AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
What is Entrepreneur First and what do members get?
$600K+ in Entrepreneur First credits come with an equity-free grant and up to $250K in investment. The perk card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
EF describes its model as backing individuals first, then offering a bridge to Silicon Valley. You join without a company, and the program is built around finding a cofounder and forming one. AI Perks tracks more student offers across the catalogue, so you can stack this with others.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Entrepreneur First $600K+ in credits, plus up to $250K investment
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
How does the EF accelerator work?
The program runs in two 12-week sprint stages, FORM and LAUNCH, so 12 + 12 = 24 weeks in total. It is full-time and in person, and participants move to a hub city. Each cohort opens with a residential Kick Off Summit weekend, where the cohort meets for the first time.
EF says 80% of participants find a cofounder within 8 weeks. Near the end of FORM, teams pitch an Investment Committee for funding.
| Stage or feature | What the program lists |
|---|---|
| FORM | 12-week sprint |
| LAUNCH | 12-week sprint |
| Kick Off Summit | Residential weekend before each cohort |
| Office space | 9 months in London, Bangalore and San Francisco |
| Demo Day | San Francisco, attended by 200+ VC partners |
| Alumni network | Global, going back over a decade |
One third-party guide says EF was founded in London in 2011 and has helped create over 700 companies. Treat that as an outside estimate, not an EF figure.
What is the Entrepreneur First stipend and investment?
The Entrepreneur First stipend is an equity-free grant that supports you while you are still ideating. EF's main site does not publish a single global amount. Third-party sources cite varying investment terms, and one says terms vary by geography.
The published numbers are for investment once a team forms:
| Funding | Amount |
|---|---|
| Investment Committee, per team | Up to $250,000 |
| Of which, possible third-party partner investment | $125,000 |
| Investment once you form a company | Up to $250K |
| Follow-on funding through future rounds | Up to $5M, with support up to Series B |
The Bangalore program lists an INR 360,000 Talent Investment. It is subject to a 10% tax deduction at source as of April 2026. Ten percent of INR 360,000 is INR 36,000 withheld, so INR 360,000 - INR 36,000 = INR 324,000 is credited to your bank account.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Entrepreneur First $600K+ in credits, plus up to $250K investment
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
How much in credits does Entrepreneur First include?
EF's own site lists over $600K in credits, including $350K in Azure credits. A further $250K+ comes from OpenAI, Anthropic, GitHub, PostHog, Datadog, ElevenLabs and others. The FAQ page also names AWS, Stripe, Vercel, GCP, HSBC and HubSpot among its partners.
Here is how that sits next to other perks in the catalogue. Each row links to its own card.
| Company | Free credits | How to get |
|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneur First | $600K+ in credits | Get this perk |
| Z Fellows | $10,000 investment | Get this perk |
| Anthropic API | $20,000 | Get this perk |
| Google Cloud | $350,000 | Get this perk |
Total across these four cards: $980,000+ ($600,000 + $10,000 + $20,000 + $350,000 = $980,000).
For the investment side, see Z Fellows 2026: $10K for Student and Young Founders.
What happens if you do not form a company?
You owe nothing. EF says that if you do not form a company or it chooses not to invest at the Investment Committee, it takes no equity and you do not repay the grant. The Bangalore FAQ says the same: if you do not form a company or EF does not invest further, you give up no equity and owe nothing.
That makes the early stage low risk financially. The cost is time, since the program expects full-time commitment in person.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Entrepreneur First $600K+ in credits, plus up to $250K investment
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Where does it run, and what about visas?
Office space is offered in central London, Bangalore and San Francisco. The Bangalore Winter 2027 program starts in February 2027. The listed date for its second selection round is 2 November 2026, which is today, so check the perk card for current dates.
There is also the Bridge Residency, an 8-week San Francisco program for young Europeans that starts in February 2027.
EF does not provide visas. If you are based outside the listed locations, it says it will do its best to help you secure a valid visa to join a site.
How do you claim Entrepreneur First perks?
- Get credits via AI Perks. Open the AI Perks catalogue and find the Entrepreneur First card among the student and education perks.
- Read the card. It shows who qualifies and how to claim, so you do not need to hunt across sites.
- Match your hub city to the dates. Compare London, Bangalore and San Francisco against your own timeline, including the February 2027 starts.
- Stack other credits. Add the Anthropic API and Google Cloud cards to cover tools you will use before a team forms.
For wider options, see Free AI Credits for Students 2026: Every Program Compared and AI Student Discount 2026: Every Verified Offer Listed.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Entrepreneur First $600K+ in credits, plus up to $250K investment
Eligible for early-stage startups
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
FAQ
Is Entrepreneur First free to join?
EF says that if you do not form a company or it chooses not to invest, it takes no equity and you do not repay the grant. The program is full-time and in person, so the cost is your time. The Entrepreneur First card shows how to claim.
How much investment can Entrepreneur First give a team?
Teams pitch an Investment Committee for up to $250,000 per team. Part of that can be a further $125,000 from a third-party partner. EF also lists up to $5M in follow-on funding, with support continuing up to Series B. Third-party sources cite varying terms, so confirm details on the perk card.
What does the Entrepreneur First application involve?
Eligibility and how to claim are listed on the perk card, so they are not repeated here. You can browse that card and every other student offer in the AI Perks catalogue. The Bangalore Winter 2027 program starts in February 2027.
Does Entrepreneur First sponsor visas?
No. EF says it does not provide visas for the program. It does say that people based outside the listed locations will get its best help securing a valid visa to take part at one of its sites. Plan for visa timing before you choose a hub city.
How many credits does Entrepreneur First list?
EF lists over $600K in credits. That includes $350K in Azure credits and $250K+ from partners such as OpenAI, Anthropic, GitHub, PostHog, Datadog and ElevenLabs. The AI Perks catalogue tracks the headline $600K+ figure and links to the full card.
Can you stack Entrepreneur First with other perks?
Yes, the catalogue lists other perks separately, such as $10,000 from Z Fellows and $20,000 from Anthropic. Each card sets its own terms, so read them first. Browse the full list at getaiperks.com.
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Find Entrepreneur First and more student perks at getaiperks.com.
