MotherDuck
MotherDuck for Startups
50% off MotherDuck: $16,000 of credits and platform fee for an $8,000 annual commitment. Under $5M raised, under 20 staff.
Ways to get it
Apply directly
$16,000 of MotherDuck for $8,000
- Less than $5M in VC funding (bootstrapped OK)
- Fewer than 20 employees
- Active website (not in stealth)
- New customer or existing Free-plan user
Via MotherDuck partner VCs and accelerators (e.g. a16z, Techstars, YC)
Via VC or accelerator partner
Offer shared through partner deal books (terms not published)
- Startup in a MotherDuck partner's portfolio or program
The page shows partner logos (Andreessen Horowitz, Felicis, Madrona, Redpoint, Techstars, Y Combinator) and has a coupon-code field. Partner-specific terms are not published.
Open program page
Eligibility
Requirements
- Less than $5M in VC funding (bootstrapped companies included)
- Fewer than 20 employees
- Active website, not in stealth
- Not an existing paying MotherDuck customer (Free-plan users can apply)
Not eligible
- MotherDuck customers on paid plans
- Cannot be combined with other offers
How to apply
- 1
Check eligibility: under $5M in VC funding, fewer than 20 employees, a live website, and not on a paid MotherDuck plan.
- 2
Submit the form on motherduck.com/startups with a work email (personal addresses are rejected), your funding and how you plan to use MotherDuck. Add a partner coupon code if you have one.
- 3
After acceptance, MotherDuck's support team contacts you about your goals.
- 4
Sign the $8,000 annual contract within 3 months of acceptance to get the 50% discount.
Gotchas
- It isn't free. You commit $8,000 for the year to get $16,000 of value.
- You must sign the discounted annual contract within 3 months of acceptance.
- Customers on paid plans aren't eligible. Free-plan users are.
- Can't be combined with other offers.
About the MotherDuck program
MotherDuck for Startups is a 50% discount on an annual contract. For an $8,000 annual commitment, qualifying startups get $16,000 worth of MotherDuck: $13,000 in consumption credits plus the $3,000/year platform fee waived. This comes on top of the standard 7-day free trial. The waived fee matches a year of the Business plan, which lists at $250 per organization per month plus usage. MotherDuck is a serverless data warehouse built on DuckDB, with isolated compute per tenant, an MCP server for AI agents, and AI functions in SQL.
To be eligible, you need less than $5M in VC funding (bootstrapped companies are welcome) and fewer than 20 employees. You also need an active website (no stealth companies) and must not be a paying MotherDuck customer. Startups on the free plan can apply; customers on paid plans cannot. The discount cannot be combined with other offers.
You must sign the discounted annual contract within 3 months of being accepted. MotherDuck also shares offers through VC funds, accelerators and startup programs. The page shows partner logos including Andreessen Horowitz, Felicis, Madrona, Redpoint, Techstars and Y Combinator, and the form has a coupon-code field. After acceptance, MotherDuck's support team gets in touch about your goals.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the MotherDuck startup discount?
50% off an annual commitment: you pay $8,000 and get $16,000 worth of MotherDuck, made up of $13,000 in consumption credits plus the $3,000/year platform fee waived. It comes on top of the 7-day free trial.
Can existing MotherDuck users apply for the startup program?
Yes, if you're on the free plan. Customers on paid plans are not eligible.
Does the MotherDuck startup discount expire?
The annual contract that uses the 50% discount must be signed within 3 months of being accepted into the program.
