The four Caribbean social startups winners.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados--Four innovative Caribbean startups are set to take the stage at the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) 2026 after emerging as winners of the EU-LAC Social Accelerator Caribbean Social Startup Pitch Competition.
Byde Mill – The Experience of Barbados, Colmado Cash of the Dominican Republic, EleCare AI of Jamaica and Dolphin of Trinidad and Tobago were selected following a virtual pitch competition, which sought promising early-stage businesses combining commercial potential with measurable social or environmental impact.
The four businesses are using innovative solutions to address challenges across the region, including financial inclusion, healthcare access, sustainable tourism and digital transformation:
Byde Mill – The Experience is a heritage-led tourism startup bringing together culture, hospitality and authentic local experiences. Through a model encompassing dining, events, accommodation, wellness and catering, the business aims to use tourism as a vehicle for inclusive local economic development and cultural preservation, creating opportunities for local suppliers and employment while helping to retain more tourism value within Barbados.
Colmado Cash is a fintech startup digitising “fiao”, the trust-based informal credit system used by neighbourhood convenience stores, known locally as colmados. By turning informal credit into clearer digital financial records, the platform helps small retailers manage balances and collections while giving customers transparent account information and documented payment histories, creating a potential pathway towards greater financial inclusion for households underserved by formal finance.
EleCare AI is an AI-powered electronic health record and clinical workflow platform developed specifically for Caribbean healthcare providers. The platform brings clinical documentation, records, coding, imaging, patient information and billing into one system, while using AI to transcribe consultations and structure clinical notes. Its model seeks to address the digital-health divide affecting smaller Caribbean healthcare providers, for whom many existing technologies may be inaccessible or designed for larger overseas health systems.
Dolphin is a digital healthcare and medication-discount network designed to reduce patients’ out-of-pocket medication costs. By connecting pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies, doctors and consumers, Dolphin enables medication discounts to reach patients through a digital platform, responding to challenges around medication affordability and treatment adherence, particularly for people managing chronic conditions.
The competition forms part of the EU-LAC Social Accelerator, a flagship initiative funded by the European Union. It aims to reduce inequalities and strengthen social cohesion by supporting social innovation and promoting inclusive and sustainable green and digital transitions across Latin America and the Caribbean, in alignment with the EU’s Global Gateway Investment Agenda. The programme is implemented by a consortium of partners led by CAINCO of Bolivia. In the region, Caribbean Export Development Agency is responsible for coordinating and implementing activities in Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
Leo Naut, Deputy Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, said the four winners reflect the growing potential of entrepreneurship to deliver both economic and social value across the region.
“The four businesses selected through this competition demonstrate the innovation and entrepreneurial talent that exists across the Caribbean. What is particularly encouraging is that they are developing commercially viable solutions while responding to real social and economic challenges in their communities. This is at the heart of what the programme is seeking to achieve: reducing inequalities by helping social enterprises bridge the gap between having a promising solution and having the capacity, networks and investment readiness needed to scale that solution and deepen its impact” Naut said.
“At Caribbean Export, we are pleased to provide a platform at the Caribbean Investment Forum where these entrepreneurs can present their businesses, build valuable connections and engage with investors and partners who can support their next stage of growth," he added.
The four winners will deliver their pitches on Day 1 of the Caribbean Investment Forum 2026, taking place from October 5–7, 2026 at the Hilton Barbados Resort. The event is hosted by Caribbean Export in collaboration with the Government of Barbados and the European Union and supported by platinum sponsors Republic Financial Holdings Limited, JMMB, Invest Barbados, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Luna-Lite and Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. Throughout the Forum, they will also have opportunities to connect with investors, business leaders and partners from across the Caribbean and beyond.
Their participation at CIF represents the culmination of a competition process that included an open call, eligibility screening, technical evaluation and separate national virtual pitch competitions in Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. In addition to sponsored participation at CIF 2026, selected startups benefit from investment-readiness support, pitch coaching, increased regional visibility and networking opportunities.
To learn more about the EU-LAC Social Accelerator please visit: https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/programming/projects/social-accelerator_en and to register and attend the Caribbean Investment Forum 2026, visit www.caribbeaninvestmentforum.com.
