The PenFed Foundation’s Veteran Entrepreneur Program is partnering with AWS Activate, Amazon Web Services’ program for startups. Through the partnership, each founder in the Veteran Entrepreneur Program’s accelerator is eligible for up to $10,000 in AWS credits. Founders can use the credits for cloud computing, data storage, AI tools, and more to build, launch, and scale their businesses.
Why It Matters
Many of the program’s founders are veterans, service-disabled veterans, and military spouses who are bootstrapping their businesses. Starting a company, especially in tech, is expensive, and at this stage every dollar counts.
The AWS credits cover the technology behind these businesses, the infrastructure, tools, and systems they need to grow. That frees up money founders would otherwise spend from their own income or early revenue, so they can invest in hiring, marketing, and product development.
"Those $10,000 in credits have freed up other funds… Now they don't have to worry about the cost of the tools and systems on the back end. They can focus their resources on growing their team and marketing, which is going to help them grow."
Founder Spotlight: Robert Ryczek, CEO, PYRENTH
Robert, an Army veteran and member of the current accelerator cohort, founded PYRENTH. It’s AI-backed software that connects to existing HR platforms to create and monitor authorizations and check claims for compliance before they’re submitted.
Because his company handles HIPAA-protected healthcare data, AWS was essential from day one. It let his team run compliant data through Amazon Bedrock and train their AI models.
"We wouldn't have been able to get off the ground without it. We couldn't run HIPAA-compliant data through anything else."
About the Veteran Entrepreneur Program
The PenFed Foundation’s Veteran Entrepreneur Program accelerator serves veteran- and military spouse-owned businesses that have a minimum viable product, proven traction, and the potential to scale nationally. Founders receive education, training, mentorship, and access to a deep network of advisors and industry connections.
The Foundation covers the full cost of the program and takes no equity. Cohort companies span health tech, defense tech, consumer goods, and more, and they share a commitment to solving real-world problems with the service mindset they carried from the military.
Watch the video
How founders can access the credits
Accelerator program participants can request their AWS credits through the Veteran Entrepreneur Program team. Veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs interested in joining a future cohort can learn more and apply below.
Thank you to AWS for investing in businesses rooted in service.
