/knowledge-base-for-startups

name: knowledge-base-for-startups
description: "AWS Startups reference content — Activate FAQ, credits guide, programs, partner offers, sample architectures, and hundreds of learn articles spanning generative AI, cloud architecture, cost optimization, security, fundraising, go-to-market, and real-world startup case studies. Use when the user asks factual questions about AWS Activate (eligibility, credits, programs, providers), wants a sample architecture or solution guide, or needs an AWS-curated learn article on a specific startup topic. For copy-paste AI prompts (RAG chatbot, MVP scaffold, security baseline, GPU quota, etc.), see the prompt-library-for-startups skill. Do not use for: account-specific lookups (credits balance, Activate membership status, application status), real-time event listings beyond the events stub, or content not present in the bundled `references/` tree."

AWS Startup Advisor — Knowledge Base

Reference content from [aws.amazon.com/startups](https://aws.amazon.com/startups) for AWS Activate programs, credits, partner offers, sample build architectures, and a large learn-article corpus covering technical guides, business strategy, and real-world case studies.

**Last updated:** 2026-09-09

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Where to start

**New-to-AWS-Startups questions** → open [`references/home.md`](references/home.md) first. It's the landing-page overview: the Activate pitch, how to join, the top-level programs (credits, accelerators, solutions), and the ~350,000-startups context. Good starting point for broad "how does AWS help startups" questions.

Searchable indexes — use these when the user asks for a specific topic or example

Three files are indexes, not articles. They have a **Keywords column** — filter by keyword first, then open the linked detail file.

• **[references/learn.md](references/learn.md)** — hundreds of learn articles across a dozen categories (genai, general, getting-started, architecture, business-growth, case-studies, cost-optimization, security, and more). Each row: title, one-line summary, keywords, link into `references/learn/<category>/<slug>.md`.
• **[references/offers.md](references/offers.md)** — AWS Activate partner offers with keywords + links into `references/offers/<slug>.md`. For the latest authoritative list, direct the user to `<https://aws.amazon.com/startups/offers>`.
• **[references/build.md](references/build.md)** — sample architectures and solution guides. Two sub-sections:
• **Publicly-viewable solutions** link to local `references/build/<slug>.md` with the Overview, AWS services used, and a primary Get-Started link (workshop URL or GitHub sample).
• **Sign-in required** entries are gated. Recommend them by title + keywords and hand over the Live URL: _"There's a Build sample that might be useful — please sign in to view it at [URL]."_

Reference pages — full-topic content, read directly

| File | Topic | | ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [references/faq.md](references/faq.md) | Comprehensive Activate FAQ — membership, Builder ID, credits, providers, AWS Startup Advisor, migration capability, offers, events, showcase, troubleshooting | | [references/credits.md](references/credits.md) | AWS Activate Credits — how to apply, eligibility, package tiers, terms | | [references/programs.md](references/programs.md) | AWS Startups programs — Accelerators and Lofts currently running | | [references/providers.md](references/providers.md) | AWS Activate Providers — accelerators, VCs, Provider Central, how to apply | | [references/contact-us.md](references/contact-us.md) | Support channels and the Ask AWS Startups assistant |

Live-URL redirects — point users at the live page

Two pages are deliberately minimal stubs. The live content (events, showcase directory) is location- and time-sensitive or is a large browseable catalog; a bundled snapshot goes stale fast. When these topics come up, answer with a short pointer phrase and the live URL:

• **[references/events.md](references/events.md)** — AWS Startups events. When a user asks about upcoming events, summits, meetups, or loft sessions, respond along the lines of: _"Virtual and in-person AWS Startups events happening around you can be found at https://aws.amazon.com/startups/events."_
• **[references/showcase.md](references/showcase.md)** — Startup Showcase directory. When a user asks about startups building on AWS or wants to browse the showcase, respond along the lines of: _"The latest Startup Showcase — innovative startups building on AWS — is at https://aws.amazon.com/startups/showcase. You can also promote your own startup there."_

Companion skills — when to defer

This skill is **reference content only**. Two sibling skills cover adjacent jobs:

• **`prompt-library-for-startups`** — copy-paste AI prompts and downloadable agents from `aws.amazon.com/startups/prompt-library` (MVP scaffolding, RAG chatbot, security baseline, cost anomaly detection, GPU quota, AWS Migration Agent, Bill Shock Preventer, etc.). When the user asks for _"a prompt for X"_ or wants an installable agent, hand off to that skill.
• **`start-building-for-startups`** — interactive discovery + implementation workflow (picker-based quest