Authentication

Getting started

Authentication

The API uses bearer keys. Create a key in your account, then send it in the Authorization header on every request.

Get a key

  1. Open My Account → API.
  2. Create a key (up to three per account). Name it for the integration it powers.
  3. Copy it once. For security the full value is shown only at creation time.

Send the key

cURL
curl "https://www.startuphub.ai/api/v1/startups?q=anthropic" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_your_key_here"

Keep keys secret

Treat a key like a password. Never commit it to a repo or expose it in client-side code. If a key leaks, rotate it from the API tab and the old value stops working immediately.

Without a key

A small set of tools (email validate, logo lookup, agent-readiness, trends) work unauthenticated at a low daily rate so you can try them. For anything billed per credit, or for higher limits, attach a key. Agents that cannot hold a key can pay per call with x402.

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