Two Kenyan AI startups, Neural Labs Africa and Me-Nasoma, have won the inaugural Meta AI Academy Kenya Pitchathon, each receiving $5,000 (about KSh 645,000) in equity-free funding along with Meta advertising credits.
The competition, run by Meta with Nairobi AI training company This Is Digital, drew more than 426 applications. Ten finalists pitched to judges, presenting products across healthcare, education, financial services, retail and legal technology.
Both winners have also been invited to present at Meta’s Regional AI Summit in Istanbul, Türkiye, on 24 November.
Reading scans remotely
Neural Labs Africa won for NeuralSight, an AI-enabled tele-radiology platform that connects healthcare facilities with remote medical specialists. The platform supports interpretation and reporting of medical images, and is designed to work in facilities with limited internet connectivity.
Turning text into audio
Me-Nasoma has built an accessibility platform that converts written documents and web pages into audio. It runs on mobile and web, including as a Chrome browser extension, and is aimed at learners and others who struggle with conventional text-based content.
Beyond the prize
The programme also offers mentorship and industry support intended to help participating startups turn their products into commercially viable businesses.
Sarah Muyonga, Meta’s public policy manager for East and Horn of Africa, said the company’s partnerships with government and local ecosystem organisations are widening access to AI skills, tools and opportunities in Kenya.
For both winners, the test now is whether the funding and visibility translate into sustained growth, wider adoption and measurable impact.
