Vapi
Vapi for Startups
7,500 free voice AI minutes a month for 12 months for pre-seed to Series A startups with $250K+ raised; applications on hold.
Ways to get it
Apply directly
7,500 minutes a month for 12 months
- Building voice AI products or features
- Pre-seed to Series A with $250K+ raised
- Launching to customers within 6 months
Applications are on hold on the program page; the linked application form currently accepts YC-backed startups only.
Open program page
Eligibility
Requirements
- Building voice AI products or features
- Pre-seed to Series A with at least $250K (USD) raised
- Launching to customers within 6 months
Not eligible
- Agencies and consulting firms
How to apply
- 1
Check vapi.ai/startups to see whether applications have reopened; on 4 November 2026 they were on hold.
- 2
If you are YC-backed, use the application form linked from the page, which currently accepts YC companies and asks for your YC profile link.
- 3
Submit your company details, how you use voice AI, founding year, total funding and headcount.
- 4
If accepted, you'll receive an invitation to the dedicated Slack channel with Vapi's engineers.
Gotchas
- Applications are on hold on the program page, and the form currently says only YC-backed startups are being accepted.
- A minimum of $250K raised is required, so bootstrapped and pre-funding teams don't qualify.
- The allowance is 7,500 minutes per month; the page doesn't say unused minutes roll over.
- Agencies and consulting firms are excluded.
About the Vapi program
Vapi's startup grant gives accepted voice AI startups 7,500 free minutes per month for 12 months, 90,000 minutes in total, compared with the 100 minutes regular users get. Accepted teams also get a private Slack channel with Vapi's forward-deployed engineers, early access to new features and a founder community.
To qualify you must be building voice AI products or features, be pre-seed to Series A with at least $250K (USD) raised, and launch to customers within six months. Agencies and consulting firms do not qualify, meeting the criteria does not guarantee acceptance, and Vapi does not give reasons for rejections.
On 4 November 2026 the program page's apply buttons read "Applications on hold". The page's apply link leads to Vapi's application form, which says it is currently accepting applications only from YC-backed startups. When you exceed the free minutes, or after the 12 months, Vapi's sales team works with you on a paid plan.
Frequently asked questions
How many free minutes does Vapi give startups?
7,500 free minutes per month for 12 months, 90,000 minutes in total, compared with 100 minutes for regular users.
Is the Vapi startup program open?
On 4 November 2026 the program page showed "Applications on hold", and the linked application form said Vapi was only accepting applications from YC-backed startups.
Who qualifies for the Vapi startup grant?
Pre-seed to Series A startups that have raised at least $250K and are building voice AI products or features, with a launch to customers within six months. Agencies and consultancies are excluded.
