Claude for Startups program
    Claude for Startups program
    Perks

    Claude for Startups program

    Open Now

    About

    Anthropic offers qualifying young startups startup-focused Claude benefits, including a free year of Claude Team for new Team organizations and $1,000 in API credits, but the Team and credit offers were paused for new applicants in October 2026 and are under re-review.

    Benefits

    • 🎟️ Claude Team — Up to five Premium seats free for one year for companies new to Claude Team, part of up to $7,000 in Claude products and credits, but this offer was paused for new applicants and placed under re-review in October 2026; already claimed offers remain.
    • đź’łAPI credits — One-time $1,000 in Claude API credits, expiring six months after grant and usable only on the first-party Claude API through Claude Console, not on AWS Bedrock or Google Cloud Vertex AI; paused for new applicants and placed under re-review in October 2026, while already claimed offers remain.
    • 🧰Startup Stack — Discounts and credits worth up to $45,000 from independent third-party companies, redeemable in Claude Console, with existing members retaining access.
    • 👩‍💻 Applied AI office hours — 45-minute live sessions held every other week with Anthropic’s Applied AI team for accepted members.
    • đź›’Claude Marketplace — Hands-on help building and submitting a connector or plugin for review, giving reach to Claude users.
    • 🎉Community and events — Access to Founder House, Founder Days, Builder Days, hackathons, meetups, and the Startup Newsletter, subject to limited space.
    • đź’°Additional VC partner credits — Up to $100,000 in additional API credits for startups backed by a venture firm in Anthropic’s partner network, claimed through the investor and subject to partner terms.
    • ⚡Higher API rate limits — Members who receive program credits automatically get higher API rate limits.

    Eligibility Criteria

    • Mandatory: Startups must have been founded in the last five years or funded in the last two years.
    • Mandatory: Applicants need a Claude Console account, a company email matching the company website domain, and a short description of what they are building.
    • Mandatory: Applicants must comply with Anthropic’s supportability policies.
    • Mandatory for the free Team year: the organization must be new to Claude Team.
    • Mandatory: Entities established or operating in, or planning to serve people in, Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, Syria, Crimea, or the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics are not eligible, nor are entities barred under U.S. or other applicable laws or export controls.
    • Mandatory: Anthropic employees and their immediate families and household members are not eligible.
    • Not required: venture funding; the program is open to bootstrapped, pre-seed, and venture-backed startups.
    • Preferred/conditional: startups backed by a VC in Anthropic’s partner network may be eligible for up to $100,000 in additional API credits claimed through the investor.
    • Anthropic evaluates applications using factors including business traction, investment/funding, and Claude integration and usage, and determines eligibility in its sole discretion.

    Participation Commitments

    • Accepted members must comply with Anthropic’s Startup Program Terms and the Additional Benefits Addendum.
    • API credit recipients are solely responsible for any tax obligations tied to the credits.
    • Claude Startup Stack offers are provided by independent third parties and are subject to each provider’s terms; unless a provider states otherwise, each Stack benefit may be redeemed once per member, is non-transferable, and has no cash value.
    • Applied AI advisory services are consultative only, and members retain sole responsibility for their products, systems, and decisions.

    Target Region

    Open to applicants except entities established or operating in, or planning to serve people in, Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, Syria, Crimea, or the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, or those barred under U.S. or other applicable laws or export controls. No positive country list is stated.

    Target Sector

    Agriculture & Food, Defense & Security, Education, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate & Construction, Retail & Consumer, Semiconductors & Electronics, Sports & Fitness, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Travel & Hospitality, Other

    Anthropic

    Apply