Microsoft for Startups: Can we move from $5,000 to $25,000 credits based on our existing Azure usage?

Hello,

Our startup has successfully completed business verification and currently participates in the Microsoft for Startups Azure credits program.

We currently have the $5,000 Azure credits benefit, which is set to expire on August 24, 2026.

I would like to clarify whether we may be eligible to move to Milestone 3 ($25,000 Azure credits) based on our existing Azure usage.

According to the milestone requirements, a startup needs to use 5+ Azure workloads over a sustained period (approximately 60 days).

We currently have more than 10 active Azure Virtual Machines in our Azure account. These VMs are used for different applications and projects, and several of them have been running continuously for an extended period.

In addition to our existing VM infrastructure, we are actively planning to expand our use of Azure services across our products. In particular, we plan to integrate various Azure AI services and Azure-managed database solutions into our applications and services. Therefore, we expect our Azure usage and the number of different Azure workloads to grow significantly as our products develop.

Could you please clarify:

1. Can multiple Azure VMs running different applications and projects be considered separate workloads toward the 5+ workload requirement?
2. Or does the requirement mean that we need to actively use 5+ different types of Azure services, such as Virtual Machines, Azure databases, Storage, AI services, etc.?
3. Based on our current usage of more than 10 active VMs, could we already be eligible for the $25,000 Azure credits milestone?
4. Since our current $5,000 credits expire on August 24, 2026, is it possible for our startup to transition to the $25,000 milestone before or after the current credits expire, assuming we meet the eligibility requirements?
5. Is the upgrade to the $25,000 milestone evaluated automatically, or is there any action we need to take to request an eligibility review?

We intend to continue building and expanding our infrastructure on Azure, particularly through the adoption of Azure AI, database, and other managed services, so we would greatly appreciate clarification on our eligibility and the appropriate next steps.

Thank you!