Tech Beach Retreat is accepting applications for the second cohort of its start-up accelerator program, TBR LAB. The program will take place from September 10 to November 5, 2021 and offers another group of Caribbean start-ups the opportunity to access global resources and receive guidance from international tech leaders.
Executed in partnership with IDB Lab and the DMZ, the accelerator program was designed to equip Caribbean founders with the tools and global resources required to successfully scale their companies in a digital world.
Cohort 1 of TBR LAB ran from April to June 2021 and comprised 36 start-ups from 11 countries. Collectively, these companies have already raised US $25 million and altogether they are currently pursuing over US $10 million in raises from various investors.
Several start-ups are also in receipt of term sheets signalling interest from investors coming out of the program’s Demo Day, which presented founders with the opportunity to pitch to global firms managing over US $250 million in investment capital.
Five Barbadian companies participated in cohort 1 of TBR LAB, including Remote Work, an online community for remote workers; Cloud Solar, a renewable energy firm; and Selecta Charts, a Caribbean music streaming site. Selecta Charts founder, Paul Husbands, credits the one-on-one Entrepreneurs-in-Residents mentorship program with helping him solidify his business plans for the next six months.
“Before TBR LAB my goals for my business were high, but now I’m aiming to expand my business in an even shorter time frame. TBR LAB has provided focus for my business roadmap for the rest of the year and beyond. Not only do I have new business goals, I have also learned new methods to achieve these goals,” Husbands said.
As such, he encourages other founders to tap into the resources available through TBR LAB. “It’s a big challenge to start a tech company in the Caribbean. Traditionally, there are not many opportunities for funding or investment for locally built tech start-ups. TBR Lab provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to engage with a global network of professionals who know how to growyour business.”
Start-ups enrolled in Cohort 2 can look forward to an intense curriculum featuring strategic workshops, mentorship pairings, intimate sessions with successful entrepreneurs, as well as tailored guidance from Tech Beach’s Director of Accelerator Programs, Eric Sonnier. Sonnier, himself a co-founder and an alum of leading, global accelerator programs, including Silicon Valley’s Y Combinator, is looking forward to working with a new group of entrepreneurs.
“Great start-ups can be built anywhere, and the Caribbean is no different,” said Sonnier. “The founders in our inaugural cohort were just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the potential that exists throughout the region. And what’s even better is that the international community is sitting up and taking notice, as was evidenced by the calibre of firms in attendance at our first Demo Day.”
According to Sonnier, “Nothing like this has ever happened in the Caribbean and we look forward to granting such a unique opportunity to yet another group of start-ups who are committed to leveraging technology to solve problems in the region.”
In addition to new start-ups, TBR LAB will be welcoming a new partner. Massy Group will officially join the TBR LAB ecosystem in a bid to expand opportunities for entrepreneurs enrolled in Nudge Caribbean, a social enterprise co-founded by Massy’s Senior Vice President of People and Culture, Julie Avey, and fashion designer and entrepreneur, Anya Ayoung Chee. According to Avey, supporting entrepreneurs is important to Massy as global trends are disrupting the traditional employment models and corporations need to get on board.
Start-ups interested in applying to the TBR LAB Accelerator Program can visit https://techbeach.net/pages/tbr-lab to do so. Successful applicants will access exclusive learning content and expert workshops facilitated by world-leading tech incubator, the DMZ, based at Ryerson University. They will also gain access to the DMZ’s Entrepreneurs-in-Residence program and its growing network of investors, tech start-ups, pilot opportunities and partnerships.
Additionally, participating start-ups can tap into $600,000 CAD in perks and digital business solutions from platforms such as HubSpot and Amazon Web Services.
The application process closes on August 11, 2021. (PR)
The post Invitation for Barbadian start-up businesses appeared first on Barbados Today.