Vercel for Startups
Up to $30K Vercel credits (standard); $216K + $8M AI partner credits via AI Accelerator cohort.
Vercel for Startups offers Up to $30K (standard) / $216K + $8M partner access (AI Accelerator) to bootstrapped, pre-seed, seed startups, no VC referral required. Review takes 7–30 business days.
About
Vercel runs three programs: the Startup Program (up to $30K Vercel credits), the AI Accelerator ($216K Vercel/v0 credits + access to $8M+ in partner credits from AWS, Anthropic, Braintrust, Cartesia, Cursor, ElevenLabs, Fal, Groq, Hugging Face, Modal, OpenAI, Perplexity, Mistral, etc.), and the Open Source Program ($3,600 credits over 12 months). AI Accelerator is cohort-based (~40 teams/cohort, June–July), with applications opening around February. Finalists win $100K+ additional credit prizes.
Tiers
- Eligible startups (typically partner-referred)
- Vercel customer
- Able to commit 6 weeks June–July
- Actively developed/maintained OSS project
Eligibility
- Varies by program
- AI Accelerator: Vercel customer + 6-week commitment
- US sanctions restrictions
How to apply
- 1
- 2AI AcceleratorApply at vercel.com/ai-accelerator (Feb window).
- 3OSS ProgramApplications open April.
What else you get
- Credits from Vercel + v0 + AWS + 20+ AI platforms
- Private AI builders community
- Weekly fireside chats with AI founders/investors
- Guides, templates, videos
- Demo Day with VC audience
- 1st place: Investment from Vercel Ventures
What credits cover (and don't)
- Vercel hosting
- v0
- Edge functions
Tactical tips
- Tip 1.If you're AI-focused, the AI Accelerator is the prize, $8M+ ecosystem access dwarfs standard.
- Tip 2.Apply early, cohort is capped at 40 teams.
- Tip 3.Prepare a concrete Demo Day pitch, top 3 win $100K+ prizes.
Common rejection reasons
- Cohort capacity
- Not AI-focused for AI Accelerator
Frequently asked about Vercel for Startups
Is Vercel for Startups free to apply?
Yes. Applying to Vercel for Startups 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 Vercel for Startups 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 Vercel for Startups 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 Vercel 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.
Related programs
AWS Activate
Amazon's flagship program offering up to $100K AWS credits (or $300K for frontier AI) to pre–Series B startups.
Google for Startups Cloud Program
Up to $200K GCP credits (or $350K for AI-first startups) over 2 years with dedicated Startup Success Manager.
Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub
The easiest-to-qualify major cloud program, up to $150K Azure credits (investor-referred), no VC required for entry tiers.