infoDev, a global multi-donor program in the World Bank Group that assists growth-oriented entrepreneurs to secure appropriate early-stage financing, is sending three startups from the Caribbean islands to Montreal for the international startup festival.
Angelique Manella emailed us the story. The founder at Decode Global (a non-profit focused on tech for social good) revealed that she’s an entrepreneur-in-residence at infoDev.
infoDev’s Entrepreneurship Program for Innovation in the Caribbean (EPIC) is a seven-year $20 million program funded by the Government of Canada that seeks to build an enabling ecosystem to foster high-growth and sustainable enterprises throughout the Caribbean. EPIC has three core activity pillars: mobile innovation, climate technology, and women-led entrepreneurship.
“There have always been close connections between Canada and the Caribbean, and currently through the Caribbean Mobile Innovation Project, we want to foster greater connections between the growing startup ecosystems in the Caribbean and Canada,” wrote infoDev. “The Montreal International Startup Fest is the perfect venue for showcasing the most promising startups from the Caribbean, and helping them build international contacts to accelerate their businesses.”
Here’s the three companies that infoDev will bring to Startup Fest:
Agro Central– Jamaica
Agro Central is Jamaica’s first digital agricultural clearinghouse to connect small farmers and businesses. Businesses will have the ability to source large amounts of crops directly from farmers, who will be able to sell their available produce directly to businesses. The solution aids small farmers who have trouble locating markets by connecting them to larger businesses. Unlike services that help them to find markets for their products, AgroCentral removes the middleman who drives up prices and cuts farmers out of their share of the profits.
CrimeBot– Jamaica
CrimeBot is a mobile app that involves the public in alerting incidences of crime and identifying crime hotspot areas. CrimeBot focuses on anonymous reporting along with user confirmation feedback to verify incoming reports. In so doing, it maps crime hotspots around any specific community or country. With this information, users can view crime directly around them as well as report crimes and search other locations for crimes.
CrimeBot took the Grand Prize at Digital Jam 3.0.
M.A.D.E.– Trinidad & Tobago
M.A.D.E (My App for Disasters and Emergencies) gives users actionable and location-specific information on what to do before, during and after hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, wildfires and other disasters in the Caribbean. M.A.D.E keeps loved ones connected and helps reduce the overall cost of recovery after a disaster or emergency.
The startup won the 2013 VentureOut Challenge and placed 3rd place in ‘Stunning Beginners’ category, Digital Jam 3.0.