The Entrepreneurship Program for Innovation in the Caribbean (EPIC) seeks to build a supportive ecosystem for high-growth and sustainable enterprises throughout the Caribbean. The seven-year $20 million program is funded by the government of Canada and implemented by infoDev and the World Bank Group.
Interested in learning more? Here are some frequently asked questions about the program. You can also get in touch at the links below.
Our Initiatives
Accelerate Caribbean: Accelerate Caribbean builds the capacity of regional business enablers through mentorship, training programs, and international study tours.
Access to Finance: The program promotes angel investing and innovative financing in the region through LINK-Caribbean, and contributed to the launch of Jamaica’s first angel network.
Caribbean Climate Innovation Center: The Caribbean Climate Innovation Center connects climate technology entrepreneurs with knowledge, markets, and funding.
Caribbean Mobile Innovation Project: Led by PitchIT Caribbean, the Caribbean Mobile Innovation Project promotes the growth of mobile app businesses through innovation hubs and pitching competitions.
Women Innovators Network in the Caribbean: The program supports women entrepreneurs through webinars and training programs, including the WINC Acceleration Program.
Events Calendar
Highlights
Youth Making the Caribbean Green with Waste Material
Caribbean Transit Solutions: Paving the Way for a More Efficient Caribbean Transportation System
The public transportation market in the Caribbean is in urgent need of modernization, as lack of information and poorly planned transit systems cause significant social and economic challenges. Locals and tourists using buses and taxis often have limited information on the status or arrival time of their transportation, resulting in lost time, being late for work or school, missed appointments, and frustration. Similarly, people who manage these vehicles (owners or insurers) have little or no information on how they are being driven, even though they often occupy the highest risk categories. Caribbean Transit Solutions, based in Barbados, plans to change all this. They provide real-time and on-demand information on public transit as well as private fleets of vehicles.
Jamaica: Homes Made from Waste? Entrepreneur Pioneers Climate-Friendly Construction
Entrepreneur is Testing Eco-Friendly Techniques in the Green Heart of Jamaica
In Breadnut Hill, St. Ann, Jamaica, near the famous Dunn’s River Falls, the eco-farm and lodge Durga’s Den sits right in front of one of the most breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea. The farm is growing in popularity by attracting visitors and volunteers from all over the world looking for a nature-immersive, hands-on learning vacation.
Findrpro – A New App For The Bahamas Receives Link-Caribbean Investment
A new mobile application called Findrpro has received $5,000 USD investment via the LINK-Caribbean programme’s 5-5-5 pitch competition.
Glasses Could Go Green if This Trinidadian Start-Up Succeeds
Entrepreneur Darceuil Duncan from Trinidad and Tobago came up with the business idea when looking for a solution to the growing amount of waste produced in urban centers.
How to Create a Winning Pitch Deck: Advice from an Expert
Gerard Thomas, co-founder of Launch RockIT in Trinidad and country advisor for the LINK-Caribbean Program, explains how entrepreneurs can prepare and deliver a compelling pitch presentation that can generate attention and interest among investors.
De Jeunesse Bath and Body Products wins top US$5,000 prize at LINK-Caribbean Pitch Competition
De Jeunesse Bath and Body Products, a company that manufactures high-quality, natural bath and body products, earned the top prize at the launch of the LINK-Caribbean Pitch Competition held November 21 at the Hyatt Hotel in Trinidad.
Excitement Mounts as Jamaican Tech Entrepreneurs Gear Up for Slush
With Slush, the world’s leading start-up and technology event, coming up Nov. 30-Dec. 1 in Helsinki, Finland, two entrepreneurs from Jamaica are awash with excitement as they gear up to participate in this premier event. The entrepreneurs earned spots in the Slush Global Impact Accelerator (GIA) boot camp program in a competition held by PitchIT Caribbean, and will join other impact-driven entrepreneurs from around the globe.
Big Potential for Crowdfunding in the Caribbean
The Caribbean has great potential for crowdfunding, provided that the right enabling environment is put in place to promote it. Crowdfunding is the art of raising funds through social, professional, and public networks using the internet. With the rise of this form of financing, there are many crowdfunding success stories, but in the Caribbean among the most successful campaigns is that of the Jamaica bobsled team. In 2014, the team raised over $155,000 using the Indiegogo and Crowdtilt crowdfunding platforms to fund its participation in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Russia.
Crowdfunding Has Potential for the Caribbean – Under the Right Conditions
Crowdfunding in the Caribbean could bolster early stage capital markets, entrepreneurship, creativity, economic growth, and employment – provided that policymakers create the right environment. This was revealed in the report “Crowdfunding’s Potential in the Caribbean: A Preliminary Assessment,” commissioned and recently released by infoDev, a global innovation and entrepreneurship program at the World Bank Group.
Three Jamaican teams cop top spots in PitchIT Caribbean Slush GIA Competition
Three teams from Jamaica copped the top spots in the recently held virtual PitchIT Caribbean SLUSH GIA competition. They are now lined up for a coveted interview spot with the Slush 2017 Global Impact Accelerator program panel in Finland. The successful teams are Link Your Purpose, an online career development and mentoring platform; First Responders Technology Ltd, a mobile platform to enable emergency response services; and Braata Box & Co., an online marketplace for local craftspeople, makers, and artisans. The teams were selected from a field of over 40 entries from across CARICOM.
Over Half-Million US Dollars Awarded to Firms at LINK-Caribbean’s Halfway Mark
As the halfway point of the two-year LINK-Caribbean Angel Investment program approaches, over $500,000 USD has been awarded to 14 Caribbean companies to support their development to attract angel investment. The World Bank Group, together with the Caribbean Export Development Agency, launched LINK-Caribbean last September, funded by the government of Canada. The investment facilitation program aims to enable early-stage Caribbean entrepreneurs to raise capital from private investors, particularly business angel investors.
WINC Launches Call for Applications for Second Acceleration Program
June 29, 2017
Building on the success of its 2016 Acceleration Program, the Women Innovators Network in the Caribbean (WINC) is launching its 2017 program. The eight-month peer ceo learning program, which begins in November 2017, is designed to help growth-oriented women entrepreneurs innovate and boost the growth of their businesses.
Regional Climate Tech Partners Gather for Sustainability & Economic Impact Talks
To sustain its momentum and improve upon its mandate, the World Bank Group’s Caribbean Climate Innovation Center (CCIC) will host key representatives from the Bank, government of Canada, CCIC consortium members Scientific Research Council (SRC) and the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) as well as other top regional partners for sustainability and economic impact talks at the Holiday Inn in Montego Bay, Jamaica from June 1-2.
25 Entrepreneurs Chase $75,000 in App Competition
May 31, 2017
$75,000 in cash and prizes will be up for grabs when 25 finalists from around the Caribbean region vie for honours in the PitchIT Caribbean Challenge tech entrepreneur competition, scheduled for June 13-17, 2017 in St. Kitts and Nevis.
More Firms Set to Get Angel Investment
May 25, 2017
The Caribbean Export Development Agency co-hosted the inaugural Caribbean Angel Investor Forum in Montego Bay on May 12, 2017, together with the World Bank Group. The event, which attracted some of the region’s most influential business people, came together to lay the foundation for a more buoyant and active Angel Investor ecosystem within the Caribbean.
Women Entrepreneurs from the Caribbean Soar to New Heights
April 12, 2017
108 proud women entrepreneurs have graduated from the first Acceleration Program (AP) of the Women Innovators Network in the Caribbean (WINC). They represent a wide variety of sectors: retail, creative, cosmetology, baking, engineering, sports, and manufacturing.
Kenia Mattis: How to ‘Design’ an Online Education Business
January 24, 2017
The Women Innovators Network Caribbean (WINC) – a cornerstone initiative of the Entrepreneurship Program for Innovation in the Caribbean sponsored by the government of Canada – recently concluded its first acceleration program for women entrepreneurs. Designed to jump-start women-led enterprises across the region, the program provided local entrepreneurs with mentorship, training, and networking opportunities. One of them, Kenia Mattis, told us the story of her company and how WINC helped her succeed.
Girls Don’t Code? In The Caribbean, They Lead Tech Startups
January 18, 2017
In the Caribbean, a growing number of women is pursuing technology careers, as developers, coders, and tech entrepreneurs.
Reperio Offers Gamified Language Learning for Caribbean Youth
25 December 2016
Four of the Caribbean’s top mobile entrepreneurs traveled to Helsinki, Finland, to participate in the Slush Global Impact Accelerator, a two-week program designed to help impactful entrepreneurs from emerging markets accelerate their businesses and attract financing. We spoke with a business development specialist at Reperio, a Trinidad and Tobago-based language learning company.
To Attract Angel Investors, Caribbean Entrepreneurs Should Think Globally
20 December 2016
How does an entrepreneur catch the attention of an angel investor? Jeremy Bauman, a senior consultant at the World Bank, shares a glimpse into the mind of an angel investor at the launch of LINK-Caribbean, an initiative to improve access to capital for Caribbean entrepreneurs.
Jamaican Start-Ups Share Solutions for Emerging Markets at Slush
21 November 2016
Four of the Caribbean’s top mobile entrepreneurs traveled to Helsinki, Finland, to participate in the Slush Global Impact Accelerator, a two-week program designed to help impactful entrepreneurs from emerging markets accelerate their businesses and attract financing. We spoke with the founders of Jamaica-based start-ups BookFusion and CrimeBot.
Developing the Caribbean Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: EPIC Making its Mark
16 November 2016
As EPIC enters its sixth year, several major milestones have been recorded. “We are steadily strengthening the capacity of business enablers and local angel investors, and increasing the number of investable growth-oriented entrepreneurs,” said Ganesh Rasagam, Practice Manager of the World Bank Group’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit.
Tips for Preparing a Winning Investment Readiness Grant Application from LINK-Caribbean
15 November 2016
In this article, you’ll learn whether LINK-Caribbean’s Investment Readiness Grant is appropriate for your business and how to prepare a winning application.
World Bank and Caribbean Export Launch LINK-Caribbean
28 September 2016
Bridgetown, BARBADOS, September 27, 2016. Caribbean start-up, early-stage and growth businesses now have another means for raising capital.
Newlyweds Follow PitchIT Caribbean Win with Angel Backing
21 July 2016
If he hadn’t claimed that abandoned computer he found while doing construction work, Dwayne Campbell would never have left his chemical engineering track – or developed a hot new digital book-publishing platform.
How to Build a Mentoring Network in the Caribbean
8 July 2016
Accelerate Caribbean’s third professional development webinar focused on how to build effective mentoring networks in the Caribbean. “Don’t forget the diaspora,” said Vimala Palaniswamy, cofounder of Demeter Entrepreneurs Support Network.
From Finance to Training, A Growing Support System for Jamaican Entrepreneurs
5 July 2016
At an Accelerate Caribbean workshop, representatives of the World Bank Group and the governments of Jamaica and Canada discussed how to build a stronger ecosystem to help regional entrepreneurs launch and grow profitable businesses.
Caribbean Angel Investors Discuss Myths, Realities, and the “Granny Test”
25 April 2016
At the Development Bank of Jamaica’s Venture Capital Conference, Nelson Gray discussed the myths and realities of angel investors, necessary tools for pitching, the deal workflow – and a strategy he calls the “Granny test.”
At Green Tech Startup Bootcamp, Jamaican Physics Student Finds Passion in Entrepreneurship
14 April 2016
When Yekini Wallen Bryan returned to school for his final semester in January, the energy and electronics student never anticipated he would soon receive the grand prize in a clean-tech innovation competition.
Green Tech Startup Bootcamp in Jamaica Attracts Promising Young Entrepreneurs
8 March 2016
A large crowd of young clean-tech entrepreneurs brought their ideas and enthusiasm to the first Green Tech Startup Bootcamp in the Caribbean, which was co-hosted by the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center on February 26-28, 2016.
How to Build a Winning Team and Find the Right Business Partners
19 February 2016
Accelerate Caribbean partnered with Marlon Hill, a United States-based lawyer and champion of Caribbean entrepreneurship, to host a webinar on team building, marketing, and brand protection for Caribbean business owners.
Designed to Save Energy for Jamaican Fishermen, a Lamp Saves the Day in Dominica
21 December 2015
New Leaf Power received a grant from the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center to develop a solar-powered lamp and charging device for a remote Jamaican fishing community. One year later, their lamps are lighting the way for disaster relief in Dominica.
At EPIC Workshop, Entrepreneurs and Partners Share Vision for the Caribbean’s Future
10 December 2015
The World Bank Group and the Government Canada held a workshop for Caribbean entrepreneurs and regional partners. The workshop was the first joint event of the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center and Caribbean Mobile Innovation Program.
To Fight Reliance on Imported Fuels, Jamaican Entrepreneurs Develop Climate Smart Solutions
9 December 2015
Harlo Mayne and Dr. Kert Edward, two clean technology entrepreneurs in EPIC’s climate innovation program, presented their hydrogen and solar energy prototypes at the First International Conference and Exhibition on Hydrogen held on November 3 to 4 at the University of Technology, Jamaica.
Caribbean Entrepreneurs Make Waves at Slush
7 December 2015
Jamaican tech entrepreneurs Nichole Crawford and Winnie Dzidonu-Genius traveled to Helsinki, Finland, to pitch their businesses at the Slush Global Impact Accelerator, a nine-day bootcamp for social impact entrepreneurs from emerging markets. The first-ever Global Impact Accelerator was a joint program of the World Bank Group, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and Slush.
New Peer Mentoring Program to Fast Track Women Entrepreneurs in the Caribbean
29 October 2015
A new peer mentorship-based program will support high-potential women entrepreneurs in the Caribbean. The eight-month intensive Acceleration Program will provide participants with a wide range of support services to innovate their businesses, improve their competitiveness, and boost their growth. The program will include one-on-one coaching, technical workshops, and opportunities to connect with successful women entrepreneurs.
Get Up, Get Out There, and Do It! A New Motto for Women Entrepreneurs Across the Caribbean
9 October 2015
In the last few decades, women in the Caribbean have made impressive strides to break through the glass ceiling and become successful entrepreneurs. The growing network of peers, mentors, and angel investors has provided women across the region with the tools and resources necessary to launch and grow new businesses.
Profiling Caribbean Women Entrepreneurs
30 September 2015
A new report fills the information gap related to growth-oriented women entrepreneurs in the Caribbean by drawing on various data sources to estimate their numbers and sectors. The report also introduces the challenges Caribbean women face when attempting to grow their businesses.
Accelerate Caribbean Business Incubation Clinic Winners Announced
4 June 2015
Following a 5-week competition and rigorous selection process, Accelerate Caribbean is excited to announce ten business enablers from 7 islands in the Caribbean that will participate in its Business Incubation Clinic during 2015-2016.
Caribbean Coders Win Prizes at Hackathon
26 May 2015
Two mobile developer teams from Jamaica’s University of Technology were awarded the first and second prizes at a Caribbean CodeSprint/Hackathon held in Kingston on May 24-25.
Jamaica Launches First Angel Investor Network, Supported By International Partners
22 April 2015
First Angels Jamaica, a new Jamaican angel investor network, was officially launched today in Kingston. The network is geared towards helping growth-oriented entrepreneurs with capital and mentorship.
Two Top Caribbean Innovators Win Lucrative Science and Innovation Prizes
2 December 2014
Two Jamaican entrepreneurs with connections to infoDev/EPIC’s training and facilitation in the Caribbean, Harlo Mayne and Jovan Evans, have won awards in that country’s 2014 Innovation Awards in Science and Technology.
Climate Innovation Center Awards 11 Caribbean Entrepreneurs With More Than $400,000 in Concept Grants
9 July 2014
The Caribbean Climate Innovation Center (CCIC) – a project of the World Bank and its global entrepreneurship program infoDev – has announced the 11 winners of its first regional Proof of Concept (PoC) competition. The successful applicants will receive grants of up to $50,000 to develop, test, and commercialize innovative, locally relevant climate technology solutions.
infoDev Launches Caribbean Mobile Innovation Program (CMIP)
10 June 2014
infoDev is proud to announce the launch of the Caribbean Mobile Innovation Program (CMIP), to be held at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters, Mona, Jamaica on June 10, 2014.
Grow Your Business Workshops Show New Way for Caribbean Women Entrepreneurs to Innovate and Succeed
18 April 2014
A total of 49 women entrepreneurs took part in the three-day workshops, representing growth-oriented and innovative businesses. They underwent intensive training in grow-your-business methodology aimed at strengthening their skill sets, networking acumen and access to mentoring, markets and finance. So far, 100 innovative growth entrepreneurs have been trained since 2013.
Digital Jamming to the Tune of a Tech-Biz Future
6 March 2014
Caribbean students and techies descended on the headquarters of the University of the West Indies at Mona for Digital Jam 3.0 “Get Up, Start Up” on March 1-2. The juried Mobile Apps competition was the culmination of months of preparation by more than 50 teams of young programmers competing for an assortment of prizes, including a top prize of USD10,000.
Caribbean Climate Innovation Center Launches in Trinidad
28 January 2014
The Caribbean Climate Innovation Center (CCIC) – a hub designed to help clean technology ventures transform the region to a low-carbon economy and create green jobs – has launched in Freeport, Trinidad & Tobago. The business hub is now accepting applications for grants of up to $50,000.
Diaspora Investing: The Business and Investment Interests of the Caribbean Diaspora
12 December 2013
A new report by infoDev finds that the Caribbean diaspora is a sizeable, well-educated, and affluent demographic whose large majority is interested in investing in its countries of origin. Supported by the right incentives and policies, diaspora members could play an even larger role in contributing to the region’s development.