WITH smartphone penetration being on the rise in the Caribbean, the exponential growth of the tech community holds tremendous promise for entrepreneurs and aspiring app developers from across the region. Improved mobile technology resulting in the popularity of mobile apps and mobile data plans has created a demand for smartphones such as the RIM Blackberry devices and other mobile devices running the Android operating system developed by Google.

Recognising the potential of the Caribbean to make a mark on the mobile revolution, infoDev, a global innovation programme of the World Bank Group and Digicel hosted a Boot Camp for Caribbean app developers focused on developing effective pitches for their web-based/mobile businesses to potential investors and venture capitalists.

During the two-day workshop, which was supported by the Government of Canada, 12 teams from across the Caribbean received tips on how to pitch their business ideas to investors from November 16 to 17 at the Digicel Headquarters in downtown Kingston. The teams, which consisted of participants from Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St Kitts, and Jamaica, mostly emerged from a World Bank competition for app developers dubbed ‘PitchIt Caribbean’, which ended in March this year.

Neesha Cooper, a participant in the recent workshop, said that receiving advice from persons in the industry was one of the highlights of the programme for her.

“When people create a product, to them, it is the best thing out there. But coming to this workshop has allowed us to receive constructive criticism on our products and see what others in the industry are doing while connecting with other entrepreneurs,” Cooper explained.

“The really great thing is that these persons here with us have been in the industry and they can give us feedback on our products based on their own actual experience and knowledge,” she added.

The Boot Camp was geared at equipping the participants with the practical marketing knowledge for their apps, getting visibility and gaining traction on an international scale as well as refining their products for the global market from a technical standpoint. Additionally, towards the end of the workshop, participants developed and delivered pitches for their apps to a panel which consisted of World Bank Consultant, Angelique Mannella, Digicel Group Software Development Manager, Ed Sherwood-Smith and CEO of VentureLynx, Kamal Hassan.

According to Mannella, “The region already has talented, budding entrepreneurs. We want to help them get all the skills they need to take their business to the next level through programmes like infoDev’s Entrepreneurship Programme in the Caribbean (EPIC), which benefits from infoDev’s experience with catalysing mobile innovation ecosystems around the globe.”

Senior communications manager at Digicel, Shelly-Ann Harris was also delighted with the performance of the participants in the boot camp.

“The quality of the products that the participants have brought to this workshop coupled with their passion and optimism makes us excited about the future possibilities for the Caribbean in the mobile data app space. We are proud to be part of this initiative and we will continue to give our support to the development of technology and entrepreneurship in the region,” Harris noted.