Helicone Startup Discount
AI Platform Credits
50% off your first year of LLM observability
Open-source LLM observability — 50% off the first year for startups under 2 years old and under $5M raised; students free.
Who qualifies
Every condition below is taken from the vendor’s own published criteria. Read them before you spend an afternoon on the application.
Under 2 years old
The company must be less than 2 years old, measured from incorporation rather than launch. Predecessor entities and reincorporations are usually counted from the original date.
Students
The programme is aimed at students. Vendors read this loosely, but expect to describe the company and what you are building on the application.
About Helicone Startup Discount
Quick answer
Open-source LLM observability — 50% off the first year for startups under 2 years old and under $5M raised; students free.
Helicone is an open-source LLM observability gateway, and this is a clean, no-drama deal: 50% off your first year if you're under 2 years old and under $5M raised. Students and educators get it free outright, and open-source companies get a credit.
What you get
- 50% off the first year of any paid plan
- Students/educators: free
- OSS companies: usage credit
Why it matters
If your LLM traffic already routes through one proxy for logging, caching and cost tracking, getting half off during the exact year you scale is real money — and because Helicone is open-source, the exit path (self-host) stays open.
How to apply
4 steps. The last one is the part most people skip.
- 1
Open Helicone Startup Discount through the link on this page
It carries our referral tag. The terms you get are identical either way, and it never changes what this page says about the programme.
- 2
Have the eligibility evidence ready
Applications are checked against 2 conditions — under 2 years old, students. Incorporation date, cap table and a one-line description of what you are building cover most of it.
- 3
Ask for the expiry window in writing
Helicone Startup Discount does not publish how long the credit runs, and unused balance is almost always forfeited. Get the activation and expiry dates confirmed before you plan around the grant.
- 4
Know the rate you land on when it runs out
The point of a credit is a runway extension, not a permanent discount. Check standard list pricing for the usage you will have by then, so the first real invoice is a decision rather than a surprise.
Helicone Startup Discount FAQ
The questions we actually get asked about this programme.
Ask us something elseStartups under 2 years old with less than $5M in funding get 50% off the first year. Students and educators get Helicone free.
Yes — you can self-host the gateway, which keeps your exit path open if you later leave the cloud plan.
Through the contact form linked on the pricing page — include your founding date and funding stage.
