Founder perks, credits & grants

Google · Global · Pre-seed to Series A

Google Cloud's startup program in three tiers: the Start tier gives up to $2,000 in Google Cloud and Firebase credits to startups without institutional funding; the Scale tier covers 100% of usage up to $100,000 in year one and 20% of usage up to a further $100,000 in year two; and an AI-First tier introduced in 2026 offers up to $350,000 in credits plus $12,000 in enhanced-support credits. Credits are typically valid for two years after activation.

Eligibility: Start tier: no institutional funding required. Scale and AI-First tiers: equity-funded startups; the AI-First tier requires a primarily AI-focused product.

Amazon Web Services · Global · Pre-seed to Series A · top tier needs a partner referral

Amazon's startup credit program, in three tiers: the self-serve Founders package gives $1,000 in credits to early-stage, self-funded startups; the Portfolio package gives up to $100,000 to startups backed by an AWS Activate Provider (a partner VC, accelerator, or incubator); and a generative-AI offering extends up to $300,000 in credits for qualifying AI startups, redeemable against services like Bedrock, SageMaker, and GPU instances.

Eligibility: Founders tier: any early-stage startup, self-serve. Portfolio and AI tiers: backing or referral from an AWS Activate Provider (VC, accelerator, or incubator).

Microsoft · Global · Pre-seed to Series A · top tier needs a partner referral

Microsoft restructured its startup program in 2025, retiring the old Founders Hub level system. There are now two paths: an instant self-serve tier that grants $5,000 in Azure credits to any startup on signup, and a premium tier of $100,000–$150,000 for investor-backed companies. Higher tiers unlock through sustained Azure usage or an Investor Network referral code from a partner VC or accelerator.

Eligibility: Self-serve tier: any startup. Premium tier: institutional backing plus a referral from a Microsoft Investor Network partner, or sustained verified Azure usage.

Anthropic · Global · Pre-seed to Series A · top tier needs a partner referral

Anthropic's startup program gives Claude API credits, priority rate limits, and startup support. The standard track offers up to $25,000 in credits via a rolling application; startups backed by one of Anthropic's VC partners can receive up to $100,000. Credits are non-dilutive, valid for about 12 months, and apply across the Claude model family — including usage through Claude Code, so engineering teams building with Claude effectively get their AI development costs covered.

Eligibility: Program membership is open to any early-stage founder building with Claude. Credit packages require institutional equity funding, a company founded within the last four years, and no prior Anthropic startup credits.

OpenAI · Global · Pre-seed to Series A · top tier needs a partner referral

OpenAI does not run a broad self-serve credit program; credits are routed through partners. A Ramp account commonly unlocks about $2,500, and partner VCs and accelerators can grant up to $5,000 in API credits for GPT and o-series models. Credits are non-dilutive and expire after 12 months with no extensions. Accelerators such as Y Combinator negotiate much larger allocations for their batches.

Eligibility: Companies less than five years from incorporation, venture-backed via an OpenAI partner VC or accelerator, or enrolled through Ramp with verified VC funding.

Anthropic · Global · Any

Launched in February 2026, this program gives qualifying open-source maintainers six months of Claude Max (20x) free — about $1,200 of value — with 10,000 total spots. Relevant to founders who maintain significant open-source projects alongside or as part of their company.

Eligibility: Maintainers of qualifying open-source projects; capped at 10,000 participants.

Notion · Global · Pre-seed to Seed

Free access to Notion's paid tiers including Notion AI for a limited period. Most pre-seed startups receive $1,000–$6,000 in credits, with larger packages available depending on funding stage and partner referral.

Eligibility: Early-stage startups; larger credit tiers depend on funding stage and a referral from a partner VC or accelerator.

HubSpot · Global · Pre-seed to Series B · top tier needs a partner referral

Discounted access to HubSpot's CRM and marketing suite on Professional and Enterprise plans. The top deal — 90% off year one, 50% off year two, 25% off year three — requires association with a partner VC, accelerator, or incubator; without a partner the standard startup discount is 30% off year one and 15% in year two. Includes support, educational resources, and the full integration ecosystem.

Eligibility: Startups under funding thresholds that vary by tier; the 90% tier requires a referral from a HubSpot for Startups partner.

Stripe · Global · Pre-incorporation

Stripe's company-formation product: a $500 package that incorporates a Delaware company, and whose membership unlocks a bundle of partner perks — AWS Activate credits, six months of Notion's Business tier, MongoDB Atlas credits, and HubSpot for Startups partner pricing among them. A common first stop for international founders incorporating in the US.

Eligibility: Any founder incorporating a new US company; available worldwide.

U.S. Small Business Administration · United States · Pre-seed to Series A

America's Seed Fund: non-dilutive federal R&D grants awarded by eleven agencies (NSF, NIH, DoD, DOE and others). As of April 2026 agencies can award up to $323,090 for a Phase I feasibility study and up to $2,153,927 for Phase II development without special approval; exact amounts vary by agency. Highly competitive but takes no equity, making it a staple for deep-tech and research-heavy startups.

Eligibility: US-based, majority US-owned small businesses (under 500 employees); the funded work must be performed in the US. STTR additionally requires a research-institution partner.

European Innovation Council · European Union · Seed to Series B

The EU's deep-tech funding instrument: grants of up to €2.5 million combined with equity investment of €1–10 million from the EIC Fund. The 2026 work programme carries an indicative budget of €634 million split between an Open call and thematic Challenges. Aimed at high-risk, high-impact innovation that private investors won't yet fund alone.

Eligibility: Startups and SMEs registered in an EU member state or Horizon Europe associated country.

Innovate UK · United Kingdom · Seed to Series A

Innovate UK's flagship route for high-potential startups after the long-running Smart Grants program was paused in January 2025. Growth Catalyst packages grant funding with aligned private investment and business support, with a reported commitment of up to £130 million for 2025–26. Innovate UK also runs sector-specific competitions on a rolling basis.

Eligibility: UK-registered businesses; specific competitions carry their own sector and stage criteria.

Techstars · Global (programs in many cities) · Pre-seed

Techstars' standard offer, raised from $120,000 in 2025: $220,000 per company, structured as $20,000 via a post-money convertible equity agreement plus $200,000 on an uncapped MFN SAFE, for 5% in common stock plus the SAFE's future conversion. Companies get the three-month mentorship-driven program, partner perks (cloud and SaaS credits), and the Techstars investor and alumni network.

Eligibility: Admission to one of Techstars' accelerator programs.

Y Combinator · Global (program in San Francisco) · Pre-seed

Every accepted company gets the same non-negotiable deal: $125,000 for 7% on a post-money SAFE, plus $375,000 on an uncapped SAFE with an MFN clause that converts at your next round's best terms. On top of the cash, YC companies stack partner credits that in 2026 exceed the investment itself — Anthropic offers YC startups $500,000 in Claude credits, AWS extends up to $500,000 for AI startups, and dozens of other partners (Google Cloud, Azure, OpenAI, SaaS vendors) add credits and discounts worth well over $1 million combined.

Eligibility: Admission to a YC batch (roughly 1% acceptance rate).