Claude for Startups: API credits from Anthropic
Claude for Startups is Anthropic’s own program for early-stage companies building with Claude. The base tier does not need an investor, the application takes minutes, and most founders hear back the same day. The catch is the clock: the credits last six months.
In short
- Approved startups get $1,000 in Claude API credits, a year of Claude Team for up to five Premium seats, and partner offers worth up to $45,000.
- You qualify if the company was founded in the last 5 years or funded in the last 2. Venture funding is not required.
- Most applications are decided within minutes. The rest take two to three business days.
- Credits expire six months after they are granted and work only on the Anthropic API, not on Amazon Bedrock.
- Startups backed by a partner VC can claim up to $100,000 more through that investor.
What Claude for Startups gives you
- $1,000 in Claude API credits.
- One year of Claude Team for up to five Premium seats, for companies new to Claude Team.
- Up to $45,000 in offers from partners in the Claude Startup Stack.
- Higher API rate limits, included automatically.
- Office hours with Anthropic’s Applied AI team, and access to events and hackathons.
Who qualifies for Claude for Startups
| Requirement | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Founded in the last 5 years, or funded in the last 2 | Either one is enough. An older company with a recent round still qualifies. |
| A Claude Console account | The application is filed from it. |
| A company email on your website domain | An address such as you@yourcompany.com. A personal mailbox does not match. |
| A short description of what you are building | Say what the product does and what Claude does in it. |
| Compliance with Anthropic’s policies | The product has to be one Anthropic supports. |
Anthropic says the program accepts bootstrapped, pre-seed and venture-backed startups. You do not need an investor for the base tier.
How to apply for Claude for Startups
- Sign in to Claude Console
Use your company email address, on the same domain as your website.
- Open the startup application
It is filed from your own Console account.
- Complete the form
Describe what you are building and how you use Claude.
Anthropic says most applications are decided within minutes. The rest go to a manual review that usually takes two to three business days, and you are told the result by email.
What the Claude for Startups form asks
These are the fields on Anthropic’s application form as we saw it on 7 October 2026. The form can change, so treat this as a checklist to prepare, not a guarantee of what you will see.
| Part of the form | Fields |
|---|---|
| You and the company | Organization, first and last name, job title, company name, company website, country. City and industry are optional. |
| Stage | Month and year founded, latest funding round, and whether you raised outside funding in the last two years. Investors are optional. |
| Claude | Where you want support from Anthropic, what share of your monthly AI spend is on Anthropic, and what you are building on Claude. LinkedIn is optional. |
Optional fields are optional. A bootstrapped company can leave investors blank, and a low share of spend on Anthropic does not rule you out.
Where the credits work, and for how long
Claude for Startups credits apply only to the first-party Claude API through Claude Console. They cannot be used on Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud or other platforms.
Up to $100,000 more through a partner VC
Founders backed by a venture firm in Anthropic’s partner network can claim up to $100,000 in additional API credits. These are claimed through the investor, not through the public form.
Anthropic does not publish the list of partner firms. Ask your investor whether they are one. Having a VC is not enough on its own: it has to be a partner firm.
Combining Claude for Startups with AWS credits
The two programs are run by different companies, and the published rules of neither mention the other. Their credits do not overlap, so the order you spend them in matters.
- Start on the Anthropic API
Spend the Claude for Startups credits first. They expire soonest, and the first-party API has every feature.
- Apply to AWS Activate in parallel
AWS takes about 7 to 10 business days to decide.
- Move the heaviest workload to Bedrock
When the Anthropic credits run out or expire, AWS credits pay for Claude there.
Why Claude for Startups applications stall
- An email address that does not match the company website domain.
- A company older than five years with no funding in the last two.
- A description that says what the company wants to be, but not what the product does with Claude.
- No Claude Console account to apply from.
Common questions
How much is Claude for Startups worth?
$1,000 in Claude API credits, one year of Claude Team for up to five Premium seats, and up to $45,000 in partner offers. Startups backed by a partner VC can claim up to $100,000 in additional API credits.
Do I need a VC for Claude for Startups?
Not for the base tier. Anthropic accepts bootstrapped and pre-seed startups. The additional credits of up to $100,000 are available only through a partner VC.
How long does Claude for Startups approval take?
Anthropic says most applications are decided within minutes, and the rest go to a manual review that usually takes two to three business days.
Can I use Claude for Startups credits on Amazon Bedrock?
No. The credits apply only to the first-party Claude API through Claude Console.
When do Claude for Startups credits expire?
Six months after they are granted.
Can I have Claude for Startups and AWS Activate credits at once?
They are separate programs with separate rules, and each application is reviewed on its own. The credits pay for different invoices: Anthropic credits on the Anthropic API, AWS credits on Amazon Bedrock.
Can someone apply for me?
No. You apply from your own Claude Console account. Creduna prepares the draft, and you submit it.