Claude Is Giving Startups a Free Year of Claude Team + $1,000 in API Credits (How to Apply)

Anthropic just expanded its Claude for Startups program. Approved founders get $1,000 in Claude API credits, a free year of Claude Team, and up to $45K in offer value from participating Anthropic partners. I applied, and the form took about three minutes. Here’s what you need to know. claude

What you get

Free Claude Team for a year: up to five Premium seats, but only for organisations that are new to Team. madrobot
$1,000 in API credits: a one-time grant, claimed through the Startups page in Claude Console after acceptance. klyne
Partner perks worth up to $45K: discounts from other companies, like ElevenLabs and Gamma. These come from the partners, not Anthropic.
Office hours with Anthropic’s Applied AI team.

Who can apply

You qualify if your company was founded within the last five years or received funding within the last two years. You only need to meet one. Bootstrapped, pre-seed, and venture-backed companies can all apply. No investors? You can still apply. qz qz

How to apply in 7 steps

Get an email on your company domain, not a personal Gmail. If your domain host offers free email forwarding, forward it to your inbox.
Go to claude.com/programs/startups and click Apply now.
Sign in with your company email. Anthropic sends a magic link, so check spam if it doesn’t show up.
Create your Console account and choose Organization, not Individual. Skip the prompts to buy credits or invite teammates.
Fill in your company name, job title, website, country, industry, and founding date. If you haven’t raised money, pick “not yet raised”.
Answer the two text boxes with specifics about what you’re building with Claude. Generic answers get generic results.
Accept the terms and submit.

Watch your email and your Startups page in Console for the decision, since the email isn’t guaranteed to arrive.

Read this before you claim the credits

They expire. API credits expire six months after they are issued. qz
They only work on Anthropic’s own API. They can’t be used on AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, or other third-party platforms. qz
They aren’t cash. The credits have no cash value and can’t be transferred to another account. klyne
Existing customers miss out on the Team year. It doesn’t apply to companies already paying for Team. madrobot

Common questions

Is Claude for Startups really free?
Yes. The Team year and the API credits are free for approved companies. Partner offers have their own terms.

Do I need investors to apply?
No. A bootstrapped company founded in the last five years can apply.

Is the free year Claude Pro or Max?
Neither. It’s Claude Team, with up to five Premium seats.

Do I need a company email?
Yes. Use an address on your company domain, not a personal Gmail.

Can I use the credits on AWS Bedrock or Google Vertex AI?
No. They only work on Anthropic’s own API through Claude Console.

What happens when the credits expire?
They’re gone after six months, so plan what you’ll build before you claim them.

How long does approval take?
In my application, Anthropic said to allow up to 72 hours. Check the official page for the current timing.

Can I apply as a solo founder or freelancer?
You can apply if you have a real company that meets the age or funding rule. Anthropic decides who is accepted.

Sources

Program terms can change. Always check the official page before you apply.