Amazon hopes to jump start its AI coding tool Kiro by giving it away to startups

In a bold move to capture the attention of startup founders, Amazon is offering its AI coding tool, Kiro Pro+, for free to select early-stage companies. During his keynote address at the re:Invent 2025 conference, AWS CEO Matt Garman unveiled this initiative, which aims to provide qualified startups with a year’s worth of credits for the tool. The offer is designed to attract startups that have secured venture capital funding, specifically those ranging from pre-seed to Series B stages. Eligible U.S.-based startups can request credits for up to 100 users, although the program comes with geographical restrictions. Countries such as France, Germany, Italy, and various regions in South America, along with trade-sanctioned nations, are excluded from this opportunity. Interested startups must submit their applications by December 31 to take advantage of this offer. This initiative is part of Amazon's broader strategy to enhance its presence in the competitive AI coding landscape, which includes established players like GitHub CoPilot and emerging tools like Replit and Claude Code. The re:Invent conference also highlighted advancements in AI, cloud infrastructure, and security, underscoring Amazon's commitment to innovation in technology.