Anthropic Startup Program
$1K–$25K+ in Claude API credits plus priority rate limits for startups building with Claude.
Anthropic Startup Program offers up to $25,000+ in Claude credits to pre-seed, seed, series a startups, no VC referral required. Review takes 7–21 business days.
About
Anthropic offers API credits, priority rate limits, and founder resources for startups building on Claude (Sonnet, Opus, Haiku). Anthropic does not publish credit amounts; reported ranges are $1K–$5K standard, $5K–$25K partner-referred, and $25K+ for top-tier VC-nominated. To receive credits, a company must have equity funding from an institutional investor, be founded within the last four years, and not have received Anthropic startup credits before. Founders without institutional funding can join the program but do not get credits. The credits apply only to the first-party Claude API via the Claude Console; Anthropic states they cannot be used on AWS Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI, or other third-party platforms. Claude usage on those platforms is billed separately, for example against your AWS or Google Cloud credits.
Tiers
- Active Claude API integration
- Clear product use case
- Referral from Anthropic VC / accelerator partner
- Top-tier VC nomination
Eligibility
- Equity funding from an institutional investor (required for credits)
- Founded within the last four years
- Has not previously received Anthropic startup credits
- Active or planned Claude API integration
- Consultancies without product
- No institutional funding (program access only, no credits)
- Previously received Anthropic startup credits
How to apply
- 1ApplyFill out the application with company details, product, Claude use case.www.anthropic.com/startups ↗
- 2Partner code (optional)For higher tiers, get a referral code from your VC partner first.
- 3Rolling reviewNotification by email.
What else you get
- Free API credits to build and experiment
- Anthropic's highest publicly available rate limits
- Priority support via direct channels
- Founder events and workshops
- Office hours with Anthropic team
- Access to Workbench, Claude Code, model previews during credit window
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.Show Claude is central to your product, not an afterthought.
- Tip 2.Credits expire in 12 months, plan usage.
- Tip 3.Anthropic credits work only on the first-party Claude API. If you run Claude through Bedrock or Vertex, that usage draws on your AWS or Google Cloud credits instead.
- 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 Anthropic Startup Program
Is Anthropic Startup Program free to apply?
Yes. Applying to 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 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 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.
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