The AWS Startup Scout Program is Amazon Web Services' distributed referral network for identifying high-growth potential startups and connecting them with AWS's startup support ecosystem. The program operates across two main tracks: a professional track involving venture capital partners, accelerator program directors, angel investors, and community venture builders; and a university track run in partnership with the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO). The University Scouts Program, launched in partnership with CEO, features 150+ scouts at university and college campuses across the United States. University scouts host startup and tech events on campus, serve as leaders for their local startup ecosystem, and focus on identifying ventures that can benefit from AWS Startups resources, tooling, and cloud credits through the AWS Activate program. The professional track targets established players in the startup ecosystem who can refer high-growth companies to AWS's infrastructure and support programs. These scouts connect startups with AWS Activate, which provides cloud credits, technical support, business mentorship, and other resources. It is important to note that the AWS Startup Scout Program is fundamentally different from a traditional VC scout program. Scouts are not referring deals to an investment fund; they are referring startups to a cloud infrastructure provider's startup support program. There is no investment, carry, or equity component. The program's value to scouts is reputational (connecting startups with valuable resources) and community-oriented (building their campus or local ecosystem).