
### Introducing the Vast.ai Startup Program: AI Infrastructure Without the Burn Rate

Startups can now get [$2,500 in free GPU credits](https://vast.ai/startup) when they move workloads to Vast.ai.

To apply, get in touch with our team to share a bit about your project and compute needs. From there, we'll finalize your credit offer, help you configure the right setup, and get you up and running quickly. You'll also have access to **24/7 priority support** throughout the credit period.

Compute credits apply across Vast.ai's global GPU marketplace, with access to everything from consumer-grade cards to high-end accelerators like A100s and H200s.

The Vast.ai Startup Program gives startups an on-ramp to the same platform that teams rely on well beyond the early stage. That's because Vast.ai is designed to scale alongside you - without long-term commitments or runaway costs.

### Built for Real AI Workloads

From day one, Vast.ai supports the tools and workflows that teams already use. Launch preconfigured environments with Jupyter, Docker, RAPIDS, and Hugging Face to train deep learning models, run large-scale experiments, and process massive datasets on demand.

We offer a growing selection of ready-to-run AI models in our [Model Library](https://vast.ai/model-library), plus thousands of [templates](https://cloud.vast.ai/templates) to get started immediately - or deploy your own custom model anytime. Your team can even collaborate across departments and campuses, avoiding duplicated infrastructure and fragmented workflows.

Most importantly, with Vast.ai, your team can cut costs without cutting capability. Reduce infrastructure expenses by **up to 81%** compared to major cloud GPU providers, while paying only for what you need, when you need it.

Plus, most startups can migrate existing workloads with minimal changes and begin running jobs shortly after approval.

### Secure, Compliant, and Production-Ready

Vast.ai is **SOC 2 Type II** certified and designed to support all of your [security and compliance](https://vast.ai/compliance) needs from the start.

Run workloads in isolated instances with end-to-end encryption and full control over compute environments to keep your sensitive data protected. Our [Secure Cloud](https://cloud.vast.ai/?secure_cloud=true) option lets you filter for GPUs from our vetted datacenter partners for even higher security needs.

Notably, these safeguards support reproducible research via consistent environments, as well as compliance-friendly configurations aligned with GDPR and HIPAA requirements.

With [Vast.ai Serverless](https://vast.ai/article/vast-ai-serverless-automated-gpu-scaling), moving from development to production is even easier. Inference workloads run through a fully serverless API that automatically routes to the most cost-effective GPUs available, according to your performance requirements. This eliminates manual instance management and capacity planning - so you can leverage our distributed GPU fleet with minimal overhead.

### Get Started with Vast.ai Today

For early-stage teams, access to affordable GPU compute is crucial. But there's more to it than that. You also want infrastructure that scales as you grow and supports evolving security and compliance needs - all without locking you into long-term contracts.

The Vast.ai Startup Program helps you get there faster.

[Apply today](https://vast.ai/startup) to get up to 2,500 free compute hours and start building on Vast.ai on your own terms.


Startups can get up to $2,500 in free GPU credits when moving workloads to Vast.ai, with priority support and production-ready infrastructure.

Introducing the Vast.ai Startup Program


Vast.ai is thrilled to announce the launch of our Serverless offering for GPU workloads, enabling automatic, pay-per-use scaling for AI inference without hyperscaler pricing or fixed infrastructure constraints.

With [Vast.ai Serverless](https://vast.ai/products/serverless), users run inference workloads through a fully serverless API on Vast's globally distributed GPU cloud. That means no manual instance management and no capacity planning. Instead, the platform automatically applies predictive optimization and flexible scaling, with access to a diverse GPU fleet -- so teams can deploy production AI systems that scale when needed and yet stay cost-efficient at all times.

How does this serverless model work in practice? Let's take a closer look!

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### Where GPU Cloud Meets Serverless AI

Vast.ai Serverless provides access to a wide range of GPUs, from RTX-class consumer GPUs to enterprise-grade machines like A100s, H100s, and B200s. Rather than managing individual instances, all you have to do is define performance targets, and Vast handles the rest.

Behind the scenes, Vast.ai continuously benchmarks GPUs across a global network of more than **17,000 GPUs hosted by 1,400+ providers in over 500 locations worldwide**. As workloads run, the platform dynamically selects, provisions, and routes jobs to the most efficient hardware available at that moment.

The key is predictive optimization.

### Predictive Optimization Built for Real-World Workloads

Most serverless platforms react to demand after it appears. Vast.ai Serverless goes further.

Our predictive optimization feature analyzes historical usage patterns, real-time load, and ongoing market benchmarking to anticipate demand before it peaks. Based on those signals, the platform **proactively provisions GPU workers** that balance cost and latency -- ready to activate on demand rather than scrambling to scale once performance has already degraded.

These reserve workers help avoid the laggy cold starts and unpredictable costs common with other GPU serverless offerings. Not to mention having to pay for excess GPU capacity that isn't actively being used.

### Multiple Workergroups per Endpoint

Unlike traditional serverless systems that restrict endpoints to a single hardware profile, Vast.ai Serverless [supports multiple Workergroups per Endpoint](https://docs.vast.ai/documentation/serverless/architecture). A Workergroup is a collection of GPU workers that are managed as a logical unit to automatically adjust capacity to meet demand.

In our Serverless offering, each Workergroup in an Endpoint can specify different GPU types or hardware configurations. This lets a single API endpoint serve workloads using whichever Workergroup is most cost-effective or the best fit for your performance targets. For example, lighter requests might route to consumer GPUs, while heavier inference jobs scale onto H100s -- with no manual intervention needed.

In practice, this makes it possible to optimize performance and cost-efficiency in real time within a single deployment. And that brings us to pricing.

### Lowest-Cost Transparent Serverless Pricing

Vast.ai Serverless is the **lowest-cost autoscaling GPU cloud** on the market today.

Our Serverless workloads are billed per second, with support for On-Demand, Interruptible, and Reserved pricing. There are [no tiers and no limits](https://docs.vast.ai/documentation/serverless/pricing) -- and all you need is $5 to get started.

Because Vast draws from a competitive global market of GPU providers, pricing reflects real supply and demand rather than preset SKUs. As demand scales up, Vast.ai Serverless automatically selects the most cost-effective GPUs available. When demand drops, resources are released immediately, and billing stops.

As a result, teams can run production workloads at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional providers with centralized infrastructure. However, lower costs don't mean lower standards. Security and compliance remain core to our platform.

### Enterprise-Ready Security and Compliance

Vast.ai is built with security and compliance as foundational principles. Our platform is backed by **SOC 2 Type II** [certification](https://vast.ai/article/vast-soc2-typeII-certification), with ongoing audits every 12 months to ensure continual coverage.

For customers with the highest security requirements, Vast.ai offers a tiered compliance structure with our [Secure Cloud](https://cloud.vast.ai/?secure_cloud=true) offering. In the Secure Cloud, workloads run on isolated instances with direct SSH, CLI, and API access, hosted by our vetted datacenter partners that meet **ISO 27001** standards at minimum. Many partners maintain additional certifications. (Full details are available on our [compliance page](https://vast.ai/compliance).)

Other enterprise security features -- including private VPN access, optional audit trails, and enterprise-grade compliance support -- can be enabled as needed.

In all cases, data sovereignty remains fully in your control. Models, data, and workloads persist only as long as you choose and can be deleted at any time.

### How to Automatically Scale GPU Compute for AI Inference

With Vast.ai Serverless, you can go from [zero to compute](https://docs.vast.ai/documentation/serverless) in seconds. In short, here's how the process works:

1. Bring your own machine learning model
2. Send an inference request
3. Vast.ai Serverless routes and provisions compute on ready GPUs
4. GPU executes and returns results
5. Serverless predictively scales up and down based on usage

That's all there is to it! From request to response, Vast.ai handles all of the heavy lifting. You also gain access to ample metrics and debugging tools, including logs and Jupyter/SSH.

### Get Started with Vast.ai Serverless

Our Serverless offering makes it easy to run AI inference without managing infrastructure or overpaying for capacity. Vast.ai Serverless gives you a simple and straightforward path from experiment to production -- and it's ready when you are.

Leverage Vast's distributed GPU fleet on your own terms. Check out our [Serverless Overview](https://docs.vast.ai/documentation/serverless) and start building today!


Announcing Vast.ai Serverless for GPU inference with predictive optimization, multi-workergroup endpoints, pay-per-second pricing, and enterprise-grade compliance.

Vast.ai Serverless: Automated GPU Scaling for AI Inference - Without the Overhead


At **Vast.ai**, we believe privacy and security are inextricably woven into our mission to equip customers worldwide with accessible, scalable GPUs. In honor of this commitment, we are pleased to announce that we have achieved **SOC 2 Type II certification** – an independent assurance that with us, your data is secure, reliably available, and continuously protected.

Vast.ai’s Enduring Security Commitment

Earlier this year, our [SOC 2 Type I audit](https://vast.ai/article/vast-ai-achieves-soc-2-type-1-certication) confirmed we have the right internal controls in place to meet trust services criteria for data security, integrity, and privacy. The Type II audit put those controls to the test, evaluating their operational effectiveness over an extended period.

Achieving **SOC 2 Type II certification** is independent validation that the security infrastructure we've built over 6+ years of trusted service continues to meet rigorous [compliance standards](https://vast.ai/article/security-and-compliance-at-vast-ai) in day-to-day execution. This achievement strengthens our ability to support the evolving security needs of enterprises, research institutions, and organizations building on our infrastructure.

Here's a quick look at SOC 2 Type II and what it entails.

### What Is SOC 2 Type II?

System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2\) audits – developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) – protect customer data by rigorously evaluating an organization’s internal controls across security, confidentiality, privacy, and processing integrity benchmarks.

- **Type I** reports provide a control design snapshot at a single point in time.

- **Type II** reports go further, assessing how those controls perform over months of continuous operation – confirming they're both well-designed and consistently implemented.

Achieving both Type I and Type II certifications means your sensitive data is secure, available, and privately stored across all our systems. This establishes a foundation of enduring excellence aligned with rigorous industry standards for all customers, which we can tailor to your unique data security and regulatory compliance needs to scale infrastructure and further reduce risks.

After completing our initial 3-month Type II audit, we’ve launched a standard 12-month cycle to ensure we have no gaps in coverage. This two-phase strategy lets us move fast on improvements, then settle into an annual rhythm of verification. We are now in the 12-month cycle with continuous coverage year round.

### Vast.ai's Secure Cloud Offering

For customers with stricter security and compliance requirements, our [**Secure Cloud**](https://cloud.vast.ai/?secure_cloud=true) offering provides high-security GPU access through our certified datacenter partners. This environment, already backed by stringent operational and security controls, now benefits from the added assurance of a SOC 2 Type II audit across our platform infrastructure.

Our **[Trust Center](https://trust.vast.ai/?utm_source=blog)** offers a deeper look into our controls, compliance stance, FAQs and Subprocessors, and our other compliance certifications provide additional safeguards.

Why This Matters

Earning our **SOC 2 Type II certification** is another step forward in strengthening our foundation of trust and security that our customers rely on every day. It reflects both our adherence to proven industry practices and our ongoing commitment to transparency.

This achievement isn't the end of our compliance journey – it's part of an ongoing initiative. Vast.ai will undergo SOC 2 Type II audits every 12 months to ensure continual coverage.

Additionally, we've requested an [**SOC 3 report**](https://www.aicpa-cima.com/topic/audit-assurance/audit-and-assurance-greater-than-soc-3), which will provide a publicly available summary of our security posture for those who want to review our controls without accessing the full SOC 2 report.

### Our Ongoing Commitment

Achieving the **SOC 2 Type II certification** is a crucial step in our compliance roadmap as we continue to build trustworthy and dependable GPU infrastructure for our users. Alongside other security and [compliance measures](https://vast.ai/compliance) across cloud and AI services, such as our [SOC 2 Type I certification](https://vast.ai/article/vast-ai-achieves-soc-2-type-1-certication) and [Vulnerability Bounty Program](https://vast.ai/article/announcing-the-vast-ai-vulnerability-bounty-program), we are weaving security and trust throughout our platform for every member of our community.

Through this integrated approach, we’re dedicated to protecting the privacy and integrity of the data entrusted to us by developers, researchers, and enterprise teams around the world. We take this responsibility seriously as a distributed peer-to-peer platform powering global compute, and we look forward to sharing future updates as we continue to advance our security and compliance roadmap.

For more information on Vast.ai's comprehensive security and compliance stance, or to request a copy of our SOC 2 reports, please contact us at [compliance@vast.ai](mailto:compliance@vast.ai).

Thank you to our team at Vast.ai and our audit partners for helping us achieve this milestone.

We’re committed to protecting your data and upholding the trust you place in us, and we’ll keep you updated on our ongoing progress in our mission to provide powerful, dependable GPUs.


Vast.ai has achieved SOC 2 Type II certification, demonstrating our commitment to enterprise-grade security, data protection, and compliance. Learn about our comprehensive security controls, Secure Cloud offering, and ongoing compliance roadmap that ensures your data remains secure and protected.

Vast.ai Achieves SOC 2 Type II Certification


We're pleased to announce that Vast.ai has successfully completed the SOC 2 Type I audit, a significant milestone as we continue to deliver secure and scalable GPU compute to a global user base.

Security remains central to everything we do here at Vast.ai. We've spent the past 6+ years delivering reliable service worldwide while meeting the [highest standards](https://vast.ai/article/security-and-compliance-at-vast-ai) of regulatory compliance. 

### Vast.ai’s Secure Cloud Offering

Our [Trust Center](https://trust.vast.ai/) includes additional information about our controls, compliance stance, FAQs and Subprocessors.

For customers with heightened security and compliance requirements, our [**Secure Cloud**](https://cloud.vast.ai/?secure_cloud=true) offering provides access to GPUs hosted exclusively by our certified datacenter partners. This environment already delivers an added layer of assurance – now further backed by an independent SOC 2 audit on our platform infrastructure.

Achieving **SOC 2 Type I certification** is a clear validation of the controls we've built to protect customer data and ensure the integrity of our infrastructure.

Here's a brief overview of SOC 2 Type I and what it entails.

### What Is SOC 2 Type I?

Put simply, SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2\) compliance assesses an organization's security measures. The audit determines whether internal controls are appropriately designed to meet [trust services criteria](https://www.aicpa-cima.com/topic/audit-assurance/audit-and-assurance-greater-than-soc-2) – covering areas like security, confidentiality, privacy, and processing integrity – in order to safeguard customer data.

Developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the SOC 2 Type I report is essentially a detailed snapshot evaluating the design and implementation of these controls at a specific point in time. Its goal is to ensure that security measures meet rigorous industry standards.

### Why This Matters

Our SOC 2 Type I certification affirms to our customers and partners that we've put strong, well-designed controls in place to protect their data and maintain operational reliability. We take data security seriously and follow industry-recognized best practices.

The Type I audit is only the first step in a broader compliance roadmap. We are currently preparing for the SOC 2 Type II audit, which evaluates how effectively internal controls perform over an extended period. That assessment will validate that we maintain our security practices consistently, both in design and in day-to-day execution.

We're also advancing our compliance efforts across other standards, to help us better serve organizations with strict regulatory requirements.

### Our Ongoing Commitment

Earning this SOC 2 Type I certification reflects our commitment to protecting the privacy and integrity of the data entrusted to us by developers, researchers, and organizations worldwide. As a distributed peer-to-peer platform powering global compute, we take our responsibility seriously. This certification is one step in our ongoing effort to provide users with infrastructure they can trust. 

For more about security and compliance at Vast.ai as well as our datacenter partners, please see our previous post [here](https://vast.ai/article/security-and-compliance-at-vast-ai). To request a copy of our SOC 2 report, feel free to contact us anytime at [compliance@vast.ai](mailto:compliance@vast.ai).

A huge thank-you to our team at Vast.ai and the audit partners who helped us reach this milestone\! 

We'll keep raising the bar – and keep you updated as we do.



Vast.ai has achieved SOC 2 Type I certification, reinforcing its commitment to data security and trusted infrastructure. Learn what this means for users and what’s next on their compliance roadmap.

Posts about: Compliance

Introducing the Vast.ai Startup Program

Vast.ai Serverless: Automated GPU Scaling for AI Inference - Without the Overhead

Vast.ai Achieves SOC 2 Type II Certification

Vast.ai Achieves SOC 2 Type I Certification