Is there a way for another AI coding tool to capture the attention of startup founders, competing against Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, Gemini Code Assist, GitHub Copilot, and the host of other AI-integrated VSCode forks, not to mention coding platforms like Replit and Lovable?
Amazon aims to find out by using a familiar strategy: offering its tool for free.
The cloud giant announced that it will provide qualified early-stage startups with a free year of credits for its Kiro Pro+ tool. AWS CEO Matt Garman shared this news during his keynote at the re:Invent 2025 conference. Startups can request free credits for up to 100 users.
However, there are some limitations. Only startups that have secured venture capital funding—from pre-seed to Series B—are eligible. While U.S.-based startups can participate, not all countries are included in this offer. Geographic exclusions include France, Germany, and Italy, most of South America, and, of course, countries under trade sanctions. Additionally, applications must be submitted by December 31.
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