The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, a pan-African 12-month training and seed-funding program.
- The offer:
- $100k per company
- Location:
- Nairobi (also Accra, Cape Town, Lagos), Kenya
- Duration:
- 30 weeks
What you need to qualify
- Aged 21 to 35
- Bachelor's degree, diploma, or equivalent experience
- Demonstrated software development experience, basic understanding of AI, strong interest in entrepreneurship
- West or East African national
- Fully committed for up to 12 months (7-month training plus 4-month incubation) plus desire to pursue entrepreneurship full-time afterward
- Able to commit to full-time, in-person participation in Ghana, because the training is fully residential in Accra
Eligibility
- Eligible stages
- All stages
- Countries
- Global, subject to the provider’s eligibility and approval
How to apply
- 1
Pass the eligibility screening
The first stage is a program eligibility screening against the published age, nationality, education and software development criteria.
- 2
Create an account on the application portal
Applications are submitted through MEST's SM Apply portal at mestaistartupprogram.smapply.us. You must create an account or sign in before the form itself is visible.
- 3
Submit the general application and video
The second stage is a general application together with a video submission.
- 4
Complete the assessment
Shortlisted applicants take an assessment.
- 5
Attend the in-person group challenge
In-person stages are held in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya. Interviews for the Class of 2027 were scheduled for early October 2026.
- 6
Sit the individual in-person interview
The final stage is an individual in-person interview. MEST confirms admission by email only.
- 7
Relocate to Accra for the training
Training runs January to August 2027 in Accra, Ghana, and is fully residential and full-time. Graduation is August 2027 and the incubation phase for selected ventures runs September to December 2027.