Meta has completed its first Llama Incubator Program Demo Day in Singapore, marking a significant step in advancing open-source AI innovation in the country. The programme concluded with three winning teams — CREX, MyRepublic Broadband, and Straits Interactive — and three runners-up: AgriG8, IntentAI, and i-Sprint Innovations. Teams from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Land Transport Authority (LTA), and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) also presented their AI-driven projects.
“At Meta, we see ourselves as an ecosystem partner, working to advance AI capabilities and make their benefits widely accessible. The Llama Incubator Program exemplifies this drive, and we appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the Singapore government on this initiative. We are proud to support the Smart Nation 2.0 vision — empowering local small businesses and attracting startups to build and innovate in Singapore,” said Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President – India & Southeast Asia at Meta.
The Llama Incubator Program was created to support startups, SMEs, and public sector teams in developing practical AI solutions. Participants received mentoring, technical resources, and funding. The programme was delivered in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech Singapore), Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), AI Singapore, SGInnovate, e27, and Deloitte.
Building trust and capability in AI
Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo delivered the opening remarks at the Demo Day. She highlighted how Singapore’s AI journey has moved from fringe experimentation to mainstream adoption, stressing the importance of building long-term capability and public trust through continuous experimentation. She said that incubators like the Llama Incubator Program are crucial in enabling purposeful AI applications across planning, prediction, personalisation, automation, and anomaly detection. She also emphasised that partnerships and community will remain essential for Singapore to stay competitive and continue driving digital and economic growth.
Over 100 organisations took part in the foundational workshop in March 2025. Of these, 40 were selected for six months of business and technical mentoring, as well as training on responsible AI practices. This included guidance on Llama’s protection tools and the IMDA Starter Kit for Safety Testing of LLM-based applications, Project Moonshot, and the AI Verify Testing Framework. These initiatives were designed to help participants advance responsible AI innovation.
The programme led to the development of more than 30 Llama-powered solutions across finance, healthcare, education, and the public sector. Each of the winning teams received US$30,000 in funding from Meta, while the runners-up were awarded US$10,000.
“We are excited by the participation of global AI leaders like Meta in Singapore. The Llama Incubator Programme is an example of how collaboration can rapidly translate cutting-edge technology into real-world solutions. By giving startups, SMEs and public agencies hands-on technical guidance, this opportunity will spur innovation, and provide hands-on experience, strengthening Singapore’s role as an AI hub in the region,” said Philbert Gomez, Senior Vice President & Executive Director, Digital Industry Singapore.
Expanding opportunities for AI adoption
Meta has partnered with AWS Singapore to provide eligible companies with AWS credits to help accelerate their solutions to market. As part of the collaboration, AWS hosted an enablement session for startups on using Llama models with Amazon SageMaker AI and Amazon Bedrock. AWS will continue to provide tailored technical advice and support for participating teams.
“The digital economy is driving Singapore’s growth, and at the heart of it is the digital transformation of our local enterprises. IMDA is committed to helping our enterprises build digital capabilities, particularly in AI, to address business needs. Through the GenAI x Digital Leaders initiative, IMDA partners with global tech leaders like Meta to give our enterprises access to expertise and tools to harness AI for productivity and growth. Programs like Meta’s Llama Incubator provide hands-on experience to help companies navigate AI’s complexities, empowering them to innovate and sharpen their competitiveness,” said Johnson Poh, Assistant Chief Executive, Sectoral Transformation Group, IMDA.
Meta has also expanded its multi-year Upskill with Meta programme, which focuses on helping SMEs modernise their operations and reach new audiences with the latest AI tools. The initiative aims to accelerate growth, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen competitiveness.
