Grok for Startups is a credit and support program offered by SpaceX Super Intelligence LLC (SpaceXSI). It gives credits across Grok, Grok Build, Grok Bot and the Grok API to startups with venture backing and a live product. As of November 1, 2026, the application form is open at x.ai/startups/apply. This guide covers what the program gives, how the credits are released, who qualifies, and the limits in the official program terms.
What do you get with Grok for Startups?
Credits for four products sit in one balance: Grok, Grok Build, Grok Bot and the Grok API. The page says you can use them "without juggling separate grants."
The program page at x.ai/startups says the aim is six to twelve months of real usage. Its FAQ puts it more carefully, at about six months of realistic usage.
The credits are not released all at once:
- You get 20 percent when your application is approved.
- The other 80 percent is released automatically once you have completed the initial onboarding steps and your team is up and running.
No dollar amount is published. Section 5.1 of the program terms says descriptions of the program, "including typical or target Credit amounts", are informational only and not a commitment. Your approval email states your credit amount, the tranche structure and the expiration date, and those are the credits you are entitled to.
Under section 3.2, SpaceXSI looks at funding, investors, revenue, current AI spend, traction, team size, intended use, program capacity and the results of verification, and these factors may be weighed differently for each application. Members also get hands-on onboarding and a direct line to the startups team.
Do not confuse Grok with Groq. Grok is xAI's model family. Groq is a separate company that serves open-weight models on its own LPU chips. Grok for Startups is an xAI program, not a Groq one.
Who qualifies for the program?
The FAQ names three checks for every application:
- Venture backing. If you do not qualify yet, the FAQ says you can reapply once you have raised.
- A live product.
- A company email that matches your website. Applications from a personal email are not approved.
Section 3.1 of the terms excludes:
- Companies on sanctions or export control lists, or located in a country or territory under comprehensive U.S. sanctions.
- Employees, contractors, agents and representatives, and their immediate families, of SpaceXSI, Anysphere, SpaceX, Tesla and X Corp.
Under section 5.2, only one grant is available per company group. You may not submit several applications, split your business across entities, accounts or domains, or create new ones to get more credits. Only one application per company group can be pending at a time.
If your company has received credits from xAI before, the FAQ says you can still apply and may be offered additional credits. Section 4.2 requires you to disclose all promotional credits your company group has received from SpaceXSI or its affiliates.
VCs and accelerators can join through the partner track at x.ai/startups/partners. Partners get a guaranteed minimum credit grant for the startups they back, a listing of the offer on their own perks page, and one point of contact on the startups team. Under section 4.4, that minimum applies only if the startup's own application is approved, and partners cannot change the terms.
What are the limits and exclusions?
Under section 6.1, credits cannot be applied to:
- Taxes.
- Fees incurred before the credits are applied or after they expire.
- Third-party products or services, marketplace items, X Corp. services (including X Premium), professional services or hardware.
- Past-due amounts.
- Fees under a separate committed-spend or prepaid arrangement, unless agreed in writing.
Under section 6.5, credits expire six months after they are applied to your Team Account, unless your approval email states otherwise. Unused credits are forfeited on that date.
Under section 6.7, credits have no cash value, are not refundable, and cannot be sold or transferred, including to an affiliate. They cannot be combined with another SpaceXSI promotion for the same service unless agreed in writing. Under section 6.3, you may not use them for unaffiliated companies or resell usage.
When the credits run out, you keep building at standard pricing. The FAQ adds that teams scaling fast or needing enterprise features, such as higher rate limits or a BAA, can be connected with the xAI team.
How do you apply, and what should you do now?
The form at x.ai/startups/apply takes about five minutes. Before you start, create a free team if you do not have one: the form asks for your Team ID, and the email you submit must be associated with that team.
The form asks for:
- You: name, job title, work email on your company domain, LinkedIn profile, city and country.
- The company: name, website, industry and team size.
- The team: your Team ID.
- Money: current monthly AI spend and annual revenue (both as ranges), date of your last fundraise, and your investors.
- Use: which products you plan to spend credits on (Grok, Grok Build, Grok Bot, the Grok API, or not sure yet).
- Optional: company X handle, customer traction, amount raised in that round, and a partner code or verification link.
After you submit, xAI verifies your company and funding and sizes your credits to your stage and current usage. The apply page says you get a decision by email shortly, and if you are approved your first credits are ready the same day. The terms, though, say SpaceXSI does not commit to any timeline for reviewing applications or issuing credits (section 5.5), and may pause or limit approvals at any time (section 5.6).
Under section 4.3, if xAI asks for supporting information during verification and you do not provide it within ten days, your application may be declined.
Read the full terms at x.ai/legal/startup-program-terms, last updated October 27, 2026. Under section 10.3, statements by employees or partners and descriptions in marketing materials, FAQs or emails do not modify the terms.
If you are comparing programs, this list of free AI API credits covers the other providers.
Frequently asked questions
Can a company without venture funding get credits?
The FAQ says every application is checked for venture backing, and if you do not qualify yet, you can reapply once you have raised.
Do the credits cover X Premium?
No. Section 6.1 of the terms excludes X Corp. services, including X Premium.
How long do the credits last?
Under section 6.5, credits expire six months after they are applied to your Team Account, unless your approval email states otherwise. Unused credits are forfeited.
How are the credits released?
In two parts. You get 20 percent when you are approved, and the other 80 percent is released automatically once you have completed the initial onboarding steps and your team is up and running.
