Anthropic announced on October 6, 2026, at the Claude Founder House event in San Francisco, that it is expanding its Claude for Startups program. At the gathering, held during SF Tech Week, the company said eligible startups will be offered discounted access to its AI models plus a set of additional perks. The two headline items in the package are a free year of Claude Team and $1,000 in Claude API credits. Beyond that, the program includes access to Claude Marketplace, meetings with company specialists, and partner offers worth up to $45,000. Applications are already open through the program's official page — the announcement is confirmed on the company's official site as well.

Program background

Claude for Startups is Anthropic's dedicated program for young companies. The October 6 announcement marks its latest expansion: the company has significantly enriched the list of perks offered to startups. The program lets startups use the company's models and services on preferential terms. Applications are open — companies wishing to take part apply through the official page. As a result of the expansion, participants get support across several areas at once: a free subscription, API credits, technical meetings, and partner offers — all within a single program.

The free year: Claude Team

Claude Team is Anthropic's paid plan for teams. Under the expanded program, companies that have not previously used Team will get it free for a year — with up to 5 Premium seats.

Approved startups get a free one-year Claude Team subscription — the company's paid plan for groups; Team includes up to 5 Premium seats for new companies. — Anthropic, claude.com/programs/startups

A free annual subscription lets small teams use a collaboration tool at no extra cost. The five-seat cap signals that the program is aimed precisely at small, early-stage teams. The subscription term is one year; during that period the company uses the plan's features free of charge.

API credits and Marketplace

Program participants will receive $1,000 in API credits for building products with Claude. The credits cover the cost of requests sent to the models through the company's developer interface. The credits are intended specifically for products built with Claude — that is stated in the program's official description. This will help startups reduce early-stage costs when adding AI features to their apps — especially during product testing.

The program also grants access to Claude Marketplace. It is a venue for building plugins: startups can use it to present and distribute their solutions across the Claude ecosystem.

Support and partner offers

On the technical side, virtual office hours will be organized with Anthropic's Applied AI team. The meetings will take place online. The format lets startups talk directly with company specialists and get answers to practical questions about their projects.

The financial perks include partner offers worth up to $45,000 through the Claude Startup Stack. Participants will be able to use partner companies' services on preferential terms.

Perks at a glance

Under the announced expansion, approved startups will receive the following perks:

  • Claude Team — a free one-year subscription to the paid team plan (up to 5 Premium seats in Team for new companies);
  • $1,000 in API credits — for building products on Claude models;
  • Access to Claude Marketplace — the ability to build plugins;
  • Virtual office hours — meetings with Anthropic's Applied AI team;
  • Partner offers up to $45,000 — through the Claude Startup Stack.

This list is based on the terms given on the program's official page.

Who can take part

To participate, a company must meet one of two conditions: it must have been founded within the last five years or have raised funding within the last two years. Applications are accepted through the official page of the Claude for Startups program. The page lists the program's terms and the full set of perks. Companies meeting one of the conditions fill out the application form on that page; approved participants will receive all of the perks listed above.

Announcement details

The update was announced on October 6, 2026, at the Claude Founder House event in San Francisco during SF Tech Week. TechCrunch was first to report it. CNBC also covered the expansion — a second independent source confirming the announcement.