In an increasingly crowded market for AI coding tools, Amazon is making a bold move to attract early-stage startups. The cloud giant announced it will offer a full year of free credits for its advanced AI coding agent, Kiro Pro+, aiming to compete with established platforms like GitHub CoPilot, Gemini Code Assist, and a host of other developer tools.
AWS CEO Matt Garman revealed the initiative during his keynote speech at the re:Invent 2025 conference. Qualified early-stage startups can receive free credits for Kiro Pro+, Amazon's AI coding solution first previewed earlier. This offer extends to up to 100 users per eligible startup.
Eligibility and Restrictions
While the offer presents a significant opportunity for emerging companies, it comes with specific conditions:
- Funding Requirements: Only startups that have secured venture capital funding, ranging from pre-seed to Series B, are eligible.
- Geographic Limitations: The program is primarily available to U.S.-based startups. It is not offered in every country, with notable exclusions including France, Germany, Italy, much of South America, and nations under trade sanctions.
- Application Deadline: Interested startups must submit their applications by December 31.
Amazon hopes that by providing free access to Kiro Pro+, it can win over startup founders and establish its AI coding tool as a preferred choice in a highly competitive landscape.
