Neo4j Startup Program
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Graph database credits plus free Enterprise License for startups under $3M revenue.
Neo4j Aura for Startups gives you a managed cloud graph database at $0.09/GB-hour—basically pennies if you're not running massive queries. You also get a free Enterprise License covering multiple production, test, and dev instances with full support. The catch: you need to be under 50 employees, sub-$3M revenue, and venture/angel/self-funded. The database itself is solid for relationship-heavy data (recommendation engines, identity graphs, knowledge bases), but you're locked into Neo4j's pricing model once you outgrow the free tier. Best for startups building products where graph queries are core to the product, not an afterthought.
2 tiers
Tier 1
Neo4j Aura™ for Startups
Access a fully managed, cloud-based graph database service with advanced features and affordable pay-as-you-go pricing at 9 cents per GB-hour.
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Tier 1
Neo4j Aura™ for Startups
Access a fully managed, cloud-based graph database service with advanced features and affordable pay-as-you-go pricing at 9 cents per GB-hour.
Benefits
- Cloud-based graph database service
- Affordable pricing at 9 cents per GB-hour
- Includes monitoring, upgrades, backups, Neo4j Bloom, and APOC library
- Scales with startup needs
- Compatible with official drivers and bolt protocol support
Eligibility
- 50 or fewer employees
- Less than $3MM USD annual revenue
- Venture-backed, angel-backed, or self-funded startups
- Must use Neo4j to support business operations
- Willing to share startup success stories with the Neo4j community
How to apply
- 1
- 2
Tier 2
Free Neo4j Enterprise License for Startups
Receive a free Neo4j Enterprise License to run mission-critical, clustered graph database applications on-premises or in the cloud.
0 click to collapse
Tier 2
Free Neo4j Enterprise License for Startups
Receive a free Neo4j Enterprise License to run mission-critical, clustered graph database applications on-premises or in the cloud.
Benefits
- Free license of Neo4j Enterprise
- Supports mission-critical applications
- Includes 3 production, 3 test/staging, and 6 development machines
- Each machine supports up to 256GB RAM and 24 cores
Eligibility
- 50 or fewer employees
- Less than $3MM USD annual revenue
- Venture-backed, angel-backed, or self-funded startups
- Must use Neo4j to support business operations
- Willing to share startup success stories with the Neo4j community
How to apply
- 1
- 2
Pros
- ✓ Free Enterprise License covers prod + staging + dev environments with support included
- ✓ Aura pricing at $0.09/GB-hour is genuinely cheap for managed infrastructure
- ✓ No equity stake or revenue share—just a story-sharing requirement
Cons
- ✗ Strict eligibility: must be under 50 employees and <$3M revenue
- ✗ Credits expire or revert once you scale past program thresholds
- ✗ Vendor lock-in; switching databases later is painful and expensive
Frequently asked questions
Can startups use Neo4j Bloom?
What if AuraDB isn’t suitable?
Is enterprise support included?
How long does application approval take?
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