Meta has selected five innovative startups from Sub-Saharan Africa as winners of its Llama Impact Grant, a program designed to apply the company’s open-source large language model (LLM), Llama, to real-world regional challenges. The announcement was made at the UN General Assembly’s Unstoppable Africa 2025 event in New York, reinforcing Meta’s commitment to supporting Africa’s fast-growing AI ecosystem.
Each winning startup receives $20,000 in funding, as well as access to technical mentorship, policy networks, and industry stakeholders. The initiative, launched globally in October 2023 and expanded to Africa in March 2025 in partnership with Data Science Africa, is aimed at scaling solutions in healthcare, agriculture, education, and digital inclusion.
Startups from South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda Take 2025 Grant Spotlight
- Vambo AI (South Africa)
Led by Chido Dzinotyiwei, Vambo AI is building multilingual AI infrastructure to support more than 60 African languages. The platform develops both proprietary and open-source models for translation, transcription, search, and text generation. By treating language as essential digital infrastructure, Vambo AI is working to accelerate inclusion and innovation across Africa’s diverse linguistic communities. - PropelMapper (South Africa)
Founded by Reghardt Adriaan Pretorius and Mark Donne, PropelMapper equips agricultural advisors with AI-powered tools. These include farmer-specific podcasts, automatically generated professional reports, and satellite-driven intervention alerts using Llama models. The platform supports food security by boosting farmer productivity and providing timely insights for agricultural development. - Radease (Nigeria)
Co-founded by Taiwo Oyewole, Radease focuses on safe access to medicines in underserved regions. Using a WhatsApp-based AI system, the startup empowers Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) with verified health information and guidance. The solution improves access to trusted medical resources and aims to reduce the risks posed by counterfeit or unsafe drugs. - TeenApp (Uganda)
Developed at Makerere University’s AI and Data Science Center under the leadership of Rahman Sanya, TeenApp delivers accurate and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health education. Guided by principles of Responsible AI, the app tackles sensitive health topics for young people, ensuring accessibility, trust, and reliability in digital health services. - Easy Read Africa (Rwanda)
Founded by Isaac Manzi, Easy Read Africa transforms complex documents into simplified formats, combining text, visuals, and natural voice narration. The platform is designed for people with cognitive and learning challenges, making vital information accessible in ways that enhance inclusion and independence.
Strengthening Africa’s AI Ecosystem
Meta emphasized that these winners reflect the vibrant innovation potential in Africa. According to Sherry Dzinoreva, Meta’s Director of Public Policy for Africa, Middle East, and Turkey, the program demonstrates how open-source AI can empower startups to address pressing societal issues.
“We received an incredible number of applications this year, reflecting the vibrant and growing AI ecosystem across Africa. These projects exemplify the spirit of innovation and impact that the Llama Impact Grant stands for. We are excited to support their journeys and look forward to seeing the positive change they will bring to their communities and beyond,” Dzinoreva said.
Since its launch in 2023, the Llama Impact Grant has drawn more than 800 applications from over 90 countries, with past beneficiaries including projects in agriculture and maternal health. Meta’s family of Llama AI models has now been downloaded over one billion times worldwide, with the latest version, Llama 4, remaining open source and freely available for organizations to build upon.
By investing in AI-driven solutions tailored to Africa’s unique challenges, Meta aims to strengthen local ecosystems while proving that open-source models can scale practical impact in healthcare, education, agriculture, and digital accessibility.
As these startups begin implementing their projects, the spotlight is now on how tools like Llama can power inclusive digital transformation across Africa.
