The Money TrailJuly 7, 2026via The Decoder
OpenAI and Anthropic are giving away millions in computing power to attract startups
Why it matters
OpenAI and Anthropic are deploying massive compute subsidies ($3M+ per startup) to lock in developer ecosystems ahead of IPOs, signaling intensifying competition for market share and a strategic shift toward margin improvement through ecosystem capture rather than pricing power.
Key signals
- Individual compute credit offers reach $3 million per startup
- OpenAI and Anthropic combined could distribute up to $800 million in credits annually at Y Combinator alone
- Both companies timing subsidies ahead of anticipated IPOs
- Margin improvement motivation cited as strategic driver
- Compute credit war includes major cloud providers as competitors
The hook
$800M. That's what OpenAI and Anthropic could hand out in free credits to Y Combinator startups alone—and it's not charity.
OpenAI, Anthropic, and major cloud providers are racing to outbid each other with free compute credits to pull startups into their ecosystems. Some individual offers top $3 million. At Y Combinator alone, OpenAI and Anthropic could hand out up to $800 million in credits per year combined. The discount war comes at a time when both companies need to improve their margins ahead of upcoming IPOs.