The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa), a leader in tech entrepreneurship training and early to growth stage startup support, has officially opened applications for its newly evolved Training Program; the MEST AI Startup Program.

This bold redesign of MEST’s flagship Training Program is built to prepare Africa’s most promising tech talents to build, launch, and scale world-class AI startups.

For over 17 years, MEST has 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.

says Emily Fiagbedzi, Director of the MEST AI Startup Program.

The MEST AI Startup Program is a fully-funded, immersive experience hosted in Accra, Ghana that 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 $100, 000 and join the MEST Portfolio.

As MEST Founder Jorn Lyseggen notes,

For the 2026 intake, the program is open to African founders based in West Africa aged 21 – 30 with software development experience who want to start their own AI startup.

Apply here.

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