Nebius drives 1,800 signups and 8M+ impressions with DevTools Academy

• 1,800+ signups from launch
• 11,500+ site clicks 
• 5M+ cumulative views on X
• 3.2M+ cumulative impressions on LinkedIn

Nebius is an Amsterdam-based cloud AI Cloud built specifically to power artificial intelligence development, training, and inference. Their services include AI cloud and GPU computing, Inference,  model training and fine-tuning, and industry solutions. Their clients include brands across the AI ecosystem, such as Shopify, Brave, and Cognition.

In mid-2026, Nebius launched an early preview of the Nebius AI Builder Program: a free membership, zero-cost initiative that helps developers build AI applications using Nebius’ infrastructure and partner tools. Participants would get $400+ in stack credits, actionable blueprints, advanced training resources, and direct access to the engineers who built the platform.

Nebius hoped the program would showcase the company as the ultimate enabler for building AI systems on open primitives. As such, they wanted to generate widespread awareness and drive developer signups for its hard launch in September 2026.

“The AI Builder Program is a big investment for Nebius. It’s both a gift for the fast-growing AI development community and a way for Nebius to forge ground-level partnerships with the senior AI devs of tomorrow.”  - Waqas Makhdum, VP, AI Builders

Nebius was first referred to DevTools Academy by former CMO Rajan Sheth, who joined the Nebius team as an advisor. After an extended discovery phase, DevTools Academy presented a highly flexible proposal specifically tailored for Nebius’ unique goals for the AI Builder program. 

“We didn’t want the AI Builder Program’s launch to be a one-and-done kind of deal. This program is going to be around for a long time, so we wanted the best of both worlds: a successful launch day, and the beginning of a sustained marketing push to maintain and increase visibility. That’s something we trusted DevTools Academy to do—and they pulled it off really well.” - Waqas Makhdum, VP, AI Builders

The campaign involved a comprehensive influencer marketing strategy, one that prioritized creators with true technical expertise and credibility within their industry.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of DevTools Academy’s strategy:

• Strategic creator vetting: Identified and engaged with highly relevant voices in the AI and developer spaces with an authentic and active following.
• Content pipeline management: Maintained consistent brand messaging by developing cohesive campaign briefs and establishing a rigorous approval process for creator drafts.
• Coordinated multi-platform broadcasts: Synchronized the efforts of nearly 400+ creators across X and LinkedIn
• Amplified launch volume: Maximized organic reach across multiple platforms by using strategically timed social media posts, thus algorithmically boosting launch announcements.
• Building for post-launch momentum: DevTools Academy avoided the typical post-launch drop-off by running a sustained “drumbeat” campaign. This involves a continuous cadence of targeted, technical content designed to maintain brand visibility.  In the first 25 days, the drumbeat campaign generated 1.31M impressions among developers and technical decision-makers and sent 11,850 tracked clicks to Nebius AI Builder Program. 
• Diversifying content streams. Devtools Academy didn’t just rely on the big social media platforms. They also diversified with different technical content channels—and the strategy paid off. For example, a single placement in a technical newsletter was enough to drive over 2,200 clicks.

The campaign delivered immediate and massive visibility for Nebius. Here are the numbers:

• 5 million cumulative views on X
• 3.2 million cumulative views on LinkedIn
• 1,800 direct sign-ups
• 11,500+ high-intent clicks post-launch

The post-launch campaign was especially significant because it ensures that Nebius has a deep pipeline of potential students for its sales team to nurture. A few weeks after launch, DevTools Academy ran a campaign that expanded Nebius’ builder program in the EU and drove over 2 million views on X.

DevTools Academy’s highly coordinated, creator-led strategy reached developers across multiple platforms and successfully converted awareness into program sign-ups for Nebius.