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<\/a><\/a>\n\u201cThe decisions founders make early about their customer infrastructure shape everything that comes after,\u201d said Adrian McDermott, CTO, Zendesk. \u201cI joined Zendesk when we were a small startup, and those early decisions shaped everything that followed. We built this program with that experience in mind. AI has fundamentally changed what a small team can accomplish from day one\u2014founders shouldn\u2019t have to choose between moving fast and building right. With AI built in from the start, they can do both while extending their runway by removing cost as a barrier.\"<\/p>
\nMore than 50,000 startups globally have scaled on Zendesk, including fast-growing companies like ElevenLabs and Canva. Built to grow with startups, the program supports founders and extends through Series B for companies with up to 250 employees. Members receive up to two years of access to Zendesk\u2019s full AI suite\u2014the longest no-cost commitment of any CX startup offering currently available\u2014plus more seats and higher monthly resolution limits than comparable programs. They also gain access to a new digital membership hub and exclusive partner benefits from AWS, GitHub, Notion, and others.<\/p>
\nQualified startups receive an enhanced offer, including:<\/p>
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- \nRunway<\/b>: Up to two years of access to Zendesk at no cost, to help startups preserve capital while they build.<\/li>\n
- \nAutomation<\/b>: AI Agents Advanced to automate support earlier before headcount becomes the constraint.<\/li>\n
- \nVelocity<\/b>: Frictionless VIP onboarding and implementation support, helping startups go live quickly and start seeing value fast.<\/li>\n
- \nSupport:<\/b> Dedicated sales support, giving founders direct access to a team that can help as they scale.<\/li>\n
- \nCommunity<\/b>: Exclusive events, founder sessions, and partner programming, connecting startups with peers, experts, and ecosystem partners.<\/li>\n
- \nFeedback<\/b>: Direct access to Z<\/a>endesk Labs<\/a>, Zendesk Ventures<\/a>, and Zendesk executives, creating more opportunities for feedback, product input, and strategic support.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
\n\u201cThe process of organizing people and resources for government bids is notoriously inefficient, and the best teams often lose because of it,\u201d said Lauren Burke Silva, Co-Founder and CEO, MERIT. \u201cWe built MERIT to streamline that pursuit process. By choosing Zendesk, we\u2019re able to automate workflows and deploy AI agents from day one\u2014allowing us to stay lean and focused on our mission to help our customers win.\u201d<\/p>
\nZendesk is broadening the program to include dedicated benefits for venture capital firms. Through partnerships with a16z, Techstars, LvlUp Ventures, 500 Global, and others, investors gain access to closed-door interactive AI sessions, quarterly portfolio reviews, Zendesk Employee Service, direct access to Zendesk executives through the Executive Sponsor program, and more.<\/p>
\n\u201cThe best founders move fast and build with conviction,\u201d said David Cohen, Founder and CEO, Techstars. \u201cWhat Zendesk is doing here is meeting them at that pace with real resources and a real commitment to the ecosystem. This is exactly why Techstars is deepening its partnership with Zendesk. This is the kind of partnership that helps the next generation of breakout companies get off the ground and scale.\u201d<\/p>
- \nAutomation<\/b>: AI Agents Advanced to automate support earlier before headcount becomes the constraint.<\/li>\n