Meta is introducing a new initiative aimed at encouraging early-stage companies to build with its Llama AI models.
The program, called Llama for Startups, offers eligible U.S.-based startups direct technical support and, in some cases, financial assistance.
Announced this week, the program is open to firms that are incorporated in the United States, have raised less than $10 million in funding, employ at least one developer, and are working on generative AI applications. Interested companies must apply by May 30.
As part of the initiative, selected startups may receive up to \$6,000 per month for a period of up to six months to offset development costs. In addition, Meta’s Llama team will work closely with participants to help integrate the models and explore more advanced use cases.
“Our experts will work closely with them to get started and explore advanced use cases of Llama that could benefit their startups,” Meta said in a blog post announcing the program.
The launch of Llama for Startups comes as Meta seeks to strengthen its position in the rapidly evolving open-source AI model landscape. While Llama has been downloaded over a billion times, competition is intensifying, with companies like Google, DeepSeek, and Alibaba’s Qwen gaining ground.
Meta’s ambitions for Llama are significant. The company has forecast its generative AI products could bring in $2 billion to $3 billion in revenue by 2025, with projections reaching up to $1.4 trillion by 2035. However, recent challenges have complicated its roadmap.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Meta delayed the release of its next-generation model, Llama 4 Behemoth, citing concerns about underperformance in key benchmarks. In April, the company faced criticism for allegedly misrepresenting the performance of a Llama 4 variant on a popular AI leaderboard.
Despite setbacks, Meta continues to expand its AI offerings. The company recently introduced an API to help businesses customize Llama models and hinted at future monetization of its AI assistant, Meta AI, including advertising and subscription features.
Meta’s investments in AI are substantial. In 2024 alone, the company allocated over $900 million to its generative AI efforts.
That figure is expected to exceed $1 billion this year. Looking ahead, Meta plans to spend between $60 billion and $80 billion on capital expenditures in 2025, largely to build out data center infrastructure.
The Llama for Startups program marks Meta’s latest move to build a robust ecosystem around its AI models, and to ensure Llama becomes a foundational tool for the next generation of AI-driven startups.
