Meta gifts 12 AI startups from Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal and SA $200,000

Meta has announced the winners for its impact programme grants, listing Nigeria among the top African countries to be selected. 

The Meta Llama Impact Program Accelerator 2025 brought together some of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most promising founders using Llama, Meta’s large language model, to address real challenges in healthcare, education, agriculture, public safety, and public services.

The winners from Nigeria include:

• First place: MARMAR won with a $25,000 prize. It is building an AI-native electronic medical record and mobile platform that will eliminate medication errors in hospitals and homes.
• Second place: Purple Labs with a $15,000 prize. It is developing MediSync, an AI-powered diagnostic tool to transform patient care. 
• Third place: DAWN AI Study with a $10,000 prize. It is redefining inclusive learning through AI-powered early assessment and emotional-cognitive support.

The winners from Senegal include:

• First Place: Kajou won with a $25,000 prize. The startup delivers offline AI-powered e-learning for community health workers through the kSANTÉ platform.
• Second place: SamaCoach with a $15,000 prize. The startup promotes public health through AI-driven fitness and wellness programs.
• Third place: LOOKA Research with a $10,000 prize, bridging Africa’s data gap with an AI-powered market intelligence platform. 

The winners from South Africa include:

• First Place: eFama won with a $25,000 prize. It connects farmers and buyers through an AI-powered marketplace and fair-pricing engine.
• Second place: CatalyzU with a $15,000 prize. The startup uses AI to align workforce skills and training with business goals.
• Third place: Four Minute Medicine with a $10,000 prize. It uses microlearning and AI simulations to reduce medical errors in healthcare training.

The winners from Kenya include:

• First Place: DPE won with a $25,000 prize. It transforms public health communication through localised, AI-driven messaging.
• Second place: Esheria Ventures with a $15,000 prize. It is developing Kenya’s first multilingual “digital paralegal.”
• Third place: Neural Labs Africa with a $10,000 prize. The startup is bridging diagnostic gaps through AI-powered radiology and teleradiology tools.

Speaking on the awards, Balkissa Ide Siddo, Director for Public Policy across SSA at Meta, said:

“The Meta Llama Impact Accelerator 2025 has been instrumental in fostering a new wave of AI innovation across Sub-Saharan Africa, in close collaboration with national ministries and local partners. We are incredibly proud of the solutions developed by these startups, which demonstrate the immense potential of AI to address critical challenges in healthcare, education, agriculture, public services, and public safety within their communities and beyond.”

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About the Meta Impact Program

The Meta Llama Impact Accelerator 2025 demonstrates how innovation and cross-sector partnerships can help shape an inclusive AI future that reflects local realities and drives meaningful progress across the continent.

The program culminated in Demo Day events across Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa. It showcased great ideas and announced national winners who received a combined funding of $50,000. 

During the application process, it received more than 1,400 applications from across the region, with 40 startups selected across Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa. 

For over six weeks, participants engaged in tailored business sessions to refine go-to-market strategies and strengthen scalability, technical workshops with Meta engineers, and mentorship from AI specialists, investors, and business coaches. 

According to Meta, the top winners from each country in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will pitch at the AI Summit 2025 in Dubai on November 3rd to 4th, 2025, competing for up to $100,000 in regional funding. 

Beyond the Demo Day, participating startups will benefit from a six-month post-program support phase. This includes specialised workshops, early access to Meta tools and resources, and investor connections, helping them continue to refine, scale, and bring their AI solutions to market.

They would also benefit from business advisory, technical assistance, and ecosystem exposure to help them scale their impact.