The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST), a leader in tech entrepreneurship training and early-to-growth-stage startup support, has opened applications for the second edition of the MEST AI Startup Programme.
MEST, a pan-African software and entrepreneurship training programme, seed fund, and incubator, has for the last 18 years trained and supported software entrepreneurs across the continent, contributing to Africa’s innovation economy.
Now, as artificial intelligence transforms industries at a very rapid pace, MEST is positioning Africa’s tech entrepreneurs at the forefront of this shift. Disrupt Africa reported last year on how it had redesigned its flagship programme to prepare Africa’s most promising tech talents to build, launch, and scale world-class AI startups.
The MEST AI Startup Programme is a fully-funded, immersive experience hosted in Accra, Ghana, which equips Africa’s most promising AI entrepreneurs with the technical, business, and leadership skills to build and scale globally competitive startups.
Over an intensive seven-month training phase, founders receive hands-on instruction, technical mentorship, and business coaching from global experts while developing AI-powered solutions to real-world challenges.
The top ventures then advance to a four-month incubation period, where they refine their products, secure market traction, and sharpen their go-to-market strategies. At the end of incubation, startups have an opportunity to pitch for pre-seed investment of up to US$100, 000 and join the MEST portfolio.
“AI technology is advancing at an extraordinary pace, and meaningful participation in the global AI economy requires more than access to tools, it requires the ability to build,” said Emily Fiagbedzi, AI Startup Programme director.
“This programme is designed to help talented African founders develop solutions to real challenges while positioning them to compete globally. We are excited to support the next generation of African AI founders through training delivered by some of the most knowledgeable experts in the industry from organizations including OpenAI, Perplexity, Google, and Meltwater.”
For the 2027 intake, the programme is open to African founders based in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Kenya aged 21–35 with software development experience who want to start their own AI startup. Applications are open here.
