Claude Startups (Anthropic Startup Program)
Claude Startups, Anthropic's startup program: up to $45,000 in partner discounts and credits, plus up to $100,000 in API credits through a partner VC. The current cohort is full.
Intake status: Anthropic's page says the current cohort is full and new applications are closed. Subscribe to the Claude Startup newsletter there to hear when the next cohort opens. VC-partner API credits are claimed through your investor.
Claude Startups (Anthropic Startup Program) offers Up to $45,000 in partner discounts and credits to pre-seed, seed, series a startups, no VC referral required. Review takes 7–21 business days.
At a glance
About
Claude Startups is the name Anthropic now uses for its startup program, which many founders still search for as Claude for Startups or the Anthropic startup program. Members get discounts and credits worth up to $45,000 from AI-native partner products (the Startup Stack), live Applied AI group sessions every other week, and invites to startup events, hackathons and meetups. Founders backed by a VC in Anthropic's partner network may also be eligible for up to $100,000 in additional API credits, claimed through that VC.
As of October 2026 the current cohort is full and Anthropic is not accepting new applications. Its page asks founders to subscribe to the Claude Startup newsletter to hear when the next cohort opens.
Startup credits apply only to the first-party Claude API through the Claude Console. They cannot be spent on Claude through AWS, Google Cloud, Azure or other third-party platforms; if you want Claude on Bedrock or Vertex AI, that money has to come from the cloud provider's own program.
Earlier versions of this entry quoted $1,000 to $25,000+ in direct Claude API credits, and third-party trackers still repeat $5,000, $25,000 and $100,000 tiers. Anthropic's page publishes no such tiers. Check claude.com/programs/startups for the current terms before you plan around any figure.
Tiers
- Startup applying through the Claude startup program
- Backed by a VC that participates in the program
Eligibility
- Startup building with Claude
- For the VC-partner API credits, backing from a participating VC
How to apply
- 1Join the waitlistThe current cohort is full. Subscribe to the Claude Startup newsletter on the program page to hear when the next cohort opens.claude.com/programs/startups ↗
- 2Ask your VCIf your investor is in Anthropic's partner network, ask them to claim the additional API credits for you. This path does not depend on the cohort.
- 3Apply when it reopensDescribe what you are building on Claude concretely. Anthropic does not publish a review time.
What else you get
- Discounts and credits from Startup Stack partner products
- Live Applied AI group sessions every other week
- Invites to startup events, hackathons and meetups
- Additional API credits through a VC partner, where offered
What credits cover (and don't)
- Claude API (Sonnet, Opus, Haiku)
- Claude Code
- Workbench
- Claude on AWS Bedrock
- Claude on Google Cloud Vertex AI
- Other third-party platforms
Tactical tips
- Tip 1.Applications are closed until the next cohort; subscribe to the Claude Startup newsletter on the program page rather than waiting on a review.
- Tip 2.Credits work only on the first-party Claude API. If your stack runs Claude through Bedrock or Vertex AI, budget from AWS Activate or Google for Startups Cloud instead.
- Tip 3.If your investor is a program partner, ask them about the additional API credits before you apply elsewhere.
- Tip 4.Alternative: Claude for Open Source program, 6 months of Max 20x free for maintainers of 5,000+ star repos or 1M+ monthly npm downloads.
Common rejection reasons
- Claude is not central to product
- Low traction without partner referral
Frequently asked about Claude Startups (Anthropic Startup Program)
Is Claude Startups (Anthropic Startup Program) free to apply?
Yes. Applying to Claude Startups (Anthropic Startup Program) does not cost anything and does not require giving up equity. Some programs require a payment method on file that activates only after credits are consumed or expire, check the program detail page for specifics.
How long does Claude Startups (Anthropic Startup Program) take to review applications?
Processing times are shown on the program detail page. Most programs reply within 1–3 weeks. Self-serve tiers (like AWS Activate Founders) can approve in 2–7 days; partner-referred tiers (like AWS Activate Portfolio) usually take 5–10 days.
Can I combine Claude Startups (Anthropic Startup Program) with other startup programs?
Most programs stack. The "Stacks well with" section on each detail page lists commonly combined programs. A few important exceptions: if you already claimed AWS credits via Brex or Mercury, your direct AWS Activate amount may be reduced.
What is the most common reason applications to Anthropic get rejected?
The top rejection reasons are (1) using a personal Gmail/Outlook address instead of a company domain, (2) having a thin or placeholder website, and (3) mismatched information between the application and Crunchbase/Pitchbook. The tips section on the program page details program-specific factors.