Meta’s New Program Boosts Startups Using Llama AI Models
▼ Summary
– Meta launched “Llama for Startups,” a program offering funding and direct support to U.S.-based AI startups with under $10M in funding to adopt its Llama models.
– Eligible startups can receive up to $6,000 per month for six months and expert guidance to develop generative AI solutions using Llama.
– Meta aims to strengthen its position in the competitive open AI model space, facing rivals like DeepSeek, Google, and Alibaba’s Qwen.
– Meta has faced setbacks, including delays in launching Llama 4 Behemoth and allegations of benchmark manipulation with Llama 4 Maverick.
– Meta projects significant revenue from its generative AI products, with plans to spend billions on infrastructure, including $60B-$80B on data centers in 2025.
Meta is rolling out an ambitious new initiative to accelerate startup adoption of its Llama AI models, offering financial incentives and technical support to qualifying companies. The Llama for Startups program targets early-stage U.S. businesses developing generative AI solutions, providing selected participants with monthly funding and direct access to Meta’s engineering teams.
Eligible startups must be incorporated, have raised under $10 million, and employ at least one developer. Accepted members could receive up to $6,000 monthly for six months to offset development costs while collaborating with Meta specialists to explore advanced Llama applications. Applications close May 30.
This move reinforces Meta’s push to dominate the open-source AI model arena, where competition has intensified with rivals like Google, DeepSeek, and Alibaba’s Qwen challenging its position. Despite surpassing one billion Llama downloads, Meta faces hurdles—including recent delays to its flagship Llama 4 Behemoth model and scrutiny over benchmark performance claims.
Financially, Meta is betting big on generative AI. Executives project $2–3 billion in 2025 revenue from these tools, with long-term estimates soaring to $460 billion–$1.4 trillion by 2035. The company has already invested over $900 million in GenAI development this year, with expenditures potentially exceeding $1 billion—not counting the massive infrastructure costs for training and deployment.
Beyond startups, Meta is expanding Llama’s commercial potential through revenue-sharing partnerships, a new customization API, and plans to monetize its Meta AI assistant via ads and premium subscriptions. With $60–80 billion earmarked for 2025 infrastructure spending, including data centers, the company is positioning Llama as a cornerstone of its AI strategy.
For startups, the program represents a rare opportunity to leverage Meta’s resources—but the clock is ticking to secure a spot before the deadline.
(Source: TechCrunch)
