Credits
Build faster with up to $10K in infrastructure credits
Credits are tailored based on your goals and how you plan to build with us.

Case Studies
See how startups scale smarter with Runpod.
The right infrastructure doesn’t just cut costs — it moves your roadmap forward. See how these teams shipped faster and scaled cleaner.
Credits
Build faster with up to $10K in infrastructure credits
Credits are tailored based on your goals and how you plan to build with us.
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Fast, Hands-On Onboarding
Tailored sessions focused on your specific use case.
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Infrastructure Optimization
Guidance on architecture & cost efficiency.
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Startup Spotlights
Get featured on channels across socials and email.
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White-Glove Migration
Help transitioning from other providers.
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Fast Track Support
Priority Slack access to Runpod engineers.
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Scaling Credits
Flexible credits that grow with your usage and team maturity.

options
Infrastructure Offerings
Comprehensive compute stack available to startups:
Pods
On-demand compute for students or researchers
Serverless
Cost-efficient, auto-scaling inference
Instant Clusters
Multi-node setups for high-performance experiments
Bare Metal
Persistent environments for large-scale research initiatives
Use cases
Supported AI/ML Workloads
Runpod powers these types of workloads:

FAQs
Questions? Answers.
Curious about unlocking GPU power in the cloud? Get clear answers to accelerate your projects with on-demand high-performance compute.
How many credits will my startup receive?
Credit amounts are based on your projected GPU usage and planned spend on Runpod. We prioritize teams making an upfront investment in infrastructure, our support scales with your commitment.
Do I need to be venture-backed to apply?
No, but it helps. Venture backing often signals a strong team, marketing potential, and the capacity to scale. That said we look at the full picture, traction, tech scope, and GPU needs. If you're building something meaningful, we want to hear from you.
What happens after I apply?
We'll review your application within 48 hours. If there's a fit, we'll reach out to confirm your use case, finalize the credit offer, and help get you started quickly.
Who is this program for, and what makes a strong fit?
This program is for teams building AI, ML, or GPU-heavy applications who are ready to scale - and are looking for a long-term infrastructure partner, not just a one-time credit boost. Startups that tend to be a strong fit typically have: Clear GPU usage plans in the near term, technically complex or compute-intensive workloads, long-term infrastructure needs that align with Runpod, and a sense of urgency, infra is a bottleneck they need to solve now.
What if I don't fit the typical startup profile?
If you're part of a research lab, academic team, or working on something GPU-intensive that falls outside our standard criteria, reach out. We occasionally make exceptions for high-impact or technically aligned projects. Contact us at startups@runpod.io.