Young entrepreneurs in the region now have a community they can count on.
The Founder Institute, one of the world’s largest pre-seed start-up accelerators, officially launched its Caribbean chapter, offering mentorship, structure, and global support for early-stage innovators, right here in Port of Spain.
At the media launch of the Founder Institute Caribbean, regional entrepreneurs, investors, and tech leaders gathered to welcome a new era for start-ups in the region.
Director of Founder Institute Caribbean, Rawle Annandsingh, reassured aspiring entrepreneurs that they are not alone in their journey.
“So I often say that it takes a village to raise a child. Similarly, it takes a community to build a start-up. So our community matters more now than ever. We need to create an innovation ecosystem where we nurture, support, and invest in our own founders. If not, we risk losing our best talent to more developed markets.”
Ambassador Extraordinary of the Embassy of the Republic of Panama, Diomedes Carles Cleghorn, noted that the Founder Institute Caribbean is more than just an accelerator.
“It is a bridge linking the Caribbean’s talent to global opportunity and inviting nations to share, support, and scale together. As a diplomat, I recognise this moment as a call to deepen regional ties, not only through policy and protocol, but through the shared pursuit of innovation.”
Founder of the Levuka Venture Lab, Neil Sumaru, who is also a sponsor of the Institute, reminded entrepreneurs that innovation has no borders or geographical limits.
“This partnership means that if you’re a founder in Port of Spain, Kingston, Santo Domingo, Bogotá, Lima, or anywhere else in the region, you don’t need to feel limited by geography, you don’t need to think small, and you don’t need to assume that global innovation can only come from San Francisco or London.”
The media launch was held on Thursday at the National Payment and Innovation Company of Trinidad and Tobago, located at the International Waterfront Centre.