An invitation to cluster

What is Aiven Cluster?

The Aiven Cluster Startup Program offers fast-growing startups free credits worth up to US$100,000 to be used over 12 months. You can use it to build up a modern data infrastructure in the cloud without any management headaches.

For example, you can spin up a single database like PostgreSQL or MySQL to meet an immediate need now and scale with replicas when going into production. Or you could build a powerful streaming service using Apache Kafka and connect to Grafana for the ready-made dashboards. Perhaps you need to create a quick little hobbyist database to test an idea? Aiven is the easiest way.

And you can pick clouds and regions from our wide selection.

But it’s about more than just money and services. For our Cluster startups, we offer

• Access to Aiven’s experts and technical support
• Virtual events focused on building the best data infrastructure for your company with Aiven
• Joint promotions and visibility on Aiven’s channels for startups that scale up in the first 6 months

Giving back to the community

Why is Aiven embarking on this journey now?

“Back in our day, Aiven took part in our share of startup programs,” says Oskari Saarenmaa, CEO. "We’ll always be grateful for the help we got from the community then; each of those companies holds a special place in our hearts.”

Now Aiven is looking to pay the good forward. “We’ve seen startups with limited funds try to save money by doing everything in-house, and that slows their progress. With programs like ours, startups can focus on what matters instead of worrying about their company data infrastructure. Your company’s brightest minds shouldn’t be spending their days managing Apache Kafka, they should be developing your products and services.”

The benefits for companies, both those taking part in and those providing startup programs, are substantial. “Aiven wants to learn from the needs of up and coming startups, because that helps us improve and provide a better service for everyone,” Oskari points out. “And in some cases, Aiven is today able to power the business of a company that gave us a boost early on, and neither company would be where we are today without the other.”

With Aiven, even a tiny startup with pretty much no infra can get productive quickly, and that’s absolutely essential for future success.

“That’s what we want to enable for junior startups, now that we’re in a position to do so,” Oskari says. “We’ve been there, we’ve walked the walk, but we weren’t alone. Now we want to help the next generation succeed.”

Get with the program

We have a few eligibility criteria for our clusterers (is that even a word? Well, it is now) to meet. You’re eligible as a company if

… you are affiliated with an approved partner organization.

… your startup is not older than 5 years.

… your funding is at Series A level, or less.

… you have a company website and an associated email address.

To become a part of the Aiven Cluster, head on over to our Cluster page, fill in the form, and click the big orange button to apply.

Still have questions? Send an e-mail to cluster@aiven.io, and we’ll try to answer them.

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