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Application Deadline: 20th July, 2026
Applications are now open for the 2027 MEST AI Startup Program. The fully-funded 12-month program is designed for ambitious founders across West and East Africa ready to build with those shaping what’s next. Over 7 months, you will form a team, validate a real AI business idea, build and deploy an MVP, and learn directly from world-class practitioners at Google, Meta, OpenAI, and beyond. The most promising ventures go further, entering a four-month incubation phase focused on scaling, acquiring real customers, and pitching for pre-seed investment.
Requirements
Education: Bachelor’s degree, diploma, or equivalent experience
Age: 21-35
Experience: Demonstrated software development experience, basic understanding of AI, strong interest in entrepreneurship
Mindset: Entrepreneurial, innovative, problem-solving, lifelong learner, ready for high-intensity startup environment
Citizenship: West or East African citizen. (Note: Nationals outside of our core recruitment countries of Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Kenya must be able, at their own cost, to travel to one of the core countries for in-person interviews, if shortlisted.)
Availability: Fully committed for up to 12 months (7-month training + 4-month incubation) plus desire to pursue entrepreneurship full-time afterward
Preferred Skills
Strong ability to work in cross-functional and cross-cultural teams
Experience in AI innovation
Interest in global market expansion
Previous entrepreneurial experience
Benefits
The MEST AI Startup Program is fully-sponsored and requires no financial payments to MEST.
This is a full-time residential program that requires you to commit to full participation for a minimum of 7 months of training and, if selected, an additional 4 months of incubation.
Program Details
The MEST AI Startup Program Journey:
From Idea to Investment
January – July : Training
For all accepted participants
AI software development and business fundamentals with experts and industry leaders
Team formation with a Pan-African cohort
Idea validation and testing through customer feedback
MVP development and testing
August: Graduation & Incubation Transition
For all participants
End of training pitch for entry into incubation
All participants graduate from the Training portion of the program
Select ventures transition to incubation
September – December : Incubation
For selected ventures
Market testing and real-world feedback
Product and business model iteration
Product deployment, user acquisition, and growth strategy
Mentorship from industry leaders and experts
Roadmap development for scale and sustainability
Pitch for pre-seed investment
January: Pre-Seed Investment
For high-performing ventures
Transition to MEST Portfolio
Receive up to $100,000 in pre-seed investment
Continued support to grow and scale with MEST
Incubation Program
four-month incubation program is for a select number of high-potential AI ventures from the training program. The focus is on turning MVPs into market-ready AI products, securing customers, and scaling operations.
By the end of incubation, each startup will have a fully functional AI product deployed to the market, validated business model, and users/customers, ready for investment with funding strategies plan in place, a road map for growth.
Key Elements of the Incubation Experience:
Expert-guided execution
Global AI & business mentors embedded
Customer & market Focus
Real-world traction & validation
Investor & partner Engagement
Market-ready startups
Application Timeline
Applications Open: 19th May, 2026
Applications Close: 20th July, 2026
In-person Group Challenge & Individual Interviews: Early October 2026
Contracts Issued: Mid-October 2026
For More Information: