AWS Activate

As an AWS Activate member, you get free tools, resources, content, and expert support to accelerate your startup at every stage. You’ll have access to more than 40 solution templates to build and deploy your product, AWS-expert curated tips for your business and technical needs, and best practices training from Learn on AWS.

Benefits Include:

• $100K in AWS Promotional Credit valid for 3 years
• 2 years of Business Support (up to $10k)

Eligibility Criteria:

• Startups up to and including Series A
• Founded within last 10 years
• Have a functioning website or public profile

Application & FAQ:

• ‍Application: You can apply for the credits here: https://aws.amazon.com/activate/‍
• Lightspeed org ID: sBkD‍
• FAQ: https://aws.amazon.com/activate/faq/

AWS Basecamp

Empower your startup with a secure, automated, native AWS foundation that will seamlessly scale with your business through all phases of growth.

Benefits Include:

• AWS co-funds the cost of the engagement 50/50 with the customer up to a total project cost of $100k (a $50k benefit)
• Technical partners are hand-picked by AWS and have extensive AWS experience and know how to work with startups
• SOWs are fairly flexible, allowing startups to move quickly and leverage Basecamp as “fractional devops” support to augment their team

Eligibility Criteria:

• Seed-Stage Startup
• Project cap of $100k ($50k funded by the startup / $50k funded by AWS)

Application & FAQ:

Email bizdev@lsvp.com for an introduction to Lightspeed’s Account Manager who can give a great overview of all the AWS resources available for your company.

AWS Sales Skills for Founders Program

The AWS Sales Skills for Founders Program (SSFF) invites seed-stage founders, CEOs/CTOs to join this new three-week program focused on founder-led sales. In this program, you’ll learn how to sell efficiently and effectively, build the early stages of a B2B sales motion, and gain access to startup and sales leaders for individual coaching.

‍Benefits Include:

• An exclusive cohort of peers from other high potential startups in weekly virtual, online sessions, supplemented by optional office hours and workshops.
• 1 hour per week of required session time
• 2 hours of optional coaching and office hours per week
• Post-program, you’ll gain access to an active alumni community for additional content and networking opportunities

‍Eligibility Criteria:

• Technical-leaning seed-stage founders, CEOs & CTOs in the B2B SaaS space. Founders should have little to no sales training or experience in a sales role. Founders are invited to participate regardless of Cloud provider preference.
• Only one person per startup.

‍Application & FAQ:

‍Email bizdev@lsvp.com to learn more about the program and next cohort.

‍

Google Cloud for Startups

Get access to startup experts, your Google Cloud and Firebase costs covered up to $200,000 USD (up to $350,000 USD for AI startups) over 2 years, technical training, business support, and Google-wide offers.To receive benefits, you must have an active Google Cloud account.

Benefits Include:‍

• Google Cloud and Firebase usage covered in:
  - Year 1: 100% up to $100,000 USD in Google Cloud credits
  - Year 2: 20% up to an additional $100,000 USD in Google Cloud credits
  - OR up to $350,000 USD for AI startups
• Training:
  - $500 Google Cloud Skills Boost credits for online courses and hands-on labs
• Technical support:
  - $12,000 USD in Google Cloud Enhanced Support credits for one year
  - Access to dedicated Google Cloud engineers
• Business support & networking:
  - Access to a Startup Success Manager, our global Google Cloud Startup Community, and co-marketing opportunities for select startups
• Google-wide discounts:
  - 12 months of free Google Workspace Business Plus for new signups
  - $600 monthly credits on Google Maps Platform for 12 months for new signups

Eligibility Criteria:

• Received verifiable startup equity funding from pre-seed to Series A (if Series A, raised within last 12 months) or common Web3 funding sources
• Founded within last 10 years
• Not yet received more than $4,000 in Google Cloud credits

Application & FAQ:

• ‍‍https://cloud.google.com/startup/apply

Google Emerging Partner Springboard

Google’s Emerging Springboard program can help you innovate and accelerate your go-to-market motion.

Benefits Include:

• Go-to-market partnership: Google Cloud funded content development, co-marketing and joint PR opportunities
• Technical mentorship: Architectural design guidance, access to build with BigQuery and VertexAI programs, access to Springboard Customer Advisory Panels
• Fastpass access to Google Cloud Marketplace, ISV Solutions Connect and Google for Startups Cloud

Eligibility Criteria:

• Please email bizdev@lsvp.com to see if your company might be eligible.

Google Ads - Venture Acceleration Program

Google’s Venture Acceleration Program will provide Lightspeed portfolio companies exclusive insights, education, new customer onboarding support, and access to teams across Google to help profitably meet and exceed growth goals. We’ll cover how the full suite of Google’s tools – from Search to YouTube – can drive the responsible & effective growth startups and investors are both seeking.

Benefits Include:

• Insights & Advanced Solutions: Exclusive access to new Google Ads tools and insights (competitive insights + market data)
• Strategy Office Hours: For portfolio companies looking to up-level their marketing strategies on Google Ads
• Roundtables & workshops discussing best practices for portfolio companies at all stages

Eligibility Criteria:

• Program is open to all Lightspeed portfolio companies.

Application & FAQ:

• Email bizdev@lsvp.com for an introduction to Lightspeed’s Account Manager who can give an overview of Google resources available for your company.

Google Ads - New Business Sales & Onboarding

‍A new program for Lightspeed portfolio companies, to grow startups faster and more efficiently with Ads, helping them develop a digital strategy and achieve business goals with our dedicated team of Digital Strategists. This 6-month pilot program shortens the learning curve to develop your digital strategy on Google Ads. The program includes hands-on strategic support for long-term, sustainable growth with direct support from Google via a dedicated Account Manager. Exclusively for LSVP portfolio companies, our program helps achieve your business and marketing objectives at no additional cost.‍

Benefits Include:

• Pre-Launch
  - Competitive analysis & benchmarking
  - Access to betas
  - In-person events & customer strategy sessions
  - Creative brainstorming & storyboarding
• Launch & Post-Launch
  - Guaranteed high-touch support during first 6 months offering:
  - Campaign builds & optimizations
  - Performance & Analytics reviews
  - Ads product expansions
• 1:Many Sessions
  - Roundtables & workshops discussing best practices for portfolio companies’ digital growth

‍Eligibility Criteria:

• Program is open to all Lightspeed portfolio companies.
  - New Activations: Accounts that have never spent with Google before, that are building out a brand new account and marketing strategy for the first time.
  - Reactivations: Accounts that have previously advertised with Google but are at least 6 months paused since they last spent and have an ability to be upsold from prior strategies.
  - Expansions: Accounts that operate as a separate brand, division or entity from an existing advertiser and are launching in a separate Ads account.

Application & FAQ:

• Email bizdev@lsvp.com for an introduction to Lightspeed’s Account Manager who can give an overview of Google resources available for your company.

‍

Microsoft for Startups - Founders Hub

Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub is a digital platform that brings people, knowledge, and benefits together to help solve startup challenges.

Benefits Include:

• Build at your own pace with up to $150,000 in free Azure credits over 2 years
• Get free access to powerful development and productivity tools including:
  - GitHub (20 Enterprise seats/ 1 year)
  - Microsoft 365 Business Standard (10 seats/ 1 year)
  - PowerBI Pro (10 seats/ 1 year)
• Access startup-friendly offers from Microsoft partners including:
  - OpenAI (3 months free license and $1k of free credits)
  - Bubble ($3k in credits/ 6 months)
  - LinkedIn (LinkedIn Premium Business, Sales Navigator Core and Recruiter Lite - 1 seat/ 3 months)
• Receive mentorship guidance from business leaders and technical experts

Eligibility Criteria:

• Program is open to all Lightspeed portfolio companies.

Application & FAQ:

• ‍https://foundershub.startups.microsoft.com/signup‍
• Email bizdev@lsvp.com for an introduction to Lightspeed’s Account Manager who can give a great overview of all the Microsoft ecosystem resources available for your company.

‍