ST JAMES, Jamaica — Tech Beach Retreat (TBR), the premier technology and innovation conference, is pushing for more ground-breaking investment for the Caribbean start up landscape, while positioning Jamaica as a critical emerging market for technological innovation and venture capital.

Speaking at the opening ceremony at Secrets Resorts in Montego Bay, St James on Wednesday December 4, co-founder of Tech Beach Retreat, Kirk-Anthony Hamilton said, “The global technology landscape is rapidly evolving and now is the time for Jamaica to be transformed into a Caribbean tech hub. Our focus for this year’s staging is to demonstrate the incredible potential of our island’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to attract even more lucrative investments.”

This follows on the heels of the TBR LAB programme showcasing the power of partnerships by accelerating over 250 start-ups and delivering more than US$500,000 in value to each start-up. The programme has also trained 3,000 skilled professionals and immersed 250 executive leaders. Some examples of investments that have been made through these types of connections at TBR include Bricksave and a United States venture capital company.

“The 2024 projection indicates significant investor confidence with international and regional venture capital firms showing interest in Jamaican start-ups. Some of the key drivers of this interest include enhanced digital infrastructure and a growing pool of skilled tech talent. Jamaica and the Caribbean are indeed ripe for more investment in technology,” said Kyle Maloney, co-founder of Tech Beach Retreat.

The sentiment was echoed by new and long-standing partners Massy and the Development Bank of Jamaica respectively at the opening.

Tech Beach Retreat’s annual conference serves as a critical platform for connecting entrepreneurs, investors and technology innovators and this will be on full display from December 4-6 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.