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DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean Hatch

12 months of DigitalOcean credits for AI-native startups, awarded through approved partners; new applications paused until early 2027.

Partially verifiedLast verified Nov 3, 2026Official source

Worth

12 months of DigitalOcean credits (amount set by partner, not published)

DigitalOcean's page says credits are pre-determined per partner in your onboarding email. A March 2025 DigitalOcean blog post cited up to $100,000 for AI/ML startups, but the current Startups page does not state any amount, so none is recorded.

Quick facts

Value
12 months of DigitalOcean credits (amount set by partner, not published)
Type
Credits
Duration
1 year
Stages
Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
Regions
Global
Max funding raised
$10,000,000
Max company age
Not stated
Last verified
Nov 3, 2026 · Partially verified

Ways to get it

  1. Via Approved DigitalOcean Startups partners (accelerators, incubators, VCs)

    Via VC or accelerator partner

    12 months of credits; award level set by your partner

    • Affiliation with an approved DigitalOcean Startups partner
    • Raised $10M or less; company website and matching business email
    • New DigitalOcean team account with a valid credit card; no prior DigitalOcean credits

    Applications for the current cohort are paused until the new program launches in early 2027. Ask your partner's program manager for your award level.

    Open program page

Eligibility

Requirements

  • Raised $10M or less
  • Company website and an email address on the company domain
  • Registered DigitalOcean team account with a business email and valid credit card
  • New startup that has not used prior DigitalOcean credits
  • AI-native startups are prioritized

Not eligible

  • Service-based startups: consulting, web/app development services, marketing agencies
  • Cryptocurrency mining
  • GPU and third-party AI inference usage is not covered by core credits

How to apply

  1. 1

    Check digitalocean.com/startups: new applications are paused until the updated program launches in early 2027.

  2. 2

    Meanwhile, ask your accelerator, incubator or VC whether it is on DigitalOcean's portfolio partner list and who manages the relationship.

  3. 3

    When applications reopen, create a DigitalOcean team account with your company-domain email and a valid credit card, then apply with company details.

  4. 4

    On acceptance you receive an onboarding email stating your credit amount and a Welcome Kit with perks.

Gotchas

  • New applications are paused until early 2027; only current participants and partners are being served.
  • Credits last 12 months and are forfeited if unused; DigitalOcean grants no extensions.
  • A $10,000 monthly usage limit generally applies; usage above it is charged.
  • Core credits exclude GPU Droplets, GPU Kubernetes, Bare Metal GPUs, Dedicated and Serverless Inference, third-party AI models, Paperspace and Cloudways; GPU credits are a separate benefit granted after review.
  • Award size depends on your partner and is not published.

About the DigitalOcean program

Hatch is DigitalOcean's startup program, now presented as DigitalOcean Startups at digitalocean.com/startups. The page describes 12 months of DigitalOcean credits (amount varies), one-on-one sessions with DigitalOcean product managers and engineers, 15 months of free Standard-tier paid support, and partner perks. DigitalOcean awards credits through approved Startups partners, and your award level is set by your partner's program manager; no public tier table exists.

Applications are currently paused. The FAQ says applications for the current cohort are temporarily paused while DigitalOcean prepares an updated program experience scheduled to launch in early 2027. Existing participants keep their credits, advisory sessions and perks through their original term, and DigitalOcean is still accepting new accelerator, VC and incubator partners.

Selection criteria listed on the page: the program prioritizes AI-native startups, requires $10M or less raised, a company website with a matching business email, and a registered DigitalOcean team account with a valid credit card. Service-based startups (consulting, web/app development services, marketing agencies) are not eligible, and the program is for startups that have not used prior DigitalOcean credits.

Core credits cover DigitalOcean services except a listed set (GPU Droplets, H100 GPU Kubernetes, Bare Metal GPUs, Dedicated and Serverless Inference, third-party AI models, Paperspace, Cloudways and pass-through charges). Participants generally have a $10,000 monthly usage limit, credits are non-transferable, and there are no extensions.

Frequently asked questions

Is DigitalOcean Hatch accepting applications right now?

No. DigitalOcean's Startups page says applications for the current cohort are temporarily paused while it prepares an updated program, scheduled to launch in early 2027. Existing participants keep their benefits for their original term.

How much credit does DigitalOcean Startups give?

DigitalOcean does not publish an amount. Credits last 12 months, and the amount is pre-determined and stated in your onboarding email; award level is set through your approved partner's program manager.

Can I use the credits on GPU Droplets or AI model APIs?

No. DigitalOcean states core startup credits do not cover GPU Droplets, GPU Kubernetes, Bare Metal GPUs, Dedicated or Serverless Inference, or third-party AI models. GPU credits are a separate benefit available to selected startups after review.

Are agencies eligible?

No. Service-based startups such as consulting, web/app development services and marketing agencies are explicitly not eligible.

Compare

Verification. Checked by our automated checker on Nov 3, 2026 against https://www.digitalocean.com/startups. Status: partially verified.

Read digitalocean.com/startups (digitalocean.com/hatch serves the same page): 12 months of credits 'amount varies', partner-awarded, $10M raised cap, $10k monthly limit, exclusions, applications paused until early 2027. No dollar amount is stated on this page, so usd_max is null; the 2025 blog (digitalocean.com/blog/hatch-accelerate-your-ai-ml-startup) cites up to $100,000 for AI/ML but is not reflected on the current page.