud Credit for Research are separate from Activate.
Before you apply: readiness checklist
Most rejections come from fixable paperwork. Tick what you have ready: 0 of 8 done.
What credits buy for a space tech product
AWS Ground Station for downlink, S3 for imagery, EC2 for processing
MVP
$800/mo
IoT Core$290
IoT Greengrass$175
EC2$110
S3$80
Ground Station$50
Data transfer, logs & support$95
Runway
$5,0006.3 mo
$25,00031 mo
$100,000125 mo
Seed
$5,000/mo
IoT Core$1,800
IoT Greengrass$1,100
EC2$700
S3$500
Ground Station$300
Data transfer, logs & support$600
Runway
$5,0001.0 mo
$25,0005.0 mo
$100,00020 mo
Growth
$25,000/mo
IoT Core$9,000
IoT Greengrass$5,500
EC2$3,500
S3$2,500
Ground Station$1,500
Data transfer, logs & support$3,000
Runway
$5,0000.2 mo
$25,0001.0 mo
$100,0004.0 mo
Planning estimates based on us-east-1 On-Demand list prices for the typical stack above, including storage, data transfer and support. Not an AWS quote; your bill depends on region, traffic and commitments. Credits usually expire after 12 to 24 months.
Estimate your space tech bill
Enter your numbers to see the monthly AWS bill and how long credits last.
Connected devices / machines$50
Data points ingested (millions)$50
Engineering GPU hours$24
Stored data (GB)$5
Base stack (network, monitoring, backups)$120
Monthly total$249
Credits last
$1,0004.0 mo
$25,00099+ mo
$100,00099+ mo
IoT Core, SiteWise and S3 list prices, approximate. Estimates, not an AWS quote. Credits usually expire in 12 to 24 months.
Where space tech startups burn credits fastest
Streaming raw machine data to the cloud
Sending vibration or video data at full rate costs far more than sending events.
Fix: Process at the edge with Greengrass and upload summaries.
CAD and simulation on on-demand GPUs
Engineering workloads on large GPU instances bill by the hour.
Fix: Use Spot, or NICE DCV sessions that stop when idle.
Unbounded device shadows and logs
Per-device logging across thousands of devices multiplies CloudWatch costs.
Fix: Sample logs and set retention.
Unbounded CloudWatch logs
Debug-level logs from every request are ingested at about $0.50 per GB and kept forever by default.
Fix: Set log retention to 14 or 30 days and lower log levels in production.
How a space tech request flows through AWS
- 0Your users
- 1IoT Core
- 2AWS IoT SiteWise
- 3AWS IoT TwinMaker
- 4Lookout for Vision / Rekognition
- 5EC2 G-series
Reference AWS setup for space tech
- DevicesIoT Core + Greengrass · Connectivity, OTA updates and edge logic
- Industrial dataAWS IoT SiteWise · Collect and model factory equipment data
- TwinsAWS IoT TwinMaker · 3D digital twins of equipment and sites
- VisionLookout for Vision / Rekognition · Defect detection on production lines
- EngineeringEC2 G-series + NICE DCV · Remote CAD and simulation
Accelerators and investors for space tech
The bigger credit tiers usually come through a programme or investor. These are active in space tech; check each one's current AWS offer directly.
- Accelerator
Hardware and deep tech, run by SOSV
- VC
Deep tech and hardware
- VC
Industrial and physical-world technology
- Accelerator
Industrial and IoT programmes
Startups like you
Companies in this space named in AWS programme cohorts. Programme maximums are not what each company received.
- Sisir Radar
- Blurgs AI
- Inbound Aerospace
- SpanTrik
- Adarga
- Earth-i
- PQShield
AWS vs Google Cloud vs Azure for space tech
AWS Activate
$1,000 to $100,000+
Widest service range, largest partner and provider network
Google for Startups Cloud
Up to $200,000 ($350,000 for AI)
BigQuery, Vertex AI and Gemini
Microsoft for Startups
Up to $150,000 Azure
Azure OpenAI, Microsoft 365 and enterprise sales channels
Credits from different clouds can usually be held at the same time. Most founders pick one main cloud to avoid paying for data moving between them.
Ceilings are programme maximums and change often. Check each provider before applying.
Rules and gotchas for space tech
- Export-controlled data may need GovCloud
- ITAR and defence work requires AWS GovCloud (US) and US-person access controls.
- Hardware costs aren't covered
- Credits pay only for AWS services, not devices, prototypes or manufacturing.
Compliance for space tech
- AWS paperwork
- Defense and export-controlled work may need AWS GovCloud (US) and a separate account.
- Eligible services
- Check export-control rules before storing controlled technical data.
- Not paid by credits
- Audits, certifications and third-party compliance tools.
Related niches
Questions
Is there a special AWS credit programme for space tech startups?
Yes: AWS Space Accelerator: Korea 2026 (Up to $100k; Announced 9 Sep 2026). Standard AWS Activate also applies.
How much in AWS credits can a space tech startup get?
The largest pot is AWS Space Accelerator: Korea 2026: Up to $100k. Otherwise Activate gives up to $200,000 through a provider.
Do AWS credits cover what a space tech product runs on?
Usually yes. A typical setup (AWS Ground Station for downlink, S3 for imagery, EC2 for processing) is covered by promotional credits. Marketplace purchases, support plans and taxes are not.
How long will credits last for a space tech startup?
At about $800/month (MVP), $25,000 lasts around 31 months, though credits usually expire after 12 to 24 months.
Can I stay compliant while using AWS credits?
Yes. Credits don't change your compliance duties. Defense and export-controlled work may need AWS GovCloud (US) and a separate account. Credits never pay for audits or third-party compliance tools.
What if AWS rejects my space tech application?
Try a different route: an Activate Provider, another niche programme, Google for Startups Cloud Program or Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, or our partner match.
Find your best route for space tech
Answer four questions and we'll match you with a partner who knows space tech. 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 3 October 2026; check AWS for current terms.