Cartesia
Cartesia Startups Grant
12 months of Cartesia's Scale plan free ($299/month list): 8M Sonic and Ink credits plus $299 in agent credits each month.
Ways to get it
Apply directly
12 months on the Scale plan
- Startup at any stage (students and one-off projects considered case by case)
Via Cartesia VC partners
Via VC or accelerator partner
Fast-tracked grant approval and Cartesia credits
- Backed by a VC firm in Cartesia's partner program
Cartesia does not publish its partner list.
Open program page
Eligibility
Requirements
- Startups at any stage; students and one-off projects reviewed case by case
- Agree to Cartesia using your name and logo in its marketing
- Post about the grant on social media if Cartesia asks
Not eligible
No exclusions stated.
How to apply
- 1
Create a Cartesia account if you don't have one; the grant arrives as a coupon code for it.
- 2
Submit the Startups Grant application at cartesia.ai/startups/apply with details on your team and what you're building.
- 3
Cartesia reviews on a rolling basis and aims to reply within a week.
- 4
If accepted, apply the coupon code to your account to start the 12 months on Scale.
Gotchas
- After 12 months the account moves to $299/month on Scale unless you cancel or switch plans.
- The grant is the Scale plan, not Cartesia's separate Startup pricing tier (1.25M credits a month).
- Usage beyond the included credits is billed pay-as-you-go once you enable overage.
- Cartesia can use your name and logo, and may ask you to post about the grant.
About the Cartesia program
The Cartesia Startups Grant gives accepted startups 12 months on Cartesia's Scale plan at no charge. Each month includes 8 million credits shared between Sonic (text to speech) and Ink (speech to text), plus $299 in Managed Agents credits for voice agents; Cartesia totals the model allowance at 96M credits a year. Unused model credits roll over up to 2× the monthly allowance, and you get Scale-tier concurrency.
Cartesia says startups at any stage are eligible, and it also considers students and one-off projects case by case. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with a target reply within a week; accepted teams receive a coupon code that applies the credits to their account.
When the 12 months end, the account moves to the Scale plan's $299/month price unless you cancel or switch to a lower-volume plan. If you use up the included credits, you can enable pay-as-you-go overage. Participants let Cartesia use their name and logo in marketing and agree to post about the grant on social media if Cartesia asks.
VC firms can join as Cartesia partners to get fast-tracked grant approval and Cartesia credits for their portfolio companies.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Cartesia Startups Grant include?
12 months on the Scale plan with 8 million shared Sonic and Ink credits each month plus $299 per month in Managed Agents credits. Unused model credits roll over up to 2× the monthly allowance.
What happens after the 12 months?
Your account moves to $299 per month to stay on Scale. You can cancel or switch to a lower-volume plan at any time, or talk to Cartesia about an enterprise plan.
Who is eligible for Cartesia's startup program?
Startups at any stage. Cartesia also considers students and one-off projects case by case.
