Meta has announced the winners of its 2025 Llama Impact Program Accelerator, granting $200,000 in funding to 12 AI startups from Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa. The program supports innovative AI solutions tackling key challenges across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Meta Llama Impact Accelerator 2025 brought together early-stage startups harnessing Meta’s large language model, Llama, to address issues in sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, public safety, and public service delivery.
Over 1,400 applications were received, with 40 startups shortlisted across the four countries.From Nigeria, MARMAR secured first place with $25,000 for its AI-based electronic medical record platform aimed at eliminating medication errors in hospitals and homes.
Purple Labs earned $15,000 for MediSync, an AI-powered diagnostic tool enhancing patient care.
DAWN AI Study received $10,000 for developing AI-powered tools supporting inclusive early education and emotional-cognitive learning.
Senegal’s winners include Kajou, gaining $25,000 for offline AI-driven e-learning targeting community health workers, while SamaCoach and LOOKA Research were awarded $15,000 and $10,000 respectively for health fitness programs and market intelligence platforms based on AI.
South African startups like eFama, CatalyzU, and Four Minute Medicine secured prizes totaling $50,000 for AI-powered marketplaces, workforce skill alignment, and medical error reduction training tools.
Kenya’s top winners DPE, Esheria Ventures, and Neural Labs Africa focus on AI-driven public health messaging, digital paralegal services, and AI radiology tools respectively.The program culminated in Demo Day events that showcased these innovators and provided intensive business and technical mentorship, positioning them to scale impact across the continent.
The winning startups will pitch for an additional $100,000 regional prize at the AI Summit 2025 in Dubai, with support from Meta including technical resources and investor introductions.
