Claude for Startups: benefits, eligibility, is it open?

Quick answer: no, the Claude Startups program isn't open right now. Anthropic expanded it on 6 October 2026, but an update on 13 October says: "Our current cohort is now full, and we're not accepting new applications right now." When applications reopen, the program is for startups founded in the last five years or funded in the last two. Members get a free year of Claude Team with up to five Premium seats (for companies new to Team), a one-time $1,000 API credit, partner offers and sessions with Anthropic's Applied AI team.

Key facts

• Status on 18 October 2026: closed. The 13 October update and the program page both say the current cohort is full.
• Who can apply when it reopens: startups founded in the last five years, or funded in the last two.
• Claude Team: a free year with up to five Premium seats, for companies new to Team.
• API credit: $1,000, one time, available once you're approved.
• Partner offers: the Claude Startup Stack, which Anthropic values at up to $45,000.
• Anthropic's headline figure: up to $7,000 in Claude products and credits.

Is Claude for Startups open?

No. Anthropic's 6 October announcement now carries an update dated 13 October saying the current cohort is full, and the program page says the same. Anthropic says it couldn't move forward with applications that were still in review and has emailed everyone affected. There's no waitlist: the program page offers a startup newsletter instead, to hear when applications open for the next cohort. Anthropic hasn't said when that will be.

What members get

• A free year of Claude Team with up to five Premium seats, for companies new to Team. A Premium seat normally costs $100 per month billed annually, or $125 billed monthly.
• A one-time $1,000 API credit, available as soon as you're approved.
• The Claude Startup Stack: discounts and credits from partner companies. Anthropic puts the combined maximum at $45,000 at partner list prices as of September 2026. Partners set their own terms, and you may not be able to get or combine every offer.
• Anthropic's Applied AI team: the announcement mentions virtual office hours, and the program page describes live group sessions every other week in a webinar format.
• Events such as Founder House, hackathons and meetups, where space is limited, plus the startup newsletter.
• Founders backed by a VC in Anthropic's partner network may get up to $100K in additional API credits, claimed through their VC, according to the program page.

What the $7,000 figure means

Anthropic's footnote explains it: a year of Claude Team with five Premium seats at $100 per seat per month, billed annually, comes to $6,000, plus the $1,000 API credit. What it's worth to you depends on how many seats, and which type, you actually use. The $45,000 Startup Stack figure is separate: it's the most you could get if you redeemed every partner offer.

The fine print

• Program credits work only on the first-party Claude API through the Claude Console. They can't be used on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure or other third-party platforms.
• Credits are subject to Anthropic's Supplemental Credit Terms.
• The announcement doesn't define "new to Team", so check with Anthropic if your company already has a Team plan.

If you need Claude before it reopens

Without the program, Team costs $20 per Standard seat or $100 per Premium seat per month, billed annually ($25 or $125 monthly), for 2 to 150 seats. Max and Team plans also include monthly Claude API credits: $100 on Max 5x, $200 on Max 20x and up to $500 pooled on Team. Those credits don't cover Claude Code. More in our Claude plans guide and our API credits explainer.