Anthropic runs two startup routes for Claude: Claude Startups, a direct membership programme for early-stage founders, and a VC partner route worth up to $100K in Claude API credits. As of 1 November 2026, when we checked the official page, the direct programme’s cohort is full and closed to new applicants, so the VC route is the only way in for now.
What you get
VC partner route
Founders backed by a venture firm in Anthropic’s partner network may be eligible for up to $100K in additional Claude API credits. Anthropic says these are claimed through your VC, not through a public form. “Up to” matters here: the figure is a ceiling, and Anthropic uses the word “may”, so neither the amount nor approval is guaranteed.
Claude Startups membership
Members of the direct programme (current cohort only) get:
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Claude Startup Stack | Discounts and credits worth up to $45,000 from AI-native companies building on Claude, across sales, design, data, meetings and engineering tools |
| Applied AI sessions | Live group webinars every other week, each with an AMA with Anthropic’s Applied AI team |
| Events | Invitations to Claude Startup events, hackathons and community meetups |
Two points are easy to misread. First, the $45,000 figure is the combined value of offers from other companies, not Anthropic API credit. Second, the page does not publish a direct Claude API credit amount for members. Older figures you may see quoted, such as a flat $10,000 or $25,000 grant, are not on Anthropic’s current page.
Where the credits can be spent
Anthropic is explicit that Claude Startups credits apply only to the first-party Claude API through Claude Console. If your product calls Claude through Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI or Microsoft Azure, the credits will not cover that usage.
Who qualifies
- VC partner route: your startup must be backed by a VC in Anthropic’s partner network. Anthropic does not publish the list of partner firms, so your investor is the person to ask.
- Claude Startups: aimed at early-stage founders building on Claude. Anthropic does not publish detailed criteria on the current page (company age, funding stage or revenue), and new applications are paused in any case.
Existing members keep their access. Anthropic confirms the programme continues for the current cohort.
How to apply
If you have a partner VC
- Ask your investor whether they are in Anthropic’s partner network.
- If they are, get the details of their Claude credit offer and claim it through the process they give you.
- Make sure you have a Claude Console account and organization set up, since the credits apply to the first-party API there.
If you do not
- Go to the Claude for Startups page.
- Subscribe to the Claude Startup newsletter with your name, email and company name.
- Apply when Anthropic announces that the next cohort is open.
Anthropic does not publish a date for the next intake.
Things to check before you apply
- Check how you call Claude. Teams running on Bedrock or Vertex AI should plan a Console integration if they want the credits to apply, or look at those clouds’ own startup programmes instead.
- Expiry is not published. The official page gives no validity period for the credits. Ask when you receive them and plan usage around the answer.
- Rejected applicants were emailed. If you applied before the cohort closed and your application was still in review, Anthropic says it did not move forward and contacted those affected. You can apply again when the next cohort opens.
- Treat older numbers with care. Many third-party lists still describe fixed self-serve tiers. Anthropic’s own page now gives only the up to $100K VC figure and the up to $45,000 partner stack.
How it compares
With the direct programme paused, Anthropic’s startup offer currently looks a lot like OpenAI’s: credits flow through partner investors and the amount depends on the firm. The ceiling Anthropic publishes, up to $100K, is a useful benchmark when you ask your VC what they can arrange.
