Claude for Startups
Claude startup program, cohort full; up to $100K API credits via partner VCs
- Bootstrapped, pre-seed, or venture-backed startup
- Apply with a Claude Console account
What you get from Claude for Startups for free
Overview
Claude for Startups is Anthropic's program for early-stage founders building with generative AI. The program offsets initial infrastructure costs and connects startups to the Anthropic engineering ecosystem. Anthropic says the current cohort is full and it is not accepting new applications right now; the program continues for current members.
Free Benefits & Perks
- Startup Stack: Discounts and credits from partner companies, bundled for members.
- Applied AI group sessions: live webinar sessions with an AMA with Anthropic's Applied AI team, every other week.
- Developer Ecosystem: Access to developer tools including the Claude API, Claude Code, and Claude Managed Agents with Model Context Protocol (MCP).
- Founder Community & Events: Invitations to hackathons, Founder Days, Builder Days, and meetups, plus founder-only AMAs and technical livestreams.
- New applications: closed; the current cohort is full. Subscribe to the Claude Startup newsletter to hear when the next cohort opens.
- Partner VC credits: startups backed by a VC in Anthropic's partner network may get up to $100K in additional API credits, claimed through the VC.
Eligibility & Requirements
- Stage: Early-stage founders; no new applications until the next cohort opens.
- Use Case: Building software or services powered directly by Anthropic's Claude stack.
How to Apply
Applications are closed while the current cohort is full. Subscribe to the newsletter on the Claude for Startups page to hear when the next cohort opens. Startups backed by a VC in Anthropic's partner network can ask their VC about API credits.
Check you qualify
- Funding stage: Bootstrapped, pre-seed, or venture-backed startup
As the provider states it on the date shown above. The provider decides who qualifies.
Models served free
Limits as the provider publishes them; a dash means none is published.
| Model | Context | RPM | RPD | TPM | Tools | Vision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 5.5Program API credits apply to the first-party Claude API only (offer row); limits for program credits unpublished | 1,000k | — | — | — | yes | yes |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5Program API credits apply to the first-party Claude API only (offer row); limits for program credits unpublished | 1,000k | — | — | — | yes | yes |
| Claude Haiku 5.5Program API credits apply to the first-party Claude API only (offer row); limits for program credits unpublished | 1,000k | — | — | — | yes | yes |
| Claude Fable 5.1Program API credits apply to the first-party Claude API only (offer row); limits for program credits unpublished | 1,000k | — | — | — | yes | yes |
| Claude Opus 5Program API credits apply to the first-party Claude API only (offer row); limits for program credits unpublished; legacy model, still available | — | — | — | — | — | — |
History
Verified by a person on · last automated check : no change found. Automated findings never change this page until a person confirms them (how we verify).
- Change detectedby a person · Content updated from https://claude.com/programs/startups (checked 2026-10-20).
- Change detectedby the monitor · +15 -27 pricing sentences
- Change detectedby a person · Terms shifted; re-verification pending
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