Flamethrower from Backblaze to fire up startup cloud storage

Backblaze’s Flamethrower program is cloud storage and more for early-stage startups as they build, scale, and reach product-market fit.

The company says traditional startup programs “rely on short-term credits, upcharges, and automated onboarding.”

James Leaverton, Director of Startups & Developer Relations at Backblaze, said: “Too often, startups move fast early on, only to discover later that their infrastructure decisions have quietly become expensive, sticky, and difficult to unwind. Flamethrower exists to meet teams before that moment, giving them storage that just works, predictable pricing they can work with in the long term, and direct access to people who’ve been through this before.”

Backblaze says: “Startups in the program get access to generous storage credits (up to $100,000!), direct support from the Backblaze team, and a growing community of builders facing the same challenges as you are. We're intentionally founder-focused: practical guidance, real-world use cases, and zero fluff. No hoops, no hard sell, just a cloud partner that wants to grow with you from day one.” 

For comparison, there is a Google for Startups Cloud Program which offers $200,000 in cloud credits, and up to $350,000 for AI-first startups, for startups from seed to series A funding, but this is not just for cloud storage. There is also an AWS Activate cloud program for startups, with up to $100,000 in AWS Activate Credits to offset costs on AWS services, including infrastructure, data services, and leading AI and ML models. 

In Europe an OVHcloud Startup Program provides startups and scaleups with free cloud credits and technical support. An iDrive e2 program offers 100 TB of free S3-compatible storage for qualified startups, including those from Y Combinator and other global accelerators.

Backblaze's Flamethrower program supports common startup workloads including AI/ML training data, media and gaming assets, fast-growing SaaS platforms, as well as backup, archiving, and disaster recovery.

Qualifying startups receive cloud storage credits for Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage, along with access to experts. Backblaze says it’s easy for a startup to on-board, with “no mandatory demos, no surprise sales motions, and no pressure to convert before teams are ready.”

Backblaze is also emphasizing a human touch in Flamethrower, with “direct access to advisors and service reps for any of their needs - not just storage questions but advice that spans on hiring, investor decks and strategic introductions. This white-glove service is frequently missing from other startups programs, giving participants a strategic advantage.”

Flamethrower is available now, and eligible startups can apply for the program here.