Datadog for Startups Program
Cloud Provider Credits
Up to 20% off
Real-time performance monitoring at startup-friendly cost. Datadog offers a comprehensive Startup Program with dedicated support, technical training, and access
Who qualifies
Every condition below is taken from the vendor’s own published criteria. Read them before you spend an afternoon on the application.
Raised under $50M
Total funding must be below $50M at the time you apply. Vendors verify this against public funding records, so an unannounced round usually still counts.
Under 5 years old
The company must be less than 5 years old, measured from incorporation rather than launch. Predecessor entities and reincorporations are usually counted from the original date.
Partner referral needed
There is no self-serve application. You need a referral from an approved VC, accelerator or incubator — start with your lead investor’s portfolio-benefits page.
Startups
The programme is aimed at startups. Vendors read this loosely, but expect to describe the company and what you are building on the application.
Real-time performance monitoring at startup-friendly cost. Datadog offers a comprehensive Startup Program with dedicated support, technical training, and access to extensive integrations.
About Datadog for Startups Program
Quick answer
Real-time performance monitoring at startup-friendly cost. Datadog offers a comprehensive Startup Program with dedicated support, technical training, and access
Datadog is a SaaS observability platform that aggregates metrics, logs, traces, and user data across cloud infrastructure, containers, and applications. The Startup Program provides early-stage companies with discounted or free access to Datadog's full suite, plus dedicated support, technical onboarding, and quarterly business reviews to help optimize cloud spend and performance.
Datadog for Startups Program at a glance
Datadog is a SaaS observability platform that aggregates metrics, logs, traces, and user data across cloud infrastructure, containers, and applications. The Startup Program provides early-stage companies with discounted or free access to Datadog's full suite, plus dedicated support, technical onboarding, and quarterly business reviews to help optimize cloud spend and performance.
- Up to 20%Discount on standard pricing
- 850+Pre-built integrations included
- DedicatedProgram + success manager assigned
- QuarterlyProgress reviews and guidance
The Datadog for Startups Program offer explained
Datadog's Startup Program provides discounted access to its enterprise observability platform, typically 20% off standard SaaS pricing, plus dedicated success management and technical training. The discount applies to compute, storage, and data ingestion costs across Datadog's monitoring, logging, APM, and security products. Eligibility requires referral through an approved startup ecosystem partner (e.g., Y Combinator, Techstars, or venture firms) and that your company is not already a Datadog customer.
Heads up: credit programs change their terms and caps regularly — confirm the current offer on the application page before you plan around it.
Apply to Datadog for Startups ProgramHow Datadog for Startups Program compares
Here's how Datadog for Startups Program stacks up against other cloud infrastructure credits in the same category:
| Program | Headline offer | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Datadog for Startups Program | Up to 20% off | This page |
| NVIDIA Inception | 30% off DGX Cloud + free technical resources | Cloud Provider Credits |
| IBM Cloud for Startups | Up to $120K in IBM Cloud credits — under 5 years, under $1M ARR, direct apply | Cloud Provider Credits |
| Datadog for Startups | Up to $100K or 1 year free Datadog Pro — Series A or earlier, requires VC/partner referral | Cloud Provider Credits |
Who should apply — and who shouldn't
Apply if
- You're building on cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure) and need real-time visibility into performance, errors, and user behavior.
- Your team lacks in-house DevOps/SRE expertise and would benefit from a dedicated success manager and technical training.
- You plan to scale quickly and want to instrument monitoring early rather than scrambling to add it later.
- You're part of a recognized startup accelerator or VC portfolio and can secure a partner referral.
Skip if
- You're already a Datadog customer—this program is for new customers only.
- Your startup is not affiliated with an approved ecosystem partner (accelerator, VC, or incubator) and cannot secure a referral.
- You have minimal cloud infrastructure or are running entirely on-premise—Datadog's value is highest for cloud-native and containerized workloads.
More Cloud Provider Credits
If Datadog for Startups Program isn't the right fit, compare it against NVIDIA Inception, IBM Cloud for Startups, Datadog for Startups, Airbyte Y Combinator Startup Program — or browse the full Cloud Provider Credits category.
What the credit covers
- Real-time metrics, logs, and traces in a single platform
- APM (application performance monitoring) for code-level visibility
- Synthetic monitoring and alerting
- Security and compliance monitoring
- 850+ pre-built integrations (AWS, Kubernetes, databases, etc.)
- Dedicated program manager and success reviews
- Technical onboarding and training
- Custom dashboards and anomaly detection
- Log aggregation and full-text search
- Cost optimization recommendations
Programme tracks
What Datadog for Startups Program publishes for each stage — confirm on the application, since credit programmes are re-cut more often than list pricing.
| Track | Value | Who it is for | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup Program (Discounted) | Up to 20% off standard SaaS pricing | 12 months (typical) | Full access to Datadog observability suite · Dedicated program manager · Quarterly business reviews · Technical onboarding and training · 850+ integrations · Email and chat support |
| Post-Program (Standard SaaS) | Full SaaS pricing (no discount) | Month-to-month or annual | All Datadog features · Standard support (email, chat, community) · No dedicated success manager · Optional: premium support add-on |
How to apply
5 steps. The last one is the part most people skip.
- 1
Get the referral before anything else
Datadog for Startups Program has no self-serve application for this programme. Ask your lead investor, accelerator or incubator for their partner link — most Tier 1 funds keep a portfolio-benefits page listing exactly this. Without it the rest of the process is closed to you.
- 2
Open Datadog for Startups Program through the link on this page
It carries our referral tag. The terms you get are identical either way, and it never changes what this page says about the programme.
- 3
Have the eligibility evidence ready
Applications are checked against 4 conditions — raised under $50m, under 5 years old, partner referral needed, startups. Incorporation date, cap table and a one-line description of what you are building cover most of it.
- 4
Size the migration against the 12 months window
Credits start burning from activation, not from when you get round to using them. Work out what you will genuinely consume in that window before you move production workloads across.
- 5
Know the rate you land on when it runs out
Real-time performance monitoring at startup-friendly cost. Datadog offers a comprehensive Startup Program with dedicated support, technical training, and access to extensive integrations.
Where this programme wins and loses
What works
- Comprehensive observability suite Single platform for metrics, logs, traces, synthetics, and security—eliminates need to stitch together multiple tools.
- Dedicated success management Assigned program manager provides technical onboarding, best practices, and quarterly business reviews—not just self-serve docs.
- 850+ pre-built integrations Turnkey connectors for AWS, Kubernetes, databases, frameworks, and SaaS tools reduce time-to-first-insight.
- Up to 20% discount on SaaS pricing Meaningful savings on compute and storage costs, especially important for startups managing cloud spend tightly.
- Technical training included Onboarding sessions and resources help teams instrument code and infrastructure correctly from the start.
- Scales with your growth As you grow, Datadog's platform grows with you—no need to migrate to a different tool later.
What doesn't
- Referral requirement gates access Must be nominated by an approved ecosystem partner (accelerator, VC, incubator); independent startups without these connections cannot apply.
- Discount is capped and time-limited 20% off is meaningful but not free; discount typically expires after 12 months, and you'll pay full SaaS pricing afterward unless you negotiate renewal.
- Vendor lock-in risk Datadog's integrations and dashboards are proprietary; switching observability platforms later is costly and time-consuming.
The bottom line
The Datadog Startup Program combines meaningful pricing discounts (up to 20%), dedicated support, and extensive integrations—all critical for early-stage teams managing cloud infrastructure. The referral requirement is a real gate, but founders in accelerators or VC portfolios should prioritize applying, as the program's hands-on onboarding and quarterly reviews accelerate time-to-insight and reduce engineering overhead.
Datadog for Startups Program FAQ
The questions we actually get asked about this programme.
Ask us something elsePre-Series B startups (seed through Series A) that are nominated by an approved ecosystem partner (accelerator, VC fund, or incubator) and are not already Datadog customers.
Typically 12 months; after that, you pay standard SaaS pricing unless you negotiate a renewal or the program extends your term.
Yes—you must be referred by an approved partner. If you're not in an accelerator or VC portfolio, you cannot apply directly.
You transition to standard Datadog SaaS pricing. Datadog may offer renewal discounts if you've been a good customer, but there's no guarantee.
Typically no—the 20% startup discount is the primary offer. Check with your Datadog success manager about stacking with any other promotions.
Usually 1–2 weeks after your partner submits the referral; Datadog will contact you to confirm and schedule onboarding.
