OpenAI for Startups
OpenAI has stopped running a startup credits offer. There is no application path on any OpenAI-owned page.
This program no longer exists
OpenAI has stopped offering startup credits. There is no application form or published credit amount on any OpenAI-owned page as of September 14, 2026. The Ramp and Researcher Access routes this entry previously described are no longer offered.
See what to apply to insteadApply to these instead of OpenAI
Live startup programs that cover the same job, each checked against the provider's own page.
How they compare
- Claude Startups (Anthropic Startup Program)
- Worth
- Up to $45,000 in partner discounts and credits
- Referral
- Not needed
- Review
- 7 to 21 days
- Together AI for Startups
- Worth
- Up to $50,000 in credits
- Referral
- Not needed
- Review
- 5 to 14 days
- Fireworks for Startups
- Worth
- Credits (amount not published)
- Referral
- Not needed
- Review
- 5 to 14 days
Keep the cost down without a program
Vendors often drop startup offers once they move upmarket to enterprise buyers. These still work for an early team.
- Use credits from the active AI programs in this directory, such as Anthropic, Together AI or Fireworks, for model API spend.
- Use credits from AWS Activate, Google for Startups or Microsoft for Startups where your models run on those clouds.
- Set usage limits and budget alerts in the API dashboard so a test loop cannot run up a bill.
- Route simple tasks to smaller, cheaper models and reserve the largest model for hard requests.
- Check the Ramp and Brex perk marketplaces in this directory for any current AI credit before paying list price.
About
OpenAI no longer offers startup credits. There is no application form and no published credit amount on any OpenAI-owned page.
OpenAI never ran a single flagship program the way Anthropic does. Credits arrived through side channels instead: a Ramp partnership worth $2,500 in API credits, the Researcher Access Program at around $1,000 for research and nonprofit affiliates, and invitation-only paths arranged through VCs. Those routes are what this page used to describe, and they are no longer offered.
The figures still circulating on perks sites come from those retired channels. Treat any listing that promises OpenAI startup credits today as out of date.
If you need model credits at an early stage, the live programs are listed below. Anthropic runs the closest equivalent with published terms, and the inference providers each publish their own.
Frequently asked about OpenAI for Startups
Is OpenAI for Startups still available?
OpenAI has stopped offering startup credits. There is no application form or published credit amount on any OpenAI-owned page as of September 14, 2026. The Ramp and Researcher Access routes this entry previously described are no longer offered.
What should startups use instead of OpenAI for Startups?
The closest live options are anthropic-startup-program, together-ai-startups, fireworks-startups. Each one is listed with its current terms and application link on this page.
Why is this page still published if the program ended?
Because founders still search for it. Removing the page would send them to third-party sites that are still republishing the old terms as if they were current. Keeping it, with the offer stripped out, is the only way to correct the record at the place people actually look.
How can I tell whether a startup credit program is still live?
Open the provider's own startup or partner page and look for a working application form with stated eligibility and credit amounts. Aggregator sites routinely keep listings up for years after a program ends, so a deal roundup is not evidence that the program exists.