Last updated: 11 September 2026. Everything below was checked against Anthropic's, Menlo's and the cloud providers' own pages that day.
Anthropic's startup program, Claude for Startups, has taken direct applications since late May 2026. Any early-stage founder can apply through a two-minute form at claude.com/programs/startups; until then you needed a unique link from one of Anthropic's partner VCs. To actually get free Claude credits and Anthropic's highest rate limits, your company must have equity funding from an institutional investor, be founded within the last four years, and not have received Anthropic startup credits before.
Anthropic does not publish how many credits it gives, the credits work only on Anthropic's own API (not on AWS Bedrock or Google Vertex AI), and a new API account gets no free credit at all. If you are bootstrapped, the realistic free routes are AWS Activate credits spent on Claude through Bedrock, Claude for Open Source if you maintain a well-used project, and the research programs.
Every free Claude route at a glance
| Route | What you get | Who qualifies | Where it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude for Startups | API credits (amount not published) + highest rate limits | Institutional equity funding, founded in the last 4 years | Claude API via the Console |
| AWS Activate | $1,000 to $5,000 self-funded; up to $200,000 via a VC or accelerator | Pre-Series B, founded in the last 10 years | Claude on Amazon Bedrock |
| Menlo Anthology Fund | Investment from $100,000 plus Anthropic credits | Pre-seed to Series A, picked by Menlo | Claude API |
| Claude for Open Source | 6 months of Claude Max 20x | Maintainers meeting one of six thresholds | Claude apps and Claude Code (a subscription, not API credit) |
| AI for Science | Up to $20,000 in API credits for 6 months | Researchers at universities and nonprofits | Claude API |
| External Researcher Access | $1,000 in API credits | AI safety researchers | Claude API |
| New API account | Nothing | - | - |
What changed in May 2026
For most of its life the program was invite-only. Anthropic's page said "The program is available to startups working with Anthropic's VC partners" and told founders to "reach out to your investors to get their unique program application link". Between 21 and 31 May 2026 the page was rebuilt with a self-serve form, and by June its button read "Apply to be considered for credits and priority rate limits".
Two consequences. You no longer need a partner VC to apply, although if you have one, Anthropic says to mention it because "you may qualify for additional benefits". And many older guides, including this page's June version, describe a program that no longer works the way they say.
Who qualifies for Claude startup credits
From the program FAQ:
"Any early-stage founder or startup building with Claude can join the Startups program. To qualify for Claude credits and extras, your company must have received equity funding from institutional investor, been founded within the last four years, and not previously received Anthropic startup credits."
So there are two levels. Joining the program (events, community) is open to anyone building with Claude. Credits and the rate-limit upgrade need all three conditions:
- Institutional equity funding. The FAQ answers "Do I need VC funding to apply?" with "No", but the credit criteria above still require an institutional investor. A bootstrapped company can apply and join; it should not expect credits.
- Founded within the last four years.
- No earlier Anthropic startup credits. One award per company.
The official terms add that Anthropic weighs "business traction, investment, and funding, as well as Claude integration and usage", selects "on a rolling basis", and excludes applicants from a list of countries that includes Russia, China, Belarus and Iran.
How to apply to Claude for Startups
Anthropic says the application "takes about two minutes". Before you start:
- Create a Claude Console account at platform.claude.com and note your API Organization UUID, shown in the Console's organization settings. The form asks for it; credits land on that organization.
- Use your company email address. The form requires one.
- Open the form from claude.com/programs/startups. It asks for your name, job title, business email, company name and website, the organization UUID, your current total LLM spend, "Where do you want support from Anthropic?", country and date of birth. Funding round (bootstrapped through Series B+) and lead investors are optional fields, but the credit criteria depend on them, so fill them in.
- Wait. Anthropic publishes no review time. If you are selected, the terms say you may have to sign an affidavit plus a publicity and liability release within 14 days, and Anthropic may name you and show your logo as a recipient.
What helps, based on the evaluation factors in the terms: say what you are building on Claude, show real usage on that Console organization, and give the funding details.
What the program gives
- API credits. No amount or range appears on any Anthropic page. The "$25,000" figure repeated in many guides, including this one in June, comes from the Menlo Anthology Fund, not from Claude for Startups. Figures of $5,000 to $100,000 on third-party sites could not be confirmed.
- Rate limits. "Acceptance upgrades you to our highest rate limits." For a young product this can matter as much as the credits.
- Community. "Hackathons, Founder Days, and meetups in six cities."
- Where credits work. "Claude startup credits apply to the first-party Claude API via the Claude Console. They can't be used on AWS Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI, or other third-party platforms."
- Claude Code. Anthropic's billing help says Console credits "cover API access, playground usage, and Claude Code", so Claude Code run on a Console organization draws on the same balance. The program page does not mention Claude Code seats or Max plans.
- Expiry. No program-specific rule is published. Anthropic's Credit Terms say promotional credits expire when stated at issue, "or otherwise one calendar year from when issued".
If you are bootstrapped: AWS Activate pays for Claude
Claude startup credits cannot be spent on Bedrock, but AWS's own startup credits can be spent on Claude there. The AWS Activate FAQ says Activate credits "are also redeemable for third-party models on Amazon Bedrock... like AI21 Labs, Anthropic, Cohere".
| AWS Activate tier | Credits | How |
|---|---|---|
| Founders | $1,000 to $5,000 | Self-funded startups apply directly |
| Portfolio | Up to $200,000 | Through an Activate provider (VC, accelerator) Org ID |
| AWS Credits for AI Startups | $200,000+ | Invite-only |
Eligibility is "Pre-series B, founded in the last 10 years", and AWS says "You'll hear back within 5-10 business days". Details in AWS Activate Credits.
The other two clouds do not work for Claude. Google for Startups states: "Third-party models are billed directly and are not covered by the program credits." Microsoft's Foundry docs list "startup credit-based accounts" among subscriptions that cannot use Claude, and on credit-only subscriptions "the credit card will be charged instead of Azure Credits".
Menlo Anthology Fund
A $100 million fund run by Menlo Ventures with Anthropic, at menlovc.com/menlo-anthology-fund.
- Investment: "starting at $100,000 (and up!)", at pre-seed, seed and Series A.
- Credits: the page contradicts itself: "$25,000 in free credits" in the body, "$30,000 in free Anthropic credits" in the FAQ.
- Application: an Airtable form linked from the page, rolling, "Applicants can expect a response within two weeks."
- Status: the form is live and the page was updated in August 2026, but parts of its FAQ still describe 2024 models, so treat the credit figure loosely.
This is a venture investment: if Menlo invests, it takes equity. Worth applying to alongside Claude for Startups if you are raising anyway.
Claude for Open Source
- What you get: "6 months of free Claude Max 20x", a subscription for the Claude apps and Claude Code, not API credit. Overages beyond Max limits can be charged at standard rates.
- Cap: "limited to 10,000 approved recipients unless this cap is increased by Anthropic".
- Apply: claude.com/contact-sales/claude-for-oss. If approved, the activation link must be used within 90 days.
Maintainer track, meet at least one:
- Projects you maintain have 500+ dependent repositories or 100+ dependent packages in total.
- Packages you maintain have 200,000+ monthly downloads in total, on any public registry.
- You are a listed committer or maintainer of a recognized foundation or language project.
- You authored 100+ pull requests merged into public repositories you do not own in the last 12 months.
- A repo you maintain had 20+ unique external contributors with merged PRs in the last 12 months.
- A repo you maintain has an OpenSSF criticality score of 0.4 or higher.
There is also a discretionary Ecosystem Impact track. Everyone needs a GitHub account at least two years old, public activity in the 90 days before applying, an OSI-approved license and to be 18 or older.
The criteria changed in July 2026. From launch in February until at least 5 July the page asked for "a public repo with 5,000+ GitHub stars or 1M+ monthly NPM downloads". Stars no longer count, and the new thresholds are easier for maintainers of widely depended-on but unglamorous projects.
Research, education and nonprofit programs
- AI for Science: "up to $20,000 in API credits to your account for a 6-month period" for researchers at academic and nonprofit institutions. Applications are reviewed on the first Monday of each month. Details.
- External Researcher Access: "$1000 in API credits" for AI safety research, more "for rare special cases", reviewed monthly.
- Team plan for scientists: for principal investigators at universities and nonprofit research institutes. "Standard seats are free. Premium seats are $15 per month," promotional for 12 months.
- Claude Campus: student ambassadors get a "USD3,600 cash stipend" and Builder Clubs share "resources (like API credits)". For the September 2026 to June 2027 year, applications close on 12 September 2026 at 11:59 pm PT. The separate student-builder credit form from 2025 now redirects here.
- Claude for Teachers: US K-12 teachers who verify get Claude "entirely free"; sign up by 30 June 2027 for a year of access.
- Nonprofits: a discount, not credits: Team plan at $8 per user a month and Enterprise at $10, minimum two seats.
No free credit for new API accounts
Anthropic's help center: "Buy credits before you use the API". There is no signup credit, no free API tier and no trial; the "~$5 starter credit" still quoted around the web, and by this page in June, is not in Anthropic's docs. Purchased credits expire one year after purchase and are non-refundable.
The free thing Anthropic does offer is the Claude.ai Free plan, which is chat in the Claude apps, not API access. Paid plans are Pro at $20 a month ($17 billed annually), Max 5x at $100 and Max 20x at $200.
For API access without paying, use another provider's free tier. Free LLM APIs 2026 lists the seven that need no card.
What changed since this page's June version
| June version said | September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Startup Program: "up to $25,000" | No amount published; $25,000 was the Anthology Fund figure |
| Apply through Airtable, ~2-week review | Anthropic uses its own form; Airtable and the two-week promise belong to Menlo |
| VC-backed startups via partner links | Direct applications since late May 2026; credits need institutional funding |
| New account credit ~$5 | None; buy credits first |
| OSS: 5,000+ stars or 1M+ npm downloads | Six new thresholds since July 2026; stars no longer count |
| Credits usable wherever Claude runs | Startup credits only on the first-party API; AWS Activate is the Bedrock route |
| Models Opus 4.8, Sonnet 4.6, Fable 5 | Fable 5.1, Opus 5, Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5 |
When the credits run out
Current Claude API prices per million input / output tokens: Fable 5.1 $10 / $50, Opus 5 $5 / $25, Sonnet 5 $2 / $10, Haiku 4.5 $1 / $5. Batch processing and prompt caching cut that substantially; see Claude API Pricing. Route easy calls to a cheap or free model and keep Claude for the ones where it clearly wins; a gateway makes that a config change.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply to the Claude for Startups program? Create a Claude Console account, note your API Organization UUID, then fill in the form at claude.com/programs/startups with a company email address. Anthropic says it takes about two minutes. It asks for your company details, the organization UUID, your current LLM spend and where you want Anthropic's support; funding round and investors are optional but matter for credits.
Do I need VC funding to get Claude startup credits? You can apply without it, but the credits and rate-limit upgrade require equity funding from an institutional investor, a company founded within the last four years, and no earlier Anthropic startup credits. Bootstrapped founders can join the program's community; for free Claude usage, AWS Activate's Founders tier (up to $5,000, spendable on Claude via Amazon Bedrock) is the more realistic route.
How many credits does the Claude startup program give? Anthropic does not publish an amount. The widely quoted $25,000 comes from the Menlo Anthology Fund, which offers $25,000 or $30,000 in Anthropic credits (its page says both) alongside an investment. Accepted startups also get Anthropic's highest API rate limits.
Can I use Claude startup credits on AWS Bedrock or Google Vertex AI? No. Anthropic says Claude startup credits apply only to the first-party Claude API via the Claude Console. The reverse works on AWS: AWS Activate credits can pay for Claude on Amazon Bedrock. Google for Startups credits do not cover third-party models such as Claude.
Does a new Anthropic API account get free credits? No. Anthropic's help center says to buy credits before using the API, and there is no free API tier. The Claude.ai Free plan gives free chat in the Claude apps, but not API access.
What is Claude for Open Source and who qualifies? It gives open source maintainers six months of Claude Max 20x free, up to 10,000 recipients. You qualify by meeting one threshold, such as 500+ dependent repositories, 200,000+ monthly package downloads, 100+ merged pull requests to other people's repositories in a year, or an OpenSSF criticality score of 0.4 or more. It is a subscription, not API credit.
What is the Anthology Fund? A $100 million fund run by Menlo Ventures with Anthropic that invests from $100,000 in pre-seed to Series A AI startups and adds Anthropic credits. You apply through Menlo's own form, separately from Claude for Startups, and Menlo says to expect a response within two weeks.
Related guides
- Claude API Pricing 2026 - all models, caching, batch
- Claude Code Pricing 2026 - plans, API cost, and the Agent SDK credit
- Claude Fable 5: pricing, 1M context, where it fits
- Free LLM APIs 2026 - every free tier checked, which need no card
- AWS Activate Credits - tiers and how to apply
- Free AI API Credits - broader AI startup programs
- OpenAI Free Credits - the OpenAI side
- Free Startup Credits 2026: Complete Guide
- Best MCP Servers 2026 - the ones worth using and how to add them
- What Is Vibe Coding? Meaning, origin, tools, and how to start
Got into Claude for Startups, the Anthology Fund or Claude for Open Source? Tell me which and how long the decision took. I update this guide with what founders actually see.
