BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – August 2026 — Future Caribbean has officially entered the build phase of its inaugural Future Caribbean Agentic AI Buildathon, with more than 450 builders from 39 countries developing production-ready Agentic AI solutions for real-world deployment across the Caribbean and distributed markets globally.
Applications opened on May 26 during IDB Invest Sustainability Week in Barbados, launching an initiative designed to position the Caribbean as a leading proving ground for Agentic AI built for distributed markets. Builders are now transforming ideas into deployable technologies with support from an international ecosystem of technology partners, advisors, investors, governments, development organizations and private sector leaders.
Teams are developing solutions across healthcare, financial services, tourism, logistics, food systems, disaster management and climate resilience, energy, the blue economy, real estate, the creative industries and other sectors.
Future Caribbean received 264 applications from 39 countries, with strong participation throughout the Caribbean. Jamaica led with 41 applications, followed by Barbados with 33 and Trinidad and Tobago with 25. Applications also came from the Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Curaçao and the Cayman Islands, alongside Caribbean diaspora communities and builders from countries including India, France, Nigeria, Kenya, Singapore, Ukraine and the Philippines.
“This is the largest platform of technologists the Caribbean has ever assembled — a digital fabric that spans the world but is Caribbean at its core, more than 800 (including builders, advisors and volunteers) across the region, the diaspora and beyond. Future Caribbean is very much a startup too — we’re building this platform alongside our builders, and we’re just getting started,” said Lily Dash, Founder of Future Caribbean.
Supporting Builders From Development to Deployment
Participating builders have access to hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars in cash prizes, AI infrastructure, compute, software, accelerator programs, strategic consulting and technical support through Future Caribbean’s global partner ecosystem. This includes US$50,000 in cash prizes, OWC AI deployment workstations valued at US$20,000, Enterprise Cayman accelerator support, the DMZ Soft Landing Program, enterprise AI infrastructure and compute, technical mentorship and strategic advisory introductions.
Beyond these resources, Future Caribbean’s commercialization ecosystem connects high-potential teams with potential customers, governments, corporations, development finance institutions, investors, venture capital firms, universities and strategic partners, creating opportunities for long-term commercialization, customer adoption and investment.
Technology partners include Highrise AI, Impala, Nebius, NoInfra, MiniMax, Shogo AI, Giotto, Oligarden, OWC and Boardy. The broader ecosystem includes IDB Invest, ACTAI Global, ACTAI Advisors, The New York Stock Exchange, EY Caribbean, Enterprise Cayman, OECS Commission, DMZ, Export Barbados and others. EY Caribbean will also provide 50 hours of strategic consulting to selected teams.
Select teams will have the opportunity to present their solutions at the New York Stock Exchange during an investor showcase in Q3 2026, connecting founders with investors, industry leaders and strategic partners.
Future Caribbean has also assembled a network of more than 172 advisors and judges spanning technology, venture capital, research, government, development finance and the private sector. Throughout the Buildathon, teams will receive guidance on product development, technical architecture, commercialization, fundraising, go-to-market strategy and deployment.
Building the Future of Distributed Markets
With 450+ builders now building, Future Caribbean aims to demonstrate the Caribbean’s potential as a proving ground for Agentic AI technologies capable of scaling across regions, industries and economies worldwide.
About Future Caribbean: Future Caribbean is a global platform accelerating the development and deployment of category-defining Agentic AI companies across the Caribbean and distributed markets globally.
Media Contact: Future Caribbean
Website: futurecaribbean.com
Email: apply@futurecaribbean.com
Editor's Note: This release has been edited for length and formatting. The original release is available for download.