{
 "verified": "2026-10-07",
 "providers": 34,
 "scorecard": [
  {
   "id": "access",
   "max": 25,
   "means": "Can a typical early founder actually get it? Full marks: open to bootstrapped founders with simple rules. Low: needs a partner VC or a selective cohort."
  },
  {
   "id": "value",
   "max": 20,
   "means": "Realistic value in year one for someone who qualifies: what you start with, not the 'up to' ceiling."
  },
  {
   "id": "tech",
   "max": 15,
   "means": "Real technical help: engineers, office hours, support you can talk to."
  },
  {
   "id": "edu",
   "max": 10,
   "means": "Teaching: courses, academies, cookbooks you can use."
  },
  {
   "id": "fit",
   "max": 10,
   "means": "Fit for an AI startup stack: are the credits usable on what you need, and how much lock-in comes with them?"
  },
  {
   "id": "launch",
   "max": 10,
   "means": "Help to launch and scale: go-to-market, marketplace, partner offers, community, events."
  },
  {
   "id": "terms",
   "max": 10,
   "means": "Clear, published terms: amounts, expiry, rules you can read before you apply. Low when amounts aren't published or pages disagree."
  }
 ],
 "slots": [
  {
   "id": "model",
   "label": "AI model (API)",
   "why": "The brain of your product: Claude, GPT, Gemini, Mistral, Llama or another model you call.",
   "default": true
  },
  {
   "id": "inference",
   "label": "Open-model hosting",
   "why": "Run open models (Llama, Qwen, DeepSeek, Mistral) on someone else's GPUs.",
   "default": false
  },
  {
   "id": "coding_agent",
   "label": "Coding agent",
   "why": "An AI that writes and fixes code with you: Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Cursor.",
   "default": true
  },
  {
   "id": "app_builder",
   "label": "AI app builder (no code)",
   "why": "Describe an app and get a working one: useful for non-technical founders.",
   "default": false
  },
  {
   "id": "cloud",
   "label": "Cloud and compute",
   "why": "Servers, storage, GPUs: where your product runs.",
   "default": true
  },
  {
   "id": "database",
   "label": "Database",
   "why": "Where your customers' data lives.",
   "default": true
  },
  {
   "id": "vector_db",
   "label": "Vector database (search)",
   "why": "Lets your AI search your own documents.",
   "default": false
  },
  {
   "id": "deployment",
   "label": "Website and app hosting",
   "why": "Puts your web app on the internet.",
   "default": true
  },
  {
   "id": "voice",
   "label": "Voice",
   "why": "Text to speech and voice agents.",
   "default": false
  },
  {
   "id": "observability",
   "label": "AI monitoring and evaluation",
   "why": "See what your AI said, what it cost, and whether it was right.",
   "default": false
  },
  {
   "id": "research",
   "label": "Search and research API",
   "why": "Live web answers inside your product.",
   "default": false
  },
  {
   "id": "workspace",
   "label": "Team tools (email, docs, AI seats)",
   "why": "Email on your domain, documents, and AI chat seats for the team.",
   "default": true
  }
 ],
 "programs": [
  {
   "id": "anthropic",
   "provider": "Anthropic",
   "name": "Claude for Startups",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Closed to new applicants: the current cohort is full and Anthropic isn't accepting new applications right now (claude.com, 2026-10-14). Members get offers worth up to $45,000 from companies building with Claude (the Claude Startup Stack), live group sessions with Anthropic's Applied AI team every other week, and Claude Startup events and hackathons. Startups backed by a VC in Anthropic's partner network may get up to $100K in API credits through that VC. Credits work only on Anthropic's own API (Claude Console), not on AWS, Google Cloud or Azure.",
   "url": "https://claude.com/programs/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://claude.com/programs/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model",
    "workspace"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "software",
    "build_help",
    "teaching"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "open_now": false
   },
   "unlock": "watch for the next cohort: subscribe to the Claude Startup newsletter on the program page",
   "watch": "closed to new applicants until the next cohort; credits only work on the Claude API itself (not AWS, Google Cloud or Azure)",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 4,
    "value": 10,
    "tech": 10,
    "edu": 9,
    "fit": 6,
    "launch": 6,
    "terms": 5
   },
   "start": "Nothing for new founders until the next cohort opens",
   "ceiling": "Members: up to $45K of partner offers; partner-VC startups: up to $100K in API credits through the VC",
   "expires": "Not stated on the page (2026-10-14)",
   "misunderstood": "On 2026-10-07 the page listed $1,000 of API credits and a free year of Claude Team; on 2026-10-14 it says the cohort is full and lists no fixed credit for new members. Many websites still quote the old offer.",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-14",
   "sources": [
    "https://claude.com/programs/startups"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 50,
   "score_why": "Closed to new applicants (cohort full, 2026-10-14); members get partner offers and group sessions, and credits only work on Anthropic's own API."
  },
  {
   "id": "openai",
   "provider": "OpenAI",
   "name": "OpenAI for Startups",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Free API credits, rate-limit upgrades and time with OpenAI solutions engineers, through a partner VC. The amount isn't published. Build Hours, starter repos and events are open to every founder.",
   "url": "https://openai.com/startups/",
   "apply_url": "https://openai.com/startups/",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "build_help",
    "teaching"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "required",
    "vc_text": "Credits come through partner VCs (OpenAI names Thrive Capital, Sequoia, a16z, Kleiner Perkins and Conviction Partners): 'reach out to your VC'.",
    "partner_only": true,
    "partner_text": "Only through OpenAI's partner VCs (it names Thrive Capital, Sequoia, a16z, Kleiner Perkins and Conviction Partners). If yours isn't one, this isn't open to you yet."
   },
   "unlock": "raise from one of OpenAI's partner VCs (Thrive, Sequoia, a16z, Kleiner Perkins, Conviction)",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 6,
    "value": 8,
    "tech": 9,
    "edu": 9,
    "fit": 7,
    "launch": 6,
    "terms": 4
   },
   "start": "Learning resources for everyone",
   "ceiling": "Credits for partner-VC portfolio companies (amount not published)",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "There's no public form for founders to get OpenAI credits on their own. Brex customers can get $1,000 of OpenAI credits through Brex (see Brex).",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://openai.com/startups/",
    "https://openai.com/business/why-openai/startups/"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 49,
   "score_why": "Excellent free learning resources; credits only through five named partner VCs and the amount isn't published."
  },
  {
   "id": "google-start",
   "provider": "Google",
   "name": "Google for Startups Cloud Program: Start tier",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "For pre-funded startups with a working first version that plan to raise venture funding soon: $2,000 in Google Cloud credits (valid 12 months), 12 months of Google Workspace Business Plus, $200 of Google Skills credits. Credits cover Google's own models (Gemini, Gemma), not third-party models.",
   "url": "https://cloud.google.com/startup/pre-funded",
   "apply_url": "https://cloud.google.com/startup/apply",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model",
    "cloud",
    "database",
    "workspace",
    "deployment"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "software",
    "teaching"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "no",
    "institutional_funding_max": "none",
    "funding_text": "The Start tier is for pre-funded startups. With investor funding, apply to the Scale / AI tier instead.",
    "max_age_years": 2,
    "min_stage": "prototype",
    "stage_text": "Needs a working MVP (a first version that works).",
    "company_email": true,
    "website": true,
    "not_agency": true
   },
   "unlock": "build a working first version (MVP); the company must be under 2 years old",
   "watch": "'Traditional small businesses' and agencies are excluded; your email domain must match your website",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 18,
    "value": 13,
    "tech": 6,
    "edu": 9,
    "fit": 8,
    "launch": 6,
    "terms": 9
   },
   "start": "$2,000 credits + Workspace for 12 months",
   "ceiling": "Move to the Scale tier after a VC round",
   "expires": "12 months",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://cloud.google.com/startup/pre-funded",
    "https://cloud.google.com/startup/faq"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 69,
   "score_why": "Easy to reach for pre-funded startups with an MVP; $2,000 + Workspace is solid; little hands-on technical help published."
  },
  {
   "id": "google-ai",
   "provider": "Google",
   "name": "Google for Startups Cloud Program: Scale / AI tier",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Up to $350,000 over two years for AI-first startups (year 1: 100% of usage up to $250,000; year 2: 20% up to $100,000 more), Google Cloud experts, webinars with AI product teams. Your product must be built on Gemini or Gemini Enterprise, and a Series A must be from the last 12 months.",
   "url": "https://cloud.google.com/startup/ai",
   "apply_url": "https://cloud.google.com/startup/apply",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model",
    "cloud",
    "database",
    "deployment"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "build_help",
    "scale"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "required",
    "vc_text": "Needs institutional equity funding (SAFEs count). Angel, friends-and-family, grants and crowdfunding don't qualify.",
    "max_age_years": 5
   },
   "unlock": "raise a pre-seed or seed round from an institutional investor",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": false,
   "criteria_note": "only if your product is built on Gemini (or Gemini Enterprise), with pre-seed/seed raised in the last five years or a Series A in the last 12 months",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 5,
    "value": 20,
    "tech": 12,
    "edu": 9,
    "fit": 8,
    "launch": 7,
    "terms": 8
   },
   "start": "Year 1: 100% of usage up to $250K",
   "ceiling": "Up to $350K over 2 years",
   "expires": "2 years (year 2 covers only 20%)",
   "misunderstood": "'$350K' is spread over two years, and year 2 pays only 20% of your bill.",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://cloud.google.com/startup/ai",
    "https://cloud.google.com/startup/faq"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 69,
   "score_why": "The largest published credit line, but only for institutionally funded startups building on Gemini."
  },
  {
   "id": "google-accel",
   "provider": "Google",
   "name": "Google for Startups Accelerator (AI-focused cohorts)",
   "kind": "accelerator",
   "benefit": "Equity-free accelerator: mentoring from Google and industry experts, free Cloud TPU access for eligible startups, early access to Google AI products; cloud credits on review.",
   "url": "https://startup.google.com/programs/accelerator/",
   "apply_url": "https://startup.google.com/programs/accelerator/",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "cloud"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "build_help",
    "launch",
    "scale",
    "community"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "min_stage": "launched",
    "stage_text": "Wants traction, 'ideally between Seed and Series A'."
   },
   "unlock": "get traction (customers or usage) and watch for your region's next cohort",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": false,
   "criteria_note": "cohorts are regional and selective; open cohorts change through the year",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 5,
    "value": 12,
    "tech": 14,
    "edu": 7,
    "fit": 6,
    "launch": 10,
    "terms": 5
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://startup.google.com/programs/accelerator/"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 59,
   "score_why": "Excellent mentoring and launch help; selective and needs traction."
  },
  {
   "id": "gemini-free",
   "provider": "Google",
   "name": "Gemini API free tier (Google AI Studio)",
   "kind": "free_tier",
   "benefit": "Free input and output tokens on most current Gemini Flash models, with rate limits; no application. Free-tier prompts may be used to improve Google's products.",
   "url": "https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing",
   "apply_url": "https://aistudio.google.com/",
   "application": false,
   "stack": [
    "model"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits"
   ],
   "gates": {},
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "don't send customer data on the free tier: free-tier data may be used to improve Google's products",
   "open_text": "Open to anyone with a Google account: no application.",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 25,
    "value": 8,
    "tech": 3,
    "edu": 8,
    "fit": 7,
    "launch": 3,
    "terms": 6
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing"
   ],
   "data_warning": "Free-tier prompts may be used to improve Google's products: test with made-up data, never customer or patient data.",
   "score": 60,
   "score_why": "Open to anyone today; small value, rate limits, and free-tier data may be used by Google."
  },
  {
   "id": "mistral-free",
   "provider": "Mistral AI",
   "name": "Mistral free plan ($10/month API credits)",
   "kind": "free_tier",
   "benefit": "Mistral has no verified startup program; its free plan includes $10 a month in API credits, with docs and cookbooks.",
   "url": "https://mistral.ai/pricing",
   "apply_url": "https://mistral.ai/pricing",
   "application": false,
   "stack": [
    "model"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "teaching"
   ],
   "gates": {},
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "A free plan anyone can sign up for.",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 25,
    "value": 4,
    "tech": 2,
    "edu": 6,
    "fit": 6,
    "launch": 2,
    "terms": 7
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "Sites advertising a Mistral startup program 'up to €30,000' point to pages that return 404 today.",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://mistral.ai/pricing"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 52,
   "score_why": "Open to anyone, but $10 a month is a taste, not a program."
  },
  {
   "id": "microsoft",
   "provider": "Microsoft",
   "name": "Microsoft for Startups (no investor code)",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "$200 in Azure credits as soon as you sign up, then expanded credits and the Microsoft for Startups benefits once approved. Microsoft's pages say startups can unlock 'up to $150K' over time, but also tie the $150K tier to investor codes, so don't count on it without one. Azure credits can pay for Azure's own AI models in Foundry and, once linked, GitHub Copilot.",
   "url": "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model",
    "cloud",
    "database",
    "deployment",
    "coding_agent",
    "workspace"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "software",
    "teaching",
    "scale"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "no",
    "b2b": true,
    "incorporated": true,
    "max_funding_stage": "seriesA",
    "personal_account": true
   },
   "unlock": "register the company (the name must match your legal documents); the program is for startups that sell to businesses",
   "watch": "sign up with a PERSONAL Microsoft account; company-domain emails aren't accepted (the opposite of Google and Anthropic)",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 20,
    "value": 10,
    "tech": 9,
    "edu": 10,
    "fit": 9,
    "launch": 7,
    "terms": 6
   },
   "start": "$200 at sign-up",
   "ceiling": "Up to $150K over time (unclear without an investor code)",
   "expires": "Activate within 90 days; credits last up to 2 years",
   "misunderstood": "Microsoft's own pages disagree: the application guide (updated 2026-09-11) shows $200 at sign-up; an older FAQ (2026-05-21) says $1,000 then $4,000. Expect the lower number.",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/startups/microsoft-for-startups/application",
    "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/startups/microsoft-for-startups/mfs-faqs"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 71,
   "score_why": "No investor needed and the widest software bundle, but B2B-only, $200 to start, and Microsoft's own pages disagree on the amounts."
  },
  {
   "id": "microsoft-investor",
   "provider": "Microsoft",
   "name": "Microsoft for Startups: investor offer",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Azure credits ('most startups begin with $100,000'), Azure Standard Support, technical experts, go-to-market support, and offers on GitHub Enterprise, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, LinkedIn Premium Business, Visual Studio Enterprise.",
   "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/startups/microsoft-for-startups/mfs-faqs",
   "apply_url": "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model",
    "cloud",
    "database",
    "deployment",
    "coding_agent",
    "workspace"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "software",
    "build_help",
    "launch",
    "scale"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "required",
    "vc_text": "Needs a 10-character referral code from an investor, accelerator, incubator, angel network or university in Microsoft's Investor Network.",
    "b2b": true,
    "incorporated": true,
    "partner_only": true,
    "partner_text": "Needs a referral code from an organisation in Microsoft's Investor Network, and Microsoft doesn't publish the list. Ask your investor, accelerator or university for its code."
   },
   "unlock": "join an accelerator, incubator, angel network or university program that's in Microsoft's Investor Network, and ask it for a referral code",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 10,
    "value": 19,
    "tech": 12,
    "edu": 10,
    "fit": 9,
    "launch": 8,
    "terms": 9
   },
   "start": "Most start with $100K",
   "ceiling": "Up to $150K",
   "expires": "Activate within 90 days; up to 2 years",
   "misunderstood": "The 'investor' code can come from an accelerator, incubator or university, not only a VC. Microsoft doesn't publish the list of partners.",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/startups/microsoft-for-startups/mfs-faqs"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 77,
   "score_why": "High value ($100K typical) and support, but access needs a referral code from Microsoft's unpublished Investor Network."
  },
  {
   "id": "aws-founders",
   "provider": "AWS",
   "name": "AWS Activate: Founders tier",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Starts at $1,000 in AWS Activate credits, up to $5,000 over time, for self-funded startups. Credits can pay for third-party models on Amazon Bedrock, including Anthropic's Claude, Meta, Mistral and Cohere.",
   "url": "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/credits",
   "apply_url": "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/credits",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model",
    "cloud",
    "database",
    "deployment",
    "vector_db"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "teaching"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "no",
    "self_funded_only": true,
    "funding_text": "The Founders tier is for self-funded startups (no angel or VC money). With an investor, use the Portfolio tier.",
    "max_age_years": 10,
    "website": true,
    "paid_aws_account": true
   },
   "unlock": "put up a working website (or public profile) for the company",
   "watch": "top rejection reasons (AWS FAQ): a different email than your AWS account, no working website, inconsistent business details",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 21,
    "value": 9,
    "tech": 5,
    "edu": 9,
    "fit": 8,
    "launch": 6,
    "terms": 7
   },
   "start": "$1,000",
   "ceiling": "Up to $5,000",
   "expires": "Usually 1 to 2 years; never covers past bills",
   "misunderstood": "This is the strongest no-VC way to pay for Claude with credits: through Amazon Bedrock.",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/credits",
    "https://startups.aws.com/faq"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 65,
   "score_why": "Built for self-funded founders and pays for many model companies on Bedrock; small amounts and no published support."
  },
  {
   "id": "aws-portfolio",
   "provider": "AWS",
   "name": "AWS Activate: Portfolio tier",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Up to $200,000 in AWS Activate credits for startups backed by an Activate Provider (a VC, accelerator or angel group); invite-only '$200,000+' for some AI startups.",
   "url": "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/credits",
   "apply_url": "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/credits",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model",
    "cloud",
    "database",
    "deployment",
    "vector_db"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "scale"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "required",
    "vc_text": "Needs an Organization ID from an Activate Provider: a VC, accelerator or angel investor.",
    "max_age_years": 10,
    "website": true,
    "partner_only": true,
    "partner_text": "Needs an Organization ID from an AWS Activate Provider. Ask your investor or accelerator whether it is one and for its Org ID."
   },
   "unlock": "get backing from an Activate Provider (VC, accelerator or angel group) and ask for its Organization ID",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 8,
    "value": 19,
    "tech": 6,
    "edu": 9,
    "fit": 8,
    "launch": 7,
    "terms": 7
   },
   "start": "Set by your provider",
   "ceiling": "Up to $200K",
   "expires": "Usually 1 to 2 years",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/credits"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 64,
   "score_why": "Big credits, but behind an Activate Provider's Org ID."
  },
  {
   "id": "aws-genai-accel",
   "provider": "AWS",
   "name": "AWS Generative AI Accelerator",
   "kind": "accelerator",
   "benefit": "A selective cohort program; the 2025 cohort offered up to $1M in AWS credits, mentorship and go-to-market help. The official program page returned 404 on 2026-10-07 and 2026 dates couldn't be verified.",
   "url": "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/learn/aws-generative-ai-accelerator-seeks-the-next-generation-of-global-ai-leaders",
   "apply_url": "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/learn/aws-generative-ai-accelerator-seeks-the-next-generation-of-global-ai-leaders",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "cloud"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "build_help",
    "launch"
   ],
   "gates": {},
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "low",
   "scores": null,
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "unverified",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/learn/aws-generative-ai-accelerator-seeks-the-next-generation-of-global-ai-leaders"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": null,
   "score_why": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "nvidia",
   "provider": "NVIDIA",
   "name": "NVIDIA Inception",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Free, no equity: preferred pricing on NVIDIA hardware and software, cloud credits from NVIDIA and partners (amounts not published), NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute training, and introductions to NVIDIA's VC network.",
   "url": "https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/",
   "apply_url": "https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "cloud",
    "inference"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "software",
    "teaching",
    "launch",
    "community"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "no",
    "incorporated": true,
    "website": true,
    "max_age_years": 10,
    "needs_developer": true,
    "not_agency": true
   },
   "unlock": "register the company, put up a working website and have at least one developer on the team",
   "watch": "consulting firms, crypto companies, resellers and cloud providers can't join; application asks for a pitch deck",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 18,
    "value": 9,
    "tech": 7,
    "edu": 9,
    "fit": 6,
    "launch": 9,
    "terms": 6
   },
   "start": "Membership + discounts + training",
   "ceiling": "Partner cloud credits (not published)",
   "expires": "While the company is under 10 years old",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/",
    "https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/faq/"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 64,
   "score_why": "Free, no equity, easy rules; credit amounts unpublished and mostly useful for GPU-heavy startups."
  },
  {
   "id": "databricks",
   "provider": "Databricks",
   "name": "Databricks Startup Program (with Neon): venture tier",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Up to $200,000 in Databricks and Neon (Postgres database) credits, valid 12 months, with hands-on technical guidance.",
   "url": "https://www.databricks.com/product/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://sites.google.com/databricks.com/startup-program-apply",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "database",
    "cloud"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "build_help"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "required",
    "vc_text": "Needs at least $1M of VC funding, or a place in a recognised accelerator.",
    "min_raised": 1000000,
    "accel_ok": true,
    "raised_text": "Needs at least $1M of VC funding (or a recognised accelerator)."
   },
   "unlock": "raise $1M or more, or join a recognised accelerator",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 5,
    "value": 17,
    "tech": 11,
    "edu": 9,
    "fit": 7,
    "launch": 6,
    "terms": 8
   },
   "start": "Up to $200K",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "12 months",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://www.databricks.com/product/startups",
    "https://neon.com/startups",
    "https://www.databricks.com/blog/announcing-new-databricks-startup-program"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 63,
   "score_why": "Up to $200K with guidance, but needs $1M raised or a recognised accelerator."
  },
  {
   "id": "neon-selffunded",
   "provider": "Databricks",
   "name": "Neon credits for self-funded startups (Databricks Startup Program)",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Up to $1,000 in Neon (serverless Postgres database) credits for self-funded startups, valid 12 months.",
   "url": "https://www.databricks.com/product/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://www.databricks.com/product/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "database"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "no"
   },
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": false,
   "criteria_note": "the self-funded tier's rules aren't spelled out beyond 'self-funded'",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 20,
    "value": 5,
    "tech": 4,
    "edu": 6,
    "fit": 7,
    "launch": 3,
    "terms": 8
   },
   "start": "Up to $1,000",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "12 months",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://neon.com/startups",
    "https://www.databricks.com/product/startups"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 53,
   "score_why": "Open to self-funded founders but small ($1,000 of database credits)."
  },
  {
   "id": "alibaba",
   "provider": "Alibaba Cloud",
   "name": "Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Up to $120K in cloud credits, up to 2 billion free Model Studio tokens (Qwen models), proof-of-concept coupons, 1:1 office hours with AI experts and 12 months of Alibaba Cloud Academy.",
   "url": "https://www.alibabacloud.com/startup",
   "apply_url": "https://www.alibabacloud.com/startup",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model",
    "cloud",
    "inference"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "build_help",
    "teaching"
   ],
   "gates": {},
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": false,
   "criteria_note": "eligibility and expiry rules aren't published on the official page",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 10,
    "value": 17,
    "tech": 11,
    "edu": 8,
    "fit": 7,
    "launch": 5,
    "terms": 3
   },
   "start": "Not published",
   "ceiling": "Up to $120K + 2B tokens",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://www.alibabacloud.com/startup"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 61,
   "score_why": "Large credits and office hours on paper; eligibility and expiry not published."
  },
  {
   "id": "together",
   "provider": "Together AI",
   "name": "Together AI Startup Accelerator",
   "kind": "accelerator",
   "benefit": "Credits by amount raised: up to $15K (raised up to $5M), $30K or $50K, usable on serverless inference, dedicated endpoints, fine-tuning and instant clusters, plus 3, 6 or 10 hours of forward-deployed engineering time.",
   "url": "https://together.ai/startup-accelerator",
   "apply_url": "https://together.ai/startup-accelerator",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "inference",
    "model"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "build_help"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "no",
    "needs_developer": true
   },
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": false,
   "criteria_note": "selection-based: they choose AI-native startups",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 14,
    "value": 15,
    "tech": 12,
    "edu": 5,
    "fit": 8,
    "launch": 5,
    "terms": 7
   },
   "start": "Up to $15K + 3 engineer hours",
   "ceiling": "Up to $50K + 10 hours",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://together.ai/startup-accelerator"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 66,
   "score_why": "Credits plus engineers' hours with no VC rule stated; selective, and for developers."
  },
  {
   "id": "fireworks",
   "provider": "Fireworks AI",
   "name": "Fireworks for Startups",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Credits (amount not published) that expire after one year, direct access to applied AI engineers, hackathons.",
   "url": "https://fireworks.ai/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://fireworks.ai/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "inference"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "build_help"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "required",
    "vc_text": "Venture-backed with more than $500K raised, founded in the last 5 years, registered, with a working website.",
    "max_age_years": 5,
    "incorporated": true,
    "website": true,
    "min_raised": 500001,
    "raised_text": "Needs more than $500K of venture funding."
   },
   "unlock": "raise more than $500K from a venture investor",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 4,
    "value": 8,
    "tech": 12,
    "edu": 6,
    "fit": 8,
    "launch": 6,
    "terms": 5
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "1 year",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://fireworks.ai/startups"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 49,
   "score_why": "Engineers' access, but VC-backed with $500K+ raised and the credit amount unpublished."
  },
  {
   "id": "openrouter",
   "provider": "OpenRouter",
   "name": "OpenRouter for Startups",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Up to $5,000 in inference credits usable across many frontier and open models, and 0% platform fees for up to 12 months.",
   "url": "https://openrouter.ai/startup-program",
   "apply_url": "https://openrouter.ai/startup-program",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model",
    "inference"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "required",
    "vc_text": "Needs a referral from an approved OpenRouter partner, a public website, a company email and under $500 of past OpenRouter spend.",
    "website": true,
    "company_email": true,
    "partner_only": true,
    "partner_text": "Needs a referral from an approved OpenRouter partner. Ask your investor or accelerator whether it is one."
   },
   "unlock": "get a referral from an OpenRouter partner (Google for Startups members see a $1K OpenRouter perk for Google models)",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 7,
    "value": 12,
    "tech": 3,
    "edu": 3,
    "fit": 10,
    "launch": 3,
    "terms": 7
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "Credits: 6 months",
   "misunderstood": "Good against lock-in: one credit balance works across many model companies.",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://openrouter.ai/startup-program"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 45,
   "score_why": "Great against lock-in, but needs a partner referral."
  },
  {
   "id": "pinecone",
   "provider": "Pinecone",
   "name": "Pinecone for Startups",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Pinecone's Standard tier with usage credits and discounts (amount not published), Pro Support and a dedicated Slack channel.",
   "url": "https://www.pinecone.io/startup-program/",
   "apply_url": "https://www.pinecone.io/startup-program/",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "vector_db"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "build_help"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "no",
    "max_funding_stage": "seriesA",
    "max_team": 99
   },
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 21,
    "value": 9,
    "tech": 11,
    "edu": 8,
    "fit": 7,
    "launch": 4,
    "terms": 6
   },
   "start": "Standard tier + credits",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://www.pinecone.io/startup-program/"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 66,
   "score_why": "Open to Series A or earlier with Pro Support; credit amount not published; one slot only (vector search)."
  },
  {
   "id": "elevenlabs",
   "provider": "ElevenLabs",
   "name": "ElevenLabs Grants Program",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "33 million characters for 12 months (over 680 hours of voice Agents usage; 'more than $5,500' in value).",
   "url": "https://elevenlabs.io/startup-grants",
   "apply_url": "https://elevenlabs.io/startup-grants",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "voice"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "no",
    "max_team": 24,
    "company_email": true,
    "not_agency": true
   },
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "needs a business email and a plan to make money; agencies and consulting firms are excluded",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 20,
    "value": 13,
    "tech": 4,
    "edu": 4,
    "fit": 7,
    "launch": 4,
    "terms": 9
   },
   "start": "33M characters for 12 months",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "12 months, then the free plan",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://elevenlabs.io/startup-grants"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 61,
   "score_why": "No funding needed, clear terms, generous voice usage; one slot only."
  },
  {
   "id": "modal",
   "provider": "Modal",
   "name": "Modal for Startups",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "GPU credits ('thousands', amount not published) and direct access to Modal's engineering team, with launch and fundraising amplification.",
   "url": "https://modal.com/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://modal.com/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "cloud",
    "inference"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "build_help",
    "launch"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "required",
    "vc_text": "VC funding from Modal's partner network, or more than $1M from any fund.",
    "partner_only": true,
    "partner_or_raised": 1000000,
    "partner_text": "Open if your VC is in Modal's partner network (ask them), or once you've raised more than $1M from any fund."
   },
   "unlock": "raise from a VC (any amount from a Modal partner, or $1M+ from any fund)",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 4,
    "value": 10,
    "tech": 12,
    "edu": 4,
    "fit": 7,
    "launch": 8,
    "terms": 6
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://modal.com/startups"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 51,
   "score_why": "Engineers' help and GPU credits for VC-backed teams only."
  },
  {
   "id": "langsmith",
   "provider": "LangChain",
   "name": "LangSmith for Startups",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Build tier: discounted seats. Scale tier: $10K of LangSmith credits for a year (two for Y Combinator companies). LangChain Academy courses are free for everyone.",
   "url": "https://www.langchain.com/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://www.langchain.com/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "observability"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "teaching"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "required",
    "vc_text": "Both tiers need VC backing (Build: at least $25K seed and under $10M; Scale: a premier VC partner).",
    "min_raised": 25000,
    "max_raised": 10000000
   },
   "unlock": "raise a seed round from a VC",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 5,
    "value": 12,
    "tech": 6,
    "edu": 9,
    "fit": 7,
    "launch": 4,
    "terms": 8
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "Perk websites say 'no VC needed'; LangChain's own page says both tiers are for VC-backed startups.",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://www.langchain.com/startups"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 51,
   "score_why": "Free Academy for everyone; credits for VC-backed teams only."
  },
  {
   "id": "wandb",
   "provider": "Weights & Biases",
   "name": "W&B Pro 50% off (Microsoft for Startups offer)",
   "kind": "partner_offer",
   "benefit": "50% off the W&B Pro plan for one year ('valued at $3,000'), for new customers, through Microsoft for Startups.",
   "url": "https://wandb.ai/site/partners/azure/microsoft-for-startups/",
   "apply_url": "https://wandb.ai/site/partners/azure/microsoft-for-startups/",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "observability"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "software"
   ],
   "gates": {},
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": false,
   "criteria_note": "likely needs Microsoft for Startups membership (not stated on the page)",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 14,
    "value": 8,
    "tech": 3,
    "edu": 3,
    "fit": 6,
    "launch": 3,
    "terms": 7
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://wandb.ai/site/partners/azure/microsoft-for-startups/"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 44,
   "score_why": "50% off for a year; the route through Microsoft for Startups isn't spelled out."
  },
  {
   "id": "vercel",
   "provider": "Vercel",
   "name": "Vercel for Startups",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Up to $30,000 of 'Flexible Commitment Amount' on Vercel, Enterprise-tier access and startup-focused support. Vercel Academy has free courses (v0, AI SDK).",
   "url": "https://vercel.com/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://vercel.com/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "deployment",
    "app_builder"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "software",
    "teaching"
   ],
   "gates": {},
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": false,
   "criteria_note": "the page says 'eligible teams' without listing the rules",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 10,
    "value": 15,
    "tech": 10,
    "edu": 9,
    "fit": 8,
    "launch": 6,
    "terms": 4
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://vercel.com/startups"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 62,
   "score_why": "Up to $30K and free courses; eligibility rules not published."
  },
  {
   "id": "vercel-accel",
   "provider": "Vercel",
   "name": "Vercel AI Accelerator",
   "kind": "accelerator",
   "benefit": "A cohort for early-stage AI founders: in 2026 every team got over $200K of credits across Vercel and the AI stack. The 2026 cohort has finished; the next one isn't announced.",
   "url": "https://vercel.com/blog/2026-vercel-ai-accelerator-recap",
   "apply_url": "https://vercel.com/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "deployment"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "launch",
    "community"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "open_now": false
   },
   "unlock": "watch for the next cohort announcement",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 4,
    "value": 18,
    "tech": 12,
    "edu": 8,
    "fit": 8,
    "launch": 10,
    "terms": 4
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://vercel.com/blog/2026-vercel-ai-accelerator-recap"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 64,
   "score_why": "Large credits and a cohort, but closed until the next one is announced."
  },
  {
   "id": "replit",
   "provider": "Replit",
   "name": "Replit Startup Program",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "The official page says 'Up to $25K in Credits'. Who qualifies isn't on the page; perk sites say you need backing from a fund in Replit's partner network.",
   "url": "https://replit.com/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://replit.com/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "app_builder",
    "coding_agent",
    "deployment"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits"
   ],
   "gates": {},
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "low",
   "scores": null,
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "unverified",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://replit.com/startups"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": null,
   "score_why": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "perplexity",
   "provider": "Perplexity",
   "name": "Perplexity for Startups",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "Reported (2025 coverage only) as $5,000 in Sonar API credits and six months of Enterprise Pro for startups linked to a partner. Perplexity's pages blocked our check on 2026-10-07.",
   "url": "https://www.perplexity.ai/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://www.perplexity.ai/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "research"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits"
   ],
   "gates": {},
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "low",
   "scores": null,
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "unverified",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://www.perplexity.ai/startups"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": null,
   "score_why": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "github-startups",
   "provider": "GitHub",
   "name": "GitHub for Startups",
   "kind": "startup_program",
   "benefit": "$10,000 in flexible platform credits for GitHub Enterprise, GitHub Copilot (licences, premium models, agents), Advanced Security and Actions.",
   "url": "https://github.com/enterprise/startups",
   "apply_url": "https://github.com/enterprise/startups",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "coding_agent"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "software",
    "credits"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "required",
    "vc_text": "Needs outside funding (Series B or earlier) and affiliation with a GitHub for Startups partner.",
    "partner_only": true,
    "partner_text": "Needs affiliation with a GitHub for Startups partner. Ask your investor or accelerator whether it is one."
   },
   "unlock": "raise outside funding through a GitHub for Startups partner",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 6,
    "value": 13,
    "tech": 4,
    "edu": 6,
    "fit": 9,
    "launch": 4,
    "terms": 7
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://github.com/enterprise/startups"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 49,
   "score_why": "$10K of Copilot and GitHub credits, but partner-only and for funded startups."
  },
  {
   "id": "stripe-atlas",
   "provider": "Stripe",
   "name": "Stripe Atlas perks",
   "kind": "perk_channel",
   "benefit": "Stripe Atlas forms a US (Delaware) company for a $500 one-time fee. Atlas companies then get: $5,000 in AWS Activate credits (new users), $5,000+ in Azure credits, $2,500 in Stripe credits for the first year, and other partner discounts.",
   "url": "https://stripe.com/atlas/partners",
   "apply_url": "https://support.stripe.com/questions/stripe-atlas-perks-partners",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "cloud"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits",
    "software",
    "launch"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "no"
   },
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": false,
   "criteria_note": "each partner applies its own eligibility checks after Atlas approves you",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 15,
    "value": 13,
    "tech": 2,
    "edu": 4,
    "fit": 7,
    "launch": 5,
    "terms": 6
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "The Atlas page mentions 'OAI', but the current perk list shows no OpenAI or Anthropic credit line.",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://stripe.com/atlas/partners"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 52,
   "score_why": "Real AWS/Azure credits, but you pay $500 and form a US company."
  },
  {
   "id": "brex",
   "provider": "Brex",
   "name": "Brex partner perks (OpenAI credits)",
   "kind": "perk_channel",
   "benefit": "Brex customers can get $1,000 in OpenAI credits for 1 year, plus perks from AWS, Google Cloud, Perplexity and ElevenLabs. No Anthropic perk listed.",
   "url": "https://www.brex.com/support/brex-partner-perks",
   "apply_url": "https://www.brex.com/support/brex-partner-perks",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "vc": "no",
    "incorporated": true
   },
   "unlock": "register the company and open a business account",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": false,
   "criteria_note": "you must be a Brex customer, and Brex decides who it accepts",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 14,
    "value": 7,
    "tech": 1,
    "edu": 2,
    "fit": 6,
    "launch": 2,
    "terms": 7
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "Search results claimed $2,500 OpenAI and $500 Anthropic through Brex; the official page says $1,000 OpenAI and no Anthropic perk.",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://www.brex.com/support/brex-partner-perks"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 39,
   "score_why": "$1,000 of OpenAI credits if you become a Brex customer."
  },
  {
   "id": "yc-students",
   "provider": "Y Combinator",
   "name": "YC AI Student Starter Pack",
   "kind": "perk_channel",
   "benefit": "For students who attend a YC university event: over $5,000 in GPT/Claude/Grok credits, over $20,000 in Azure and AWS credits, and credits from 14 YC dev-tool companies.",
   "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/the-yc-ai-student-starter-pack",
   "apply_url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/the-yc-ai-student-starter-pack",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "model",
    "cloud"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "credits"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "student": true
   },
   "unlock": "be a student and attend a YC university event",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 12,
    "value": 18,
    "tech": 2,
    "edu": 5,
    "fit": 9,
    "launch": 6,
    "terms": 6
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/the-yc-ai-student-starter-pack"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 58,
   "score_why": "Very generous, but only for students at a YC university event."
  },
  {
   "id": "github-students",
   "provider": "GitHub",
   "name": "GitHub Student Developer Pack and Copilot Student",
   "kind": "perk_channel",
   "benefit": "Free GitHub Copilot for verified students, $100 of Azure for Students credit (18+), and the Student Developer Pack's partner offers.",
   "url": "https://education.github.com/pack",
   "apply_url": "https://education.github.com/pack",
   "application": true,
   "stack": [
    "coding_agent",
    "cloud"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "software",
    "teaching"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "student": true
   },
   "unlock": "be a verified student",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "high",
   "scores": {
    "access": 14,
    "value": 9,
    "tech": 2,
    "edu": 7,
    "fit": 8,
    "launch": 3,
    "terms": 8
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://education.github.com/pack"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 51,
   "score_why": "Free Copilot for verified students."
  },
  {
   "id": "gemma4-kaggle",
   "provider": "Google DeepMind",
   "name": "Gemma 4 Developer Agent Competition (Kaggle)",
   "kind": "hackathon",
   "benefit": "An open Kaggle competition for autonomous coding agents built on Gemma 4: entry deadline 25 November 2026, final submission 2 December 2026, $100K in prizes (dates and prize from Kaggle listings; re-check on the page).",
   "url": "https://www.kaggle.com/competitions/gemma-4-developer-agent",
   "apply_url": "https://www.kaggle.com/competitions/gemma-4-developer-agent",
   "application": false,
   "stack": [
    "model"
   ],
   "roles": [
    "launch",
    "community"
   ],
   "gates": {
    "needs_developer": true
   },
   "unlock": "",
   "watch": "",
   "open_text": "Open competition: anyone can enter on Kaggle before the deadline (Kaggle's rules apply).",
   "criteria_public": true,
   "criteria_note": "",
   "confidence": "medium",
   "scores": {
    "access": 16,
    "value": 6,
    "tech": 2,
    "edu": 6,
    "fit": 5,
    "launch": 7,
    "terms": 5
   },
   "start": "",
   "ceiling": "",
   "expires": "",
   "misunderstood": "",
   "status": "",
   "verified": "2026-10-07",
   "sources": [
    "https://www.kaggle.com/competitions/gemma-4-developer-agent"
   ],
   "data_warning": "",
   "score": 47,
   "score_why": "Open competition with prizes; a deadline, not a program."
  }
 ],
 "no_program": [
  {
   "provider": "xAI",
   "note": "No startup program found. API usage is billed per token; the Playground comes with every Console account. Many sites still advertise '$25 + $150/month' free credits: the official FAQ no longer offers them.",
   "url": "https://x.ai/api"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Meta (Llama)",
   "note": "The Llama Startup Program (up to $6K/month of cloud costs for 6 months, US only) closed its intake on 30 May 2025 and its page now returns 404. Llama Impact grants and awards have no open call today.",
   "url": "https://ai.meta.com/blog/llama-startup-program/"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Mistral AI",
   "note": "No startup program found ('/startups' returns 404). The free plan includes $10 a month in API credits.",
   "url": "https://mistral.ai/pricing"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Cohere",
   "note": "Its 2024 startup program pages now redirect to the homepage. A free trial key (1,000 calls a month) and LLM University remain.",
   "url": "https://cohere.com/llmu"
  },
  {
   "provider": "DeepSeek",
   "note": "No startup program. Low prices, with off-peak discounts.",
   "url": "https://api-docs.deepseek.com"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Groq",
   "note": "The 'Groq for Startups' pages no longer show a program (one secondary site says it ended in August 2026). A rate-limited free plan remains.",
   "url": "https://groq.com/groq-for-startups"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Hugging Face",
   "note": "No startup discount on the official pages; the 'startup' deals seen on perk sites couldn't be confirmed. Free courses with certificates.",
   "url": "https://huggingface.co/learn"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Cursor",
   "note": "No self-serve startup program (Cursor staff, July 2026: contact sales or partnerships). Free Cursor Learn course.",
   "url": "https://cursor.com/learn"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Supabase",
   "note": "No startup program on the official page; credits seen on perk sites couldn't be confirmed.",
   "url": "https://supabase.com/startups"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Lovable",
   "note": "Its partner tracks are for agencies and creators, not startups.",
   "url": "https://lovable.dev/partners/startup"
  }
 ],
 "education": [
  {
   "provider": "Anthropic",
   "name": "Claude Academy (AI Fluency and more)",
   "url": "https://academy.claude.com/",
   "kind": "academy",
   "free": true,
   "level": "all"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Anthropic",
   "name": "Building with the Claude API; Claude Code in Action",
   "url": "https://anthropic.skilljar.com/",
   "kind": "course",
   "free": null,
   "level": "dev"
  },
  {
   "provider": "OpenAI",
   "name": "OpenAI Academy",
   "url": "https://academy.openai.com/",
   "kind": "academy",
   "free": null,
   "level": "all"
  },
  {
   "provider": "OpenAI",
   "name": "OpenAI Cookbook",
   "url": "https://developers.openai.com/cookbook",
   "kind": "cookbook",
   "free": true,
   "level": "dev"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Google",
   "name": "Google Skills (formerly Cloud Skills Boost)",
   "url": "https://www.skills.google/",
   "kind": "academy",
   "free": null,
   "level": "all"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Google",
   "name": "Gemini API Cookbook",
   "url": "https://github.com/google-gemini/cookbook",
   "kind": "cookbook",
   "free": true,
   "level": "dev"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Microsoft",
   "name": "Microsoft Learn: Startups hub (AI agents, AI app architecture, cost)",
   "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/startups/",
   "kind": "guides",
   "free": true,
   "level": "all"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Microsoft",
   "name": "Develop your first agent with Microsoft Foundry",
   "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/develop-first-agent/",
   "kind": "course",
   "free": true,
   "level": "dev"
  },
  {
   "provider": "AWS",
   "name": "AWS Skill Builder (900+ free courses)",
   "url": "https://skillbuilder.aws",
   "kind": "academy",
   "free": true,
   "level": "all"
  },
  {
   "provider": "NVIDIA",
   "name": "NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute and AI Learning Essentials",
   "url": "https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/learn/ai-learning-essentials/",
   "kind": "academy",
   "free": true,
   "level": "dev"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Hugging Face",
   "name": "LLM Course and Agents Course (free certificates)",
   "url": "https://huggingface.co/learn",
   "kind": "course",
   "free": true,
   "level": "dev"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Databricks",
   "name": "Generative AI Fundamentals, AI Agent Fundamentals (Free Edition)",
   "url": "https://www.databricks.com/learn/training/home",
   "kind": "course",
   "free": true,
   "level": "all"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Cohere",
   "name": "LLM University",
   "url": "https://cohere.com/llmu",
   "kind": "academy",
   "free": true,
   "level": "dev"
  },
  {
   "provider": "LangChain",
   "name": "LangChain Academy (Deep Agents, LangSmith)",
   "url": "https://academy.langchain.com/",
   "kind": "course",
   "free": true,
   "level": "dev"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Vercel",
   "name": "Vercel Academy (v0 Foundations, AI SDK)",
   "url": "https://vercel.com/academy",
   "kind": "academy",
   "free": true,
   "level": "all"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Cursor",
   "name": "Cursor Learn",
   "url": "https://cursor.com/learn",
   "kind": "course",
   "free": true,
   "level": "all"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Mistral AI",
   "name": "Mistral cookbooks",
   "url": "https://docs.mistral.ai/resources/cookbooks",
   "kind": "cookbook",
   "free": true,
   "level": "dev"
  },
  {
   "provider": "Y Combinator",
   "name": "Startup School (free; no credits)",
   "url": "https://www.startupschool.org/",
   "kind": "course",
   "free": true,
   "level": "all"
  }
 ],
 "winners": [
  {
   "title": "Best for idea-stage founders",
   "program": "gemini-free",
   "why": "No company, no application, no money: free tokens today, and Google Skills to learn. Add Claude Academy for the free courses."
  },
  {
   "title": "Best for bootstrapped startups",
   "program": "aws-founders",
   "why": "Built for self-funded startups: up to $5,000, and the credits pay for Claude, Llama, Mistral and Cohere on Bedrock. Needs a website."
  },
  {
   "title": "Best software bundle without an investor (B2B)",
   "program": "microsoft",
   "why": "Starts small ($200), then Azure credits that also pay for GitHub Copilot, plus Microsoft Learn, if you sell to businesses and register the company. The $150K ceiling may need an investor code."
  },
  {
   "title": "Best for VC-backed startups",
   "program": "google-ai",
   "why": "The largest published credit line: up to $350K over two years for AI-first startups with institutional funding."
  },
  {
   "title": "Best for accelerator members",
   "program": "microsoft-investor",
   "why": "A referral code from an accelerator, incubator or university, not only a VC, starts most startups at $100K."
  },
  {
   "title": "Best for non-technical founders",
   "program": "google-start",
   "why": "Twelve months of Google Workspace Business Plus (email on your domain, docs, meetings, no code) plus $2,000 of cloud credits, without an investor. Needs a working first version and a company under 2 years old. (Claude for Startups held this spot until its cohort filled, 2026-10-14.)"
  },
  {
   "title": "Best for AI developers",
   "program": "together",
   "why": "Credits on open models plus hours with Together's own engineers, with no VC requirement stated."
  },
  {
   "title": "Best for voice AI agents",
   "program": "elevenlabs",
   "why": "No funding required: 680+ hours of voice Agents usage for a year if you have fewer than 25 people."
  },
  {
   "title": "Best for coding",
   "program": "microsoft",
   "why": "Azure credits can pay for GitHub Copilot once linked, without an investor. (Funded startups: GitHub for Startups' $10K.)"
  },
  {
   "title": "Best for infrastructure",
   "program": "nvidia",
   "why": "Free to join with no equity: hardware and software pricing, partner cloud credits, Deep Learning Institute training."
  },
  {
   "title": "Best for education",
   "program": null,
   "why": "Hugging Face Learn: free, vendor-neutral courses on LLMs and agents with certificates. Close second: Claude Academy."
  },
  {
   "title": "Best for community and launch",
   "program": "google-accel",
   "why": "Equity-free cohort with Google mentors and TPU access; selective and needs traction."
  }
 ]
}