A startup needs to deploy services quickly and scale with customer demand without managing hardware. Which cloud characteristic enables this?

Elasticity is the correct answer because it allows cloud resources to be automatically scaled up or down in response to demand. This directly addresses the startup's need to deploy quickly and scale with customer demand without manual intervention or managing underlying hardware. Disaster recovery is important for business continuity but doesn't directly address rapid scaling or hardware management. Compliance refers to adhering to regulations and standards, which is a separate concern from scaling. Vendor lock-in is a potential disadvantage of cloud computing, not a characteristic that enables rapid scaling.