Startups & Y Combinator

We run two special programs for early-stage teams. The primary place for discussing both programs is the #project-startups-and-yc channel in Slack.

PostHog for Startups

Any company that is <2 years old and has raised less than $5M in funding is eligible to apply and claim the following:

• $50,000 in PostHog credits (valid for 12 months)
• One unique welcome pack for founders
• Partner benefits with Speakeasy and Mintlify (50% off for 6 months)
• A monthly newsletter for founders

❗Credits cannot be used toward a BAA under the Boost plan.

All applications are automatically approved, then manually reviewed for eligibility.

We track all PostHog for Startups applications in this Zapier table.

PostHog for Y Combinator

This program is similar to our startup program but has some key differences for YC teams. Teams can be in any YC batch, with any amount of funding raised, and can claim the following:

• A variable amount of PostHog credit:
  • $50,000 for teams in the current, upcoming, or last 4 YC batches
  • $25,000 for older batches
• Up to 4 unique founder merch packs (different from the startup program)
• Access to our private YC Founder Slack
• Partner benefits with Speakeasy and Mintlify (50% off for 6 months)
• A monthly founder newsletter

✅ Credits can be used to claim a BAA under the Boost plan.

YC teams must apply via our secret YC page. If we can’t immediately verify they’re part of YC, we ask for a screenshot from Bookface to prove their eligibility.

We track all PostHog for YC applications in this Zapier table.

What happens after companies apply?

1. Application
   A company signs up to PostHog, adds billing details, and applies via the startup form.

2. Credit
   If they meet the basic criteria, we automatically apply the correct amount of Stripe credit.

3. Confirmation
   They receive an automated email from Scott via Zapier confirming their acceptance.

4. Merch
   A separate email (also from Zapier) sends unique codes to claim founder kits from the merch store.
   Orders are fulfilled by Micromerch. Merch questions can go in the #merch Slack channel.

5. Welcome
   ~12 hours later, a third email (via Customer.io) is sent by Joe welcoming them and explaining perks.

6. Milestones
   When teams reach 50%, 75%, or 100% of their credit usage — or when credits expire — they receive milestone emails. These come from Customer.io and are managed by Joe.

7. Post-credit
   Once credit is fully used or expired, teams are moved to a standard paid plan automatically. We automatically email users to let them know and offer a one-time $500 credit bonus to help soften the transition.

Reviewing applications

Applications are automatically enriched with Clearbit and Clay, then approved. We then manually review all emails to ensure eligibility. If there's a mismatch (e.g. on founding date or funding raised), we’ll email the founder.
If we don’t hear back in a week or confirm ineligibility, we remove the credits.

Merch

All merch is fulfilled through the PostHog store by Micromerch.

• Founders receive unique codes via email to claim merch.
• They can request up to 4 merch packs for co-founders during signup.
• If a team has more than 4 founders, they can submit a support ticket to request more.
• Additional merch is occasionally granted at our discretion.

Issues? Reach out in #merch Slack. Founders can also email merch@posthog.com.

Monthly Newsletter

We send a short, founder-focused newsletter once per month to all program participants. This is handled as a Customer.io broadcast using a prebuilt template.

Credit usage

Credits can be used for almost all PostHog products and add-ons, including platform add-ons.

• Startups: ❌ Cannot use credits toward a BAA due to legal risk.
• YC teams: ✅ Can use credits for a BAA under the Boost plan.

Credits are valid are not transferable, and don’t carry over or convert to cash. They are valid for 12 months and that timer begins at application. Once expired or fully used, teams are moved to standard billing.

Partners

We currently partner with:

• Mintlify — 50% off for 6 months
• Speakeasy — 50% off for 6 months

Discount codes are sent in the welcome email after signup.

If users run into issues with redemption, we can help liaise — though all offers are ultimately at partner discretion.

Contacts:

• Mintlify: Tiffany Chen
• Speakeasy: Nolan Di Mare Sullivan

We previously offered DigitalOcean credits ($25k), but this was retired in Q2 2025.

Program extensions

We don’t usually extend credits — the 12-month window is intended to be firm and fair. However, we’re open to requests in exceptional cases.

Founders must clearly explain why they couldn’t use the credit in time and provide evidence of recent progress or changes. Requests are reviewed manually by the Customer Success team.

Reporting

We have a dashboard for this.