Claude Startups Program: 1 Year of Free Claude Team and API Credits for Startups
Anthropic has opened its startup program to more founders. We walk through who can apply, what you get and how to apply, step by step.
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The Claude Startups program is Anthropic's support program for startups building products on Claude. Expanded on October 6, 2026, it is open to companies founded in the last five years or funded in the last two. Accepted startups get one year of free Claude Team, $1,000 in API credits, partner discounts and the chance to meet with the Anthropic team.
In short:
- One year of free Claude Team: up to five Premium seats for companies new to Team.
- A one-time $1,000 Claude API credit, valid for six months after acceptance.
- Up to $45,000 in discounts and credits from partner companies through the Claude Startup Stack.
- You don't need funding to apply; bootstrapped startups are eligible too.
What does the Claude Startups program include?
According to Anthropic's announcement, the program started earlier this year with a narrower group and has now been opened to more founders. Anthropic says it offers members up to $7,000 in value in Claude products and credits. That figure is the one-year cost of five Premium seats ($6,000) plus the $1,000 API credit.
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Claude Team | 1 year free, up to 5 Premium seats (for companies new to Team) |
| API credit | $1,000, claimed from the Console after acceptance, valid for 6 months |
| Claude Startup Stack | Up to $45,000 in discounts and credits from partners |
| Applied AI office hours | Live 45-minute sessions every two weeks |
| Community | Founder House, hackathons, meetups and a startup newsletter |
| Claude Marketplace | One-on-one help listing a connector or plugin |
According to the FAQ on the program page, there is one more perk that comes with the credit: members who receive credits from the program automatically get higher API rate limits. Startups that have raised funding from a venture capital fund in the partner network can also receive up to $100,000 in additional API credits through their funds.
What is the Claude Startup Stack?
The Claude Startup Stack is a bundle of discounts and credits that companies building on Claude offer to startups. The offers belong to the partner companies, not Anthropic, and each is subject to its own terms. Some examples from the program page:
| Partner | Offer |
|---|---|
| ClickHouse | $5,000 in ClickHouse Cloud credits |
| ElevenLabs | 12 months free and 33 million characters |
| Hex | 6 months free on the Enterprise plan |
| Granola | 3 months of Business free, up to 10 seats |
| Gamma | 25% off the first year of a Gamma Pro annual plan |
| Firecrawl | 2.5 times the plan's monthly credits for a year |
According to Anthropic's footnote, the $45,000 total is the maximum value of all offers at September 2026 list prices. A company may not be able to receive or combine every offer. Offers are redeemed with a code through the Claude Console.
Who can apply?
To apply to the Claude Startups program, it is enough to meet one of two conditions: the company was founded in the last five years, or it received funding in the last two. The program is open to bootstrapped, pre-seed and funded startups alike.
The free Team year applies only to organizations that haven't used Claude Team before. If you're already on the Team plan, you can still get the API credit and the other benefits, but not the free year. The program's official page doesn't list supported countries separately; applicants must comply with Anthropic's supported regions policy. Türkiye is among the countries where Claude is available.
How do you apply?
Applications are made through the Claude Console and follow these steps:
- Create a Claude Console account or sign in with your existing one.
- Use a company email address that matches your company website's domain.
- Fill out the application form and briefly describe what you're building.
- Wait for the decision email. Most applications are decided within minutes; those that go to manual review take 2–3 business days.
- Once accepted, claim the API credit and the Team offer from the Claude Startups page in the Console.
Keep in mind that the API credit expires after six months. That's why having your first prototype and an evaluation (eval) plan ready before acceptance helps you avoid wasting the credit.
What does it mean for Turkish startups?
For an early-stage startup, the cost of AI infrastructure can strain the budget before the product has found a single customer. Claude Startups makes it possible for a five-person team to get through this period for a year with no tooling costs. Also keep in mind that the credit only applies to Anthropic's own API and can't be used through Bedrock or Vertex AI.
If you're still designing your product, narrowing the scope first will make your work easier. We explained how to do that in our MVP guide. For founders with a Max or Team subscription, the monthly Claude API credit can also be added to the development budget.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to have raised funding for Claude Startups?
No. Being founded within the last five years is enough. Funding is a requirement only for startups that qualify through the funding route, meaning those funded in the last two years.
Can the API credit be used on Amazon Bedrock or Google Vertex AI?
No. Claude Startups credits apply only to the first-party Claude API used through the Claude Console.
I was accepted into the program earlier. Do I need to apply again?
No. Existing members can claim the new offers directly from the Console.
How do office hours work?
They are live 45-minute sessions with Anthropic's Applied AI team, held every two weeks. The registration link is shared in the acceptance email and on the Claude Startups portal.
Conclusion
Claude Startups is currently one of the most comprehensive official support packages for early-stage startups building on Claude. If you meet the requirements, applying takes only a few minutes. At EngerekTech, we help startups turn their MVPs into AI-powered products and offer technical partnership at every step of the process.
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