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

The top winners from each country in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will pitch at the AI Summit 2025 in Dubai on November 3–4, 2025, competing for up to $100,000 in regional funding. Details of the winners are:

Nigeria:

• 1st Place [$25,000]: MARMAR – Building an AI-native electronic medical record and mobile platform to eliminate medication errors in hospitals and homes.
• 2nd Place [$15,000]: Purple Labs – Developing MediSync, an AI-powered diagnostic tool to transform patient care.
• 3rd Place: [$10,000]: DAWN AI Study – Redefining inclusive learning through AI-powered early assessment and emotional-cognitive support.

Senegal:

• 1st Place [$25,000]: Kajou – Delivering offline AI-powered e-learning for community health workers through the kSANTÉ platform.
• 2nd Place [$15,000]: SamaCoach – Promoting public health through AI-driven fitness and wellness programs.
• 3rd Place [$10,000]: LOOKA Research – Bridging Africa’s data gap with an AI-powered market intelligence platform.

South Africa:

• 1st Place [$25,000]: eFama – Connecting farmers and buyers through an AI-powered marketplace and fair-pricing engine.
• 2nd Place [$15,000]: CatalyzU – Using AI to align workforce skills and training with business goals.
• 3rd Place [$10,000]: Four Minute Medicine – Using microlearning and AI simulations to reduce medical errors in healthcare training.

Kenya:

• 1st Place [$25,000]: DPE – Transforming public health communication through localized, AI-driven messaging.
• 2nd Place [$15,000]: Esheria Ventures – Developing Kenya’s first multilingual “digital paralegal.”
• 3rd Place [$10,000]: Neural Labs Africa – Bridging diagnostic gaps through AI-powered radiology and teleradiology tools.

Beyond Demo Day, all participating startups will continue to receive six months of post-program support, including business advisory, technical assistance, and ecosystem exposure to help them scale their impact.

“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” said Balkissa Ide Siddo, director for Public Policy across SSA at Meta. “We are incredibly proud of the groundbreaking 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.”

The accelerator received more than 1,400 applications from across the region, with 40 startups selected across Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa.

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.

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

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 campaign will highlight the stories of Small and Medium Business owners in Africa, and help them and others like them learn more about business growth opportunities available with the WhatsApp Business app through a virtual educational webinar.

Commenting on the launch of the WhatsAppreneurs campaign, Balkissa Ide Siddo, Public Policy Director for Africa said “Across Africa, small and medium business owners are using the WhatsApp Business app  to develop their business, showcase their products, close sales, and connect with their customers.

The WhatsApp Business app provides a tool to help businesses thrive in their markets, reach more customers, and grow their businesses consistently. We are delighted to be a part of the success stories of small businesses who are so important to communities across Africa.”

As SMB’s represent a sizable percentage of the economic population demonstrating great potential for growth, opportunity creation, and overcoming poverty post-pandemic, there is a need to provide support through digital tools to help them scale.

The WhatsAppreneur campaign serves the purpose of providing the resources businesses need to unlock their growth potential and help build a more resilient, inclusive, and empowered society.

In addition to helping businesses grow, the WhatsApp Business app also provides an opportunity for businesses to create a much deeper and stronger relationship with their customers, often starting with real-time 1:1 conversations via chat, unlike transactional phone calls or SMSs.

The WhatsApp Business app is free and allows users to create a business catalogue on WhatsApp that can be viewed by users from anywhere.

SMB owners can download the WhatsApp Business App and start the journey towards growing their business.