The BITS program is an ecosystem designed to provide 360° support for business growth and technology for Startups and SMBs. It seamlessly integrates cloud infrastructure, professional consulting, cybersecurity, and global sales channels.

Eligible startup companies that join BITS can receive between $100K and $150K in Azure cloud credits for two years in collaboration with Microsoft for Startups. Additionally, members get access to popular SaaS tools such as HubSpot, CloudFlare, Monday, and GitHub.

BitPoints are the internal currency of the BITS program. The primary way to earn them is through cloud usage: for every $100 you pay for cloud consumption, you automatically earn 12 BitPoints. This model essentially acts as a double growth engine, giving you an approximate 10% return in value on your regular cloud spend. You can also earn points by participating in BITS community activities.

BitPoints fuel an ecosystem designed to accelerate your startup's growth by connecting you with experts across various fields. You can use your points in the BITS portal to book private 1:1 expert sessions for tailored advice in areas like legal, finance, marketing, HR, and UI/UX. Additionally, you can purchase essential technology and security services, including 24x7 SOC monitoring, application penetration testing, cloud cost optimization, and compliance certification assistance such as ISO 27001 and SOC Type 2

No. While using the portal to access services and solutions requires BitPoints, the BITS ecosystem is flexible and supports you regardless of your cloud usage. For startups that do not largely consume cloud services (which is the primary way to automatically generate points), there is an option to directly purchase BitPoints packages so you can still fully access the marketplace.

We highly encourage it, but it depends on your startup's current stage of development. The BITS program is built to foster a dynamic, circular economy where members support and buy from each other. Once your product is mature, tested, and "ready for prime time," you can apply to list your software solution on the internal BITS marketplace. This allows other ecosystem members to discover and purchase your services using their BitPoints, providing you with a valuable new sales channel as you scale.

As your startup matures, the BITS program helps you become "co-sell ready" by meeting strict Microsoft criteria. Once ready, you can list your SaaS solution on the Azure Marketplace and explore co-sell options with a dedicated ISV group in Microsoft, allowing you to sell your product directly to global enterprises.