Meta’s AI Academy Kenya applications close today, with KSh1 million in funding for two startups

Kenyan startups and developers building with AI have until today, September 30, to apply for the Meta AI Academy Kenya Pitchathon, a new programme that will award $8,000 in equity-free funding to two winning teams.

The programme will shortlist 10 teams to pitch their products in Nairobi. The winner will receive $5,000, about KSh650,000, while the first runner-up will get $3,000, roughly KSh390,000. Both will also receive Meta advertising credits and invitations to the company's Regional AI Summit in Istanbul in November.

Applications close today at 11:59 PM East Africa Time, leaving founders with only a few hours to submit their applications.

Apply for the Meta AI Academy Kenya Pitchathon

Ten teams will make the pitch

The Pitchathon is open to Kenyan startups and developers using Meta's AI technologies to build products or tackle practical problems. Applications are not restricted to companies that have already raised funding or reached a particular stage, with the programme accepting teams at different points in their development. The organisers are looking for products and ideas that make use of Meta's AI technology and have a defined problem they are trying to solve.

Once applications close, 10 teams will be shortlisted for the live Pitchathon in Nairobi. The selected teams are expected to be notified by October 8, with the pitch event scheduled for October 16. Each finalist will present their product before the two winners are selected. There is no application fee, although finalists will be responsible for their own travel to Nairobi.

The funding comes without an equity requirement, so the winning teams will not have to give up a stake in their companies in exchange for the awards. Meta will also provide advertising credits to the two winners, although the programme has not disclosed their monetary value. Both teams will additionally receive invitations to Meta's Regional AI Summit in Istanbul in November; the programme information does not specify whether travel and accommodation for the summit will be covered.

The Pitchathon is part of a wider AI programme

The funding competition is one part of AI Academy Kenya, a broader programme launched by Meta and This Is Digital to expand access to AI training among Kenyan students, professionals, entrepreneurs and developers.

Alongside the Pitchathon, the programme includes an eight-week online AI Masterclass with 300 places. The course will cover AI fundamentals and prompt engineering, research and knowledge work, creative AI, documents and reporting, audio and video, productivity and workflow automation, as well as responsible AI, governance and ethics. The Masterclass is scheduled to begin on November 3, while its application window remains open beyond today's Pitchathon deadline.

People interested in the training programme therefore have more time to apply. The current application information lists October 15, 2026 as the deadline for the Masterclass, while founders and developers seeking a place in the Pitchathon have until tonight.

This Is Digital, which is based in Nairobi, says it has trained more than 800 AI professionals across 11 countries. Founded in 2025 by Gregory Wanjama and Grace Murugi, the company focuses on AI training and transformation for individuals and organisations.