Back to the Startup Program

We're looking for innovative, tech-focused startups with a scalable business model. You need to be a registered company founded less than five years before the date of application. You'll also need a company website, should already have an MVP (minimum viable product), and should not yet be an IONOS CLOUD customer. You can take part in the program once.

We review applications promptly, and as a rule, you'll hear back by email within two weeks. If we approve your application, we'll send you an offer stating your program tier, credit amount, and usage period. Submitting an application is not the same as being approved.

If we can't accept you, we'll email you the main reasons. Given the volume of applications we receive, we can't provide detailed individual feedback. Incomplete or clearly inaccurate applications may be rejected without further review, so complete, accurate information pays off.

The program has two tiers. SPARK offers up to $5,000 in credits, available for 12 months. ACCELERATE offers up to $100,000 in credits, available for up to 24 months. IONOS CLOUD assigns your tier during the selection process, based on your stage and your needs. In ACCELERATE, the first $10,000 is applied to your invoices in full. After that, we cover 50 % of every further invoice until your credits are used up or the usage period ends.

Your credits apply across our entire Public Cloud portfolio, for any product that can be ordered under the customer number enrolled in the program. Private Cloud powered by VMware is excluded, and credits may also be excluded for capacity-limited resources such as Cloud GPUs.

That depends on your program tier. In SPARK, the alumni phase begins once your credits are used up or expire, giving you 12 further months with discounts on list prices, tiered by price group. The discounts apply from the first of the month after the date your credits were used up or expired. In ACCELERATE, your participation in the program ends with your credits, and list prices or your individually agreed terms apply afterwards. Credits can't be topped up in either tier.

No. The usage period is fixed at 12 months in SPARK and up to 24 months in ACCELERATE, and the credit amount can't be changed either. Unused credits expire automatically at the end of the usage period. They are non-refundable, cannot be paid out, and cannot be transferred. We recommend planning your move well before the end, whether that's into the alumni phase (SPARK), regular pricing, or our ISV Partner Program.

You get full access to our technical support around the clock, 365 days a year, as well as extensive documentation and tutorials for the Public Cloud.

In SPARK, your credits are followed by a 12-month alumni phase with discounts. After that, and in ACCELERATE immediately after your credits are used, list prices or your individually agreed terms apply. For software startups with market-ready products, our IONOS CLOUD ISV Partner Program is the ideal next step. There, we focus on scaling commercially together.

We support you with co-marketing activities, a listing in the IONOS CLOUD Marketplace, and strategic sales partnerships. The goal is a long-term partnership of equals.

No. IONOS CLOUD assigns you to SPARK or ACCELERATE during the selection process and confirms this by email, along with your credit amount and usage period. There is no entitlement to a specific program tier or to a later change of tier.

Accept the offer and add valid payment information to the IONOS CLOUD account you applied with. You have 30 days from the date the offer is sent. After that, we may withdraw the approval. We'll only add your credits and confirm your participation by email once you've accepted the offer and added your payment information. Until then, there's no entitlement to credits.

Your usage period starts on the first of the month after your account switches from the free trial to paid use. It runs for 12 months in SPARK and up to 24 months in ACCELERATE.

Yes. Having an existing cloud environment with another provider doesn't rule out participation. In fact, the ACCELERATE tier is designed precisely for startups that want to scale and professionalize an existing infrastructure. The one condition is that you're not yet an IONOS CLOUD customer. For migration, we support you with documentation and technical support.

The Startup Program applies only to the IONOS CLOUD account you used to apply with. Credits are personal and non-transferable, and you can only participate once.