Mark Zuckerberg is doubling down on small businesses. The Meta CEO announced a new entrepreneurship initiative today aimed at driving AI adoption among the tens of millions of SMBs already using Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. In an internal memo obtained by TechCrunch, Zuckerberg positioned small businesses as central to Meta's business model and signaled the company wants to do more to support them with AI-powered tools.
Meta is making a major play for small business dollars with AI at the center. CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees in an internal memo that the company is launching a new entrepreneurship initiative designed to accelerate AI adoption among the millions of small and medium-sized businesses operating on its platforms.
The announcement, first reported by TechCrunch, positions small businesses as a core pillar of Meta's evolving business model. "Small businesses have always been a big part of the company's business model," Zuckerberg wrote, adding that while tens of millions of entrepreneurs already use Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to grow and connect with customers, "the company wants to do more in the space."
The timing is strategic. Meta has spent the past year aggressively rolling out AI features across its family of apps, from AI-generated stickers to chatbots and automated ad creation tools. But adoption among small businesses has been uneven, with many entrepreneurs struggling to understand how to integrate these capabilities into their daily operations. This new initiative appears designed to close that gap.
While specific details about programs, funding levels, or timeline remain scarce, the move signals Meta's recognition that AI education and accessibility will determine who wins the small business market in the coming years. The company already commands significant SMB presence through its advertising platform, which generated roughly $131 billion in ad revenue last year, with small businesses representing a substantial portion of that figure.
The competitive landscape is heating up fast. Google has been pushing AI-powered business tools through Google Workspace and Search, while has embedded Copilot across its suite of productivity apps. Even e-commerce platforms like have launched AI assistants aimed at helping merchants optimize their operations and marketing.
