Program
AWS Space Accelerator
A themed program for space startups, run in different countries each year. The Korea 2026 edition offers up to $100,000 in credits.
AWS Space Accelerator is for space and satellite startups, early stage to pre-Series B. Up to $100,000 (Korea 2026).
- Credits
- Up to $100,000 (Korea 2026)
- Running since
- 2021
- Stage
- Early stage to pre-Series B
- 2026 edition
- Korea, 15–20 startups, 4 weeks
- Past regions
- US, Australia, India, Japan
- Cost to apply
- Free
At a glance
- Credits
- Up to $100,000
- Decision time
- Korea 2026: about 2-3 weeks after close (review Oct 5-16, selection and onboarding Oct 19-23, 2026). APJ 2025: about 2 weeks (applications closed Sep 5, program started Sep 19, 2025). Source: official program schedules; no AWS-stated SLA.
- Access
- Open application
01 · Overview
A good fit if you are
- Satellite makers and operators
- Earth observation and space data startups
- Launch, in-orbit services and space software
Not for
- Startups outside the edition's country
- Non-space companies
Timeline and terms
- Application window
- Once a year, for a single region each time. 2025 APJ edition: 2025-07-08 to 2025-09-05. 2026 Korea edition: 2026-09-03 to 2026-10-02 (now closed).
- Decision time
- Korea 2026: about 2-3 weeks after close (review Oct 5-16, selection and onboarding Oct 19-23, 2026). APJ 2025: about 2 weeks (applications closed Sep 5, program started Sep 19, 2025). Source: official program schedules; no AWS-stated SLA.
- Program length
- Varies by edition. India 2024: 14 weeks. APJ 2025: 10 weeks, virtual (Sep 19 - Nov 28, 2025, plus Demo Day). Korea 2026: 3 weeks of program (Oct 27 - Nov 13), then overseas pitching (Nov 16-27) and a Jeju pitch day and graduation (Dec 3-4, 2026).
- Where
- Regional, and the region changes each year. 2021-2023: global (with Seraphim in 2021-22 and TechConnect in 2023). 2024: India only. 2025: Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan. 2026: Korea only.
Up to USD 100,000 in AWS credits, delivered as AWS Activate credits. Korea 2026: some credits at onboarding, plus MVP-development credits after the program. Activate-eligible companies get up to USD 100,000 depending on stage, and these don't stack with other Activate credits. AWS doesn't publish a minimum.
What changed recently
2026-09 (applications opened 2026-09-03)
Korea-only edition, run by MegazoneCloud with the Korea Aerospace Administration, the Jeju Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, and Company K Partners. Program cut to 3 weeks plus pitching events. Credits are split into onboarding and post-program MVP credits and can't be stacked with other Activate credits. Source
2025-09-25
Largest cohort to date: 67 startups chosen from more than 150 applicants (AWS calls it the fifth consecutive year). Source
2025-07-07
Expanded to a multi-country APJ edition (Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan) for startups at all stages. Credits described as 'up to USD 100,000 in AWS credits as part of AWS Activate'. Program shortened to 10 weeks, virtual. Source
2024-02-07
First country-specific edition, AWS Space Accelerator: India (with T-Hub and Minfy, supported by ISRO and IN-SPACe). 14 weeks, up to USD 100K in credits, India-based startups only. Earlier editions (2021-2023) were global. Source
02 · Eligibility
Hard eligibility rules
You must
- Space-sector startup (Korea 2026 also lists satellite operations, Earth observation, launch vehicles, in-orbit services, space communications, space AI and software)
- Based in the edition's region. 2025: Australia, New Zealand, India or Japan. 2026: Korea
- Stage: 2025 APJ was open to all stages. Korea 2026 accepts early stage to Pre-Series B (any stage if the company is new to cloud)
- Korea 2026: at least one C-level executive must take part, and the startup must name an internal 'Cloud Champion'
- Korea 2026: graduation requires at least 80% session attendance and the final pitch
- Plan to build the space solution on AWS
Excluded
- Startups outside the edition's region
- Korea 2026: companies past Pre-Series B that are already on cloud
Have this ready before you apply
- Company information: CEO, website, business registration number (Korea 2026)
- Company deck or IR deck
- AWS cloud usage plan for the space solution
- Current funding stage
- Named C-level participant and Cloud Champion (Korea 2026)
03 · How to apply
How to apply
- 1
Find the current edition and its country. Korea 2026 closed on October 2.
- 2
Check the space areas the edition accepts.
- 3
Apply through the edition's partner. In Korea, that was MegazoneCloud.
What catches founders out
- Each edition is local. Credit amounts and rules change between countries.
- Windows are short, often only a few weeks.
What founders report Show
Summarised from public founder posts. Anecdotal, not official AWS policy.
Gotchas
- No first-hand founder reports were found. The posts are reshared announcements (India 2024 launch summary on r/ISRO; 2022 cohort announcement on HN)
04 · Credits & stacking
What the credits cover
Covered
- AWS services eligible under AWS Activate credits and the AWS Promotional Credit Terms (no space-specific list published)
Not covered
- Amazon Mechanical Turk
- AWS Managed Services
- Ineligible AWS Support (Enterprise, Unified Operations, Enterprise On-Ramp, resold support, Partner-Led Support)
- AWS Marketplace
- AWS Professional Services
- AWS Training
- AWS Certification
- Amazon Route 53 domain name registration or transfer
- Services used for cryptocurrency mining
- Upfront fees for Savings Plans and Reserved Instances
- Taxes
Stacking with other credits
Can combine with
- Partner and agency support bundled with each edition (for example ISRO/IN-SPACe in India, the Korea Aerospace Administration in Korea)
Can't combine with
- Other AWS Activate credits. The Korea 2026 page says the credits can't be stacked ('중복 불가'), and the 2025 credits were issued 'as part of AWS Activate', so the Activate lifetime cap applies
- Other AWS promotional offers, unless AWS authorises it (Promotional Credit Terms s.6)
Lifetime cap: Credits are Activate credits, so they count toward Activate's unpublished lifetime maximum. Korea 2026 says companies that already hold Activate credits get up to USD 100K by stage, and the amounts don't stack.
Past cohorts Show
05 · Alternatives
If this isn't the right program
- AWS Activate Portfolio
Available all year if you have a provider.
- AWS Cloud Credit for Research
For university space research teams.
Sources
Checked October 2026. AWS can change amounts and rules at any time.
Facts on this page checked against official sources on 2026-10-04.
Questions
How much does the AWS Space Accelerator give?
The Korea 2026 edition offers up to $100,000 in credits. Other editions may differ.
Is it open worldwide?
No. Each edition targets a country or region.
Prices and credit amounts are estimates and may change. Check AWS for current terms.