OpenAI for Startups is the company’s support programme for early-stage founders. The free API credits are tied to its venture capital partner network: if one of OpenAI’s partner VCs backs you, you can apply for credits with a referral code from that firm. We checked the official startup page and OpenAI’s credit terms on 1 November 2026.
What you get
OpenAI lists the following benefits for startups that come through a partner VC. Your firm and your application decide which ones you actually receive.
| Benefit | What OpenAI says |
|---|---|
| Free API credits | Available through partner VCs. No public dollar amount. |
| Rate limit upgrades | May be offered to eligible startups |
| Technical time | Sessions with solutions engineers and other technical staff |
| Events | Invitations to founder events and a direct contact on the Startup team |
The credits go into your OpenAI API organization, and you can track usage from the platform dashboard. When they are used up, your account moves to standard billing on its own, so there is no outage, but you start paying list prices.
How long the credits last
OpenAI’s service credit terms apply to free promotional credits as well as prepaid ones. Unused credits expire one year after the date they were issued, unless OpenAI stated a different term when it granted them. Credits are tied to the service they were issued for, cannot be moved to another account, and have no cash value.
What everyone else can use
Founders without a partner VC are not shut out of the programme entirely. OpenAI runs free Build Hours (live technical sessions), publishes starter code repos and cookbooks, sends a monthly Startup Drop newsletter and hosts builder events in several cities. It also mentions giving out credits at events such as hackathons, where it asks for your organization ID. None of this is a guaranteed credit grant.
Who qualifies
The credit route is for startups whose investor sits in OpenAI’s partner network. OpenAI names Thrive Capital, Sequoia, a16z, Kleiner Perkins and Conviction Partners as examples, but it does not publish a full list. Its advice is simple: ask your VC whether they are a partner, because partner firms know how to get their portfolio companies in.
OpenAI does not publish other formal limits on its startup page, such as company age, revenue or funding stage. Expect the partner firm to apply its own portfolio rules.
How to apply
- Create an OpenAI platform account for the company if you do not have one. You can sign up with Google, Microsoft or an email address.
- Find your organization ID. Log in to the platform, open the settings cog or your organization name, go to Organization settings, and copy the ID from the General tab.
- Get a referral code from your VC. Each partner firm hands out a unique code to its portfolio.
- Fill in the credit application with the details OpenAI asks for:
- the VC referral code
- a description of your product and how you plan to use the API
- company name and key team contacts, including a valid business email
- basic funding details
- Wait for the credits to appear in your organization, then track the balance in the usage dashboard.
OpenAI says no pitch deck is needed. It does not publish a review time.
Things to check before you apply
- Ask your VC first. Without a partner referral code there is no self-serve credit application on the official page. Any “self-serve tier” you see quoted elsewhere is not something OpenAI currently describes.
- Use the right organization ID. Credits land in the organization you name. If you have personal and company accounts, apply with the company one.
- Plan for the one-year expiry. Credits you have not used after a year are gone, unless your grant letter says otherwise. Do not apply long before you are ready to build.
- Watch the switch to paid billing. Once the balance hits zero, standard charges start automatically. Set usage limits in the dashboard if you want a hard stop.
- Data handling. Zero Data Retention can be requested on paid plans, which matters if you work with regulated data. It may limit some features.
How it compares
Several other AI providers run open applications where any early-stage team can apply directly. OpenAI’s model is narrower: the investor acts as the gatekeeper and the amount is not public. If you are pre-funding, the free resources and event credits are your realistic options until you close a round with a partner firm.
