OpenRouter for Startups: up to $3,000 in inference credits
Save ~$3000
Up to $3,000 in inference credits
openrouter.ai/startups says eligible startups get up to $3,000 in universal inference credits across 600+ models, and 0% processing fees for 12 months. You need to be pre-Series B, building an AI-native product full time, referred by an approved OpenRouter partner, with a public website and a professional email on the company domain. Lifetime OpenRouter spend must be under $500. Credits are once per applicant. Generic addresses such as admin@ and support@ are not accepted. The FAQ says most credits expire 6 months after issuance, and you get an email with that date. The fee waiver still lasts 12 months. After the credits are used or expire, standard OpenRouter pricing applies.
- Who
- Pre-Series B AI startups with a partner referral, a public site, a company-domain email, and under $500 of lifetime OpenRouter spend
- Price after
- OpenRouter token prices after the credits. The page says 0% processing fees for 12 months, including platform fees and BYOK fees. Most credits expire 6 months after issuance.
- Last checked
- Nov 9, 2026
- Expires
- No end date stated