More than an academy or an incubator, MEST Africa is a large community catalyzing tech entrepreneurship in Africa. It is committed to innovation to build a promising tech ecosystem on the continent.  

In the rapidly growing African tech landscape, MEST Africa is undoubtedly one of the notable incubators and communities advancing things. Founded in 2008 by Jorn Lyseggen, founder of the Meltwater Foundation, it trains and supports the most promising technology entrepreneurs, opening up new avenues for innovation and economic growth.

It is based in Accra, with centers in Lagos, Cape Town, and Nairobi. It is all by itself an Africa-wide technology entrepreneur training program, an in-house seed fund, and a network of incubation centers for African tech startups. It provides African technology entrepreneurs with technology training, financing, and support in software development and business and communications. 

MEST Africa's year-long training program is designed to create an immersive, hands-on learning experience. Students are exposed to a balanced combination of theoretical courses, practical projects, and company internships. Its members have access to a global network of experts knowledgeable in subjects like sales, engineering, marketing, and more. 

As an incubator, it supports graduates who have successfully convinced its Board of Directors of the prospects of their startups. These graduates receive seed funding and are allowed to access a collaborative workspace and experienced mentors to guide them through their entrepreneurial journey. 

The tech entrepreneurship support agency also regularly organizes, in collaboration with its partners (GIZ, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Samsung, Mastercard, and Impact Lab, among others), events, conferences, and workshops to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities between entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals. One of its initiatives is Edtech Monday, a weekly show broadcasted live on Facebook and on CITI FM (Ghana) every Monday. 

MEST Africa's impact has an undeniable impact on the African tech ecosystem. Since its creation, it has trained over 1,000 tech entrepreneurs and financed more than 80 companies, helping create over 750 jobs on the continent. It boasts support to startups in sectors like e-commerce, agritech, fintech, healthcare technology, edtech, AI, and more.

The next cohort of its training program, consisting of 60 students as usual, will start in August 2023.

Melchior Koba