The MEST AI Startup Program has selected seven ventures to advance from its training phase into incubation, following seven months of product development, customer validation and business training.

The selected startups span food and health, data infrastructure, financial compliance, maternal healthcare, mobility, agriculture and AI infrastructure. Their products target practical challenges across African markets, with AI integrated into areas ranging from regulatory compliance to public transport and healthcare.

The Chosen Seven

• Skan (FoodTech) is building a food and health data layer for Africa. Its app turns a shopping list or food scan into condition-specific guidance for people managing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, while generating data on how African foods affect African health.
• AfrikLang (DataTech) is building data infrastructure for AI development. The platform turns native-language voice data into production-ready, commercially licensed AI training datasets on demand, with continuous improvement over time.
• CyberPlug (RegTech) is developing a compliance platform for financial institutions. The platform automates evidence mapping across frameworks such as ISO 27001, the Data Protection Act and the Bank of Ghana Cyber and Information Security Directive, helping institutions demonstrate regulatory readiness.
• Omaya Care (HealthTech) is building a voice-first postpartum care service. Its AI voice agent, Oma, calls mothers at home during the first year after birth to check on their health and their baby, and refers higher-risk cases to hospitals or a network of midwives, lactation consultants and mental health specialists.
• Urbans Africa / Trotro.Digital (MobilityTech) is building digital infrastructure for informal transport. Trotro.Digital provides commuters with real-time route information, helps drivers improve their earnings and gives transport unions a digital control tower to monitor, coordinate and optimize their networks.
• Digba (AgriTech) is developing a compliance platform for West African agro-exporters. The platform identifies missing documents, inconsistencies and regulatory gaps, reducing manual work, improving audit readiness and helping exporters maintain access to international markets.
• RodiumAI (AI Access Infrastructure) is building AI infrastructure for African developers. Through a single OpenAI-compatible API, developers access more than 80 AI models and pay through Mobile Money, removing international card barriers and simplifying access to AI models.

During incubation, the seven ventures will test their products in the market, refine their business models, acquire users and develop growth plans. The phase will culminate in an investment pitch, with high-performing ventures eligible to join the MEST portfolio and receive up to $100,000 in pre-seed investment.