Credit programme
Credit for startups, students and researchers
Some of my Sparks sit idle part of the day. If you are building something early, studying, or doing research, I would rather you used them. Apply below. I read every application myself, and if it fits, I add the credit to your GPUwerk account.
Samuel Seidel, founder. The amounts are my current proposal and may change before they are final. Updated .
Two tracks
How much credit.
Startups: $100
For a company that has raised less than $1M. That is about 126 hours on one dedicated Spark at $0.79 an hour. Tell me what you are building and what you want to run.
Students and researchers: $50
About 63 hours on one Spark. Apply with your university or institute email, or name a supervisor who can confirm the project.
Either way it is ordinary prepaid credit on your account, spent by the minute. The first top-up offer (pay $20, get $30) still applies when you top up yourself later.
After you apply
How it works
Apply
The form below takes two minutes. You get an email saying it arrived.
I review it
Usually within a few business days. I may ask a question or two. Nothing is granted automatically.
Credit
Create a GPUwerk account with the same email address. I add the credit to it and reply.
The short version
Terms.
Expiry
The credit expires 6 months after I add it. Programme credit counts as spent first, so only unused programme credit is removed.
One grant
One per person and one per company. I check the email domain and the payment method on the account.
Not refundable
It is a grant, so it is not paid out if you close the account. Credit you buy stays refundable as the Terms describe.
Whole Sparks
You rent a whole dedicated DGX Spark: ARM64, NVIDIA GB10, 128 GB unified memory. Check that your stack runs on ARM64 before you spend the credit.
An evaluation
There is no SLA and no promised benchmark result. Use public or synthetic data while you test.
Sanctions
Applications from Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Cuba are refused, and every grant is screened like a payment.
Need one Spark for a month or longer? A monthly reservation costs less than hourly, and that is the commitment discount I offer. It does not stack with this credit.
FAQ
Questions.
Who can apply?
Startups that have raised less than $1M, students, and academic researchers with a project they can describe in a few sentences. Applicants in Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Cuba are not eligible, because EU sanctions rules stop me providing compute there.
How do I show I am a student or researcher?
Apply with your university or institute email address. If you do not have one, name a supervisor who can confirm the project, and I may write to them before I approve.
When does the credit expire?
6 months after I add it to your account. Whatever is left of it then is removed. Programme credit counts as spent before any credit you paid for, so your own top-ups never expire with it.
Can I get a refund of the credit?
No. It is a grant, not money you paid, so it is not paid out if you close your account. Credit you buy yourself stays refundable as the Terms describe.
Can I apply more than once?
One grant per person, and one per company. A second application from the same company domain or address is refused while the first is open, and after it was granted. If I decline an application for a reason you can fix, you can apply again.
What does the credit pay for?
A whole dedicated DGX Spark, billed per minute at $0.79 an hour like any other rental. It is ARM64 with an NVIDIA GB10 and 128 GB of unified memory, so check that your stack runs on ARM64 first. A stopped instance still bills 75% of the rate, so terminate it when you are done and billing ends.
I need a Spark for a whole month. Is there a bonus for prepaying?
Not through this programme. If you need one Spark for a month or longer, the monthly reservation on the pricing page costs less than paying by the hour, and that is the discount I offer for a commitment.
Is this suitable for production?
Treat it as an evaluation. There is no SLA, and I make no promise about what your benchmark will show. Use public or synthetic data while you test.
Application
Apply.
A few sentences about what you want to run is enough. I read each one and reply from my own address.
Questions first? Use the contact form.
Thanks, it's in.
I'll reply to , usually within a few business days.
Meanwhile, create a GPUwerk account with the same address, so I can add the credit once I approve it. The docs show how to start.