Founded in 2016 by Jamaican Kirk-Anthony Hamilton and Trinidadian Kyle Maloney, Tech Beach retreat has carved out a space for Caribbean entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and knowledge and learn from global leaders. Over the years, they’ve drawn the attention of big names in the tech industry, such as Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, Marlon Nichols, Managing General Partner at MaC Venture Capital, and Annie-Jean Baptiste, Head of Product Inclusion at Google.

Now, with a recent USD $1M grant from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Lab, they are launching an accelerator to help promising Caribbean startups take their products and services to the next level. The accelerator – TBR Lab – dedicates USD $500,000 worth of benefits to each participant in the form of resources, mentorship, and training.

In a statement about the program, Terry-Ann Segree from IDB Lab explains what this program means to the region:

“IDB Lab is the innovation laboratory of the IDB Group, mobilizing financing, knowledge, and connections to catalyze innovation for inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean. IDB Lab embraces innovation for inclusion, by bringing market-driven solutions to vulnerable populations to generate transformational impact mainly through innovative entrepreneurs,” she explains. 

“The partnership with the TBR Lab is a strategic milestone for the Caribbean and the journey towards improving the levels of innovation and digital transformation in the region while providing critical support to technology startups who are leading the charge in this agenda,” Segree adds.

Who Can Apply

The founders originally intended to host the accelerators in-person, at physical locations in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and The Bahamas. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted them to move everything online. The accelerator will be fully virtual (for now) and founders from any Caribbean country are welcome to apply.

“In the short term, we expect that cutting-edge technology will continue to be essential to the delivery of products and services as the world continues to wrestle with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic which requires greater innovation, use of technology and new business models,” Segree explains. 

“In both the short and long term, we believe our partnership with Tech Beach Retreat will provide regional technology entrepreneurs with access to a world-class technology acceleration program allowing them to benefit from insights from leading international technology professionals and industry leaders. This partnership will strengthen the regional innovation and technology ecosystem and connect the Caribbean with other global innovation ecosystems. We would like to take the opportunity to reiterate our continued support to the development of the region as we work together to improve the lives of the people in the region,” she adds.