Meta Launches Llama Startup Program to Boost AI Innovation

Meta launches program to encourage startups to use its Llama AI models | TechCrunch

Meta is launching a new program to incentivize startups to adopt its Llama AI models. The program, Llama for Startups, provides companies "direct support" from Meta's Llama team, as well as funding in certain cases. Any U.S.-based firm that is incorporated, has raised less than $10 million in funding, has at least one developer on staff, and is building generative AI applications is eligible to apply by the May 30 deadline. "Members may receive up to $6,000 per month for up to six months to help them offset the costs of building and enhancing their generative AI solutions," Meta wrote in a blog post. "Our experts will work closely with them to get started and explore advanced use cases of Llama that could benefit their startups." The launch of the Llama startup program comes as Meta tries to cement its lead in the fiercely competitive open model space. While the tech giant's Llama models have racked up more than a billion downloads to date, rivals such as DeepSeek, Google, and Alibaba's Qwen threaten to upend Meta's efforts to establish a far-reaching model ecosystem. Not helping matters, Llama has suffered several setbacks over the past few months. The Wall Street Journal last week reported Meta has delayed the rollout of a flagship AI model, Llama 4 Behemoth, over concerns the model underperforms on key benchmarks. In April, Meta had to fend off allegations that it cheated on a popular crowdsourced AI benchmark, LM Arena. The company used a version of its Llama 4 Maverick model "optimized for conversationality" to achieve a high score on LM Arena, but released a different version of Maverick publicly. Meta has huge ambitions for Llama -- and its broader generative AI portfolio. Last year, the company made a prediction its generative AI products would rake in $2 billion to $3 billion in revenue in 2025, and between $460 billion and $1.4 trillion by 2035. Meta has revenue-sharing agreements with some companies that host its Llama models. The company recently launched an API for customizing Llama releases. And Meta AI, the company's AI assistant powered by Llama, may eventually show ads and offer a subscription with additional features, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during the company's Q1 earnings call. These products have proven costly to build. In 2024, Meta's "GenAI" budget was more than $900 million, and this year, it could exceed $1 billion. That's not including the infrastructure needed to run and train the models. Meta previously said it plans to spend $60 billion to $80 billion on capital expenditures in 2025, primarily on new data centers.

Introducing the Llama Startup Program

We're excited to announce the Llama Startup Program, a new initiative to empower early-stage startups to innovate and build generative AI applications with Llama. Members of the Llama Startup Program will receive resources and support from Llama experts along their journey, including help getting started with Llama and resources necessary to succeed and thrive in a competitive and fast-moving landscape. Early-stage startups are agile and creative, making them uniquely positioned to accelerate high-impact innovation with Llama. In a recent Linux Foundation study, 94% of organizations say they've already adopted AI tools and models, and of those, 89% are using some form of open source technology -- such as Llama -- in their AI infrastructure. We want to give our Llama Startup Program members a competitive edge by offering direct support from the Llama team and may help to fund their use of Llama models. We hope this support accelerates their development process and enhances their ability to deliver innovative solutions. We've seen how our Llama Impact Grants have helped recipients innovate and deliver economic opportunity, and we believe that supporting developers through the Llama Startup Program will help early-stage startups take flight.

The Llama for Startups initiative could fuel a whole new wave of GenAI apps

Meta has announced a new program called Llama for Startups, designed to encourage early-stage companies to build applications using its Llama AI models. The initiative aims to provide startups with direct support from Meta's Llama team and, in some cases, funding to offset the costs of development. To be eligible for Llama for Startups, a company must be U.S.-based, incorporated, have raised less than $10 million in funding, employ at least one developer, and be actively building generative AI applications. Applications for the program are being accepted until May 30. "Members may receive up to $6,000 per month for up to six months to help them offset the costs of building and enhancing their generative AI solutions," Meta stated in its blog post. "Our experts will work closely with them to get started and explore advanced use cases of Llama that could benefit their startups." Selected participants may receive up to $6,000 per month for six months to assist in building and improving their generative AI solutions. Meta Threads just got a little bit X-ier This launch is part of Meta's broader efforts to establish and maintain a leading position in the competitive AI model space. The company's Llama models have already garnered significant traction, with over a billion downloads to date.

Meta launches Llama Startup Program: What is it, benefits and other details

Startups that join the Llama Startup Program can receive up to $6,000 per month for six months. Meta has announced a new initiative called the Llama Startup Program, designed to support early-stage startups looking to build generative AI applications. Meta's new program aims to give startups the boost they need to create impactful AI-powered solutions without worrying too much about costs or technical hurdles. The program will provide startups with hands-on support, technical resources, and even financial help to speed up their development process. Let's take a close look at the details of the Llama Startup Program. The Llama Startup Program is Meta's way of helping small, newly established companies. The program offers selected startups a chance to work closely with Meta's Llama experts, explore different ways to use the models, and receive funding support. Also read: OpenAI to acquire iPhone designer Jony Ive's startup to make next gen AI device Startups that join the Llama Startup Program can receive up to $6,000 per month for six months to cover the cost of using Llama through cloud-based APIs. In addition to funding, startups will receive direct technical assistance from Meta's Llama team. "Our experts will work closely with them to get started and explore advanced use cases of Llama that could benefit their startups. This direct access to technical expertise ensures that developers can effectively leverage Llama's capabilities, optimize solutions, and overcome technical challenges they may encounter as they start building," Meta said. Also read: Elon Musk calls Bill Gates a liar, says won't trust him to babysit my kids The program is open to early-stage startups in the United States. To be eligible, a company must be incorporated, have raised less than $10 million in funding, and have at least one developer on board. Startups across various industries, such as technology, finance, healthcare, telecom, and eCommerce, are encouraged to apply. Applications for the first batch close on May 30, 2025, at 6:00 PM PT.