MEST AI Startup Program

The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) AI Startup Program is a seven-month intensive training and incubation experience hosted in Accra that equips African AI entrepreneurs with technical, business, and leadership skills, with top-performing teams advancing to a four-month incubation phase and the opportunity to pitch for up to $100,000 in pre-seed investment. In 2025, MEST officially opened applications for its 2026 intake with a sharp focus on AI, offering a fully-funded, immersive program that includes hands-on AI development, mentorship from global experts at OpenAI, Perplexity, and Google, and a clear pathway from idea validation to MVP development and investor readiness.