Meta today announced the launch of its Small Business Growth Academy across Asia-Pacific – a new programme designed to help small businesses move from small to scale by using digital and AI-enabled tools to find customers, improve productivity, and grow across borders.
Delivered in partnership with governments, chambers of commerce, and local programme partners, the Small Business Growth Academy will provide practical training on Meta products, including AI-enabled advertising tools, Reels, WhatsApp for Business, cross-border commerce, and Meta Business Agent. The programme will initially run across 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific, with the aim of supporting thousands of small businesses through a combination of in-person workshops, scaled learning modules, and partner-led training.
Addressing the opportunity — and the gap
Small businesses are a critical engine of APAC’s digital economy, but many continue to face barriers when adopting new technologies — including limited time, skills gaps, and concerns about data privacy.
Research from Deloitte’s AI For Business: APAC Trends found that small and medium businesses across the region are already embracing AI, but need more support to unlock its full potential:
