Startups: Companies that are in their initial stages of business and typically developing a business model and seeking financing.
To increase from $1,000 to up to $5,000 in Azure startup credits, business verification must be completed from within the Azure portal. There is no separate public URL; the verification entry point appears in the portal after the initial $1,000 sponsorship is redeemed.
Use these steps:
- Sign in to the Azure portal with the same personal Microsoft Account (MSA) that was used to redeem the $1,000 startup credit.
- On the Azure portal startup homepage, look for an option such as “Verify your startup” or “Check verification status”. The documentation specifies:
- After redeeming the initial $1,000 credit, eligible startups can unlock up to $5,000 USD in Azure credits by completing business verification.
- To check status, go to the Azure portal and select “Check verification status” from the homepage.
- Follow the prompts in the portal to:
- Confirm business address
- Provide business registration details
- Share a brief description of the startup
- Wait for verification (may take up to seven business days). Once approved, the additional credits are applied automatically to the Azure Sponsorship subscription.
Key points and requirements:
- Must have already redeemed the initial $1,000 startup credit.
- Verification must be completed within 90 days of initial redemption.
- Startup must be a registered legal business entity and must develop and own a software-based product or service (not licensed from another party).
- Startup cannot be a government agency, educational institution, consultancy, agency, development shop, personal blog, or crypto mining operation.
- The additional credits are valid for 180 days from the date verification is approved; after credits are exhausted or expired, the subscription converts to pay-as-you-go and normal billing applies.
If the verification option is not visible in the portal:
- Ensure the initial $1,000 credit has been redeemed.
- Ensure the account is still within the 90-day window from initial redemption.
- Ensure the startup has not already been verified or denied.
For billing questions or if charges are appearing unexpectedly, a support request can be created from Help + support in the Azure portal. The startup credit offer includes a Basic support plan (and a Developer support plan after verification), which covers billing and subscription management support.
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