Founders Hub application won't process — "Apply now" just redirects to the Azure portal, no welcome modal

Petrus Holm 20 Reputation points
2026-07-14T06:02:11.8133333+00:00

I've been trying to apply to Microsoft for Startups for a few days now and I can't get the application to start at all. From what I've read on the forum I think I'm stuck between the old and new portal experiences after the May 29 change, but I can't tell for sure.

What happens: I go to portal.startups.microsoft.com, click "Sign in with your Microsoft account", and sign in with ******@sentmemo.com — a work account on a domain I own (sentmemo.com is a verified custom domain on my tenant, 99cd2059-940b-4cce-bcfb-3d2b25563b8e, Europe). It just redirects me to portal.azure.com. Clicking "Apply now" does the same thing. Where I end up is a blank Azure home page that says "Your free trial has expired" — no welcome modal, no starter credits, and no banner saying my application is being reviewed. The docs say a new applicant should see all of that, so as far as I can tell the eligibility check is rejecting me silently. I never got an email or any explanation either way.

I'm fairly sure I qualify — privately held, for-profit, under 7 years old, no VC funding, and I'm applying with an email on a domain I control rather than a gmail address, which the docs say is the actual requirement for the self-serve tier.

The part that's really got me stuck is that I can't open a support ticket to ask about it. I tried "Subscription management → Benefits/Offers" and also "Billing → Assistance with bill" (which is supposed to be free for everyone). Both of them get as far as the self-help/Solutions step and then die with "We couldn't load your solution", and the "Return to support request" button doesn't do anything. I noticed the blade URL has isEligibleCreateSupportTicket=false and hasSupportPlan=false on every attempt, even on the billing one. My subscription is c52e6eb5-8201-4909-8f1a-7a8844639718 — an expired free trial that's now pay-as-you-go, if that's relevant.

So the portal won't take my application and the support form won't let me ask why, which is why I'm posting here. Could a moderator point this at the Microsoft for Startups team for a manual look, or tell me where I should actually be going? Happy to share any tenant or subscription details privately if someone needs them.

Thanks.

Azure | Azure Startups
Azure | Azure Startups

Startups: Companies that are in their initial stages of business and typically developing a business model and seeking financing.

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AI answer

2026-07-14T06:02:37.4366667+00:00

The application is not starting because the sign-in flow for Microsoft for Startups requires a personal consumer Microsoft account. Work, school, and company-domain email accounts aren't accepted for the sign-up steps. That matches the behavior described: signing in with a work account redirects into Azure Portal instead of starting the Microsoft for Startups application flow.

Supported next steps:

  1. Start the application again from the Microsoft for Startups page at https://startups.microsoft.com and select Get started or Get started now.
  2. When redirected to Microsoft sign-in, use a personal consumer Microsoft account.
  3. If there is no Microsoft account for the desired personal email, select Create an account.
  4. If an investor referral code exists, enter the 10-character code; otherwise choose Continue without a code.
  5. After account creation/setup, allow up to 24 hours for the credit balance to fully update.
  6. After submission, application review is typically completed within three business days and the decision is sent by email.

What to expect if the application starts correctly:

  • During review, Azure Portal can show $1,000 in starter credits.
  • On first sign-in, a welcome modal appears and a yellow banner indicates the application is under review.
  • After approval, expanded benefits and credits become available.

For help with application review, approval status, onboarding, Azure credit activation issues, incorrect sponsorship offer type, or owner-account corrections, Microsoft for Startups Program Support handles those issues. The documented support path is:

  • If the Azure account is already set up, submit a support request through the Azure Portal.
  • For program-specific application questions, use https://aka.ms/startuphelp-mfs-portal.
  • In Azure Portal, the documented path is Program support and then select the category matching the issue.

References:

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