Startups looking to maximize “cloud computing” to help grow and sustain their businesses just received a big boost through Google for Entrepreneurs. And the Triangle could be at the head of the crowd looking to cash in. One Durham startup certainly hopes so.
“Every online business and most mobile apps require some kind of cloud database or server based processing. Google is essentially making those services free until you have established enough traction to be paying the bills,” Rob Witman of CrowdTunes (an NC IDEA grant winner), tells The Skinny.
“When every dollar counts, removing an entire line item from your burn rate is pretty significant.”
Since the American Underground is one of seven select startup hubs affiliated with Google, the AU’s Chief Strategist Adam Klein was at Google’s Mountain View, Calif. headquarters for the announcement. And he quickly got the word out.
“It just got $100K easier to start a company at the @AmerUnderground,” Klien tweeted.
In an email to The Skinny, Klein stressed the news is important.
“This is a real cost for startups,” he wrote. “The credits make it that much easier to start.”
Not all startups can cash in on the offer. Criteria include companies that have received less than $5 million in venture funding and have less than $500,000 in annual revenues.
To be clear, Google isn’t offering cash. But the offer is substantial.
“This new program will help eligible early-stage startups take advantage of the cloud and get resources to quickly launch and scale their idea by receiving $100,000 in Cloud Platform credit, 24/7 support, and access to our technical solutions team,” Google’s Urs Holzle announced. (He’s senior vice president for technology infrastructure and a Google Fellow.)
Google is targeted Amazon Web Services with the offer, notes VentureBeat:
“The program is a direct jab at Amazon, which also offers startups special perks when they use AWS — but only Google is giving away $100,000 in credits thus far.”
The details
Here’s the full announcement, including criteria:
“Today at the Google for Entrepreneurs Global Partner Summit, Urs Hölzle, Senior Vice President, Technical Infrastructure & Google Fellow announced Google Cloud Platform for Startups. This new program will help eligible early-stage startups take advantage of the cloud and get resources to quickly launch and scale their idea by receiving $100,000 in Cloud Platform credit, 24/7 support, and access to our technical solutions team.
“This offer is available to startups around the world through top incubators, accelerators and investors. We are currently working with over 50 global partners to provide this offer to startups who have less than $5 million dollars in funding and have less than $500,000 in annual revenue. In addition, we will continue to add more partners over time.
“This offer supports our core Google Cloud Platform philosophy: we want developers to focus on code; not worry about managing infrastructure. Starting today, startups can take advantage of this offer and begin using the same infrastructure platform we use at Google. For example Headspace is helping millions of people keep their minds healthier and happier using Google Cloud Platform for Startups.
“Thousands of startups have built successful applications on Google Cloud Platform and those applications have grown to serve tens of millions of users. It has been amazing to watch Snapchat send over 700 million photos and videos a day and Khan Academy teach millions of students. We look forward to helping the next generation of startups launch great products.”
For details, check the Google website for the program.
