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Startup Lab

You have the idea. We give you the structure, the mentorship, and the connections to turn it into something real. Jamaican-built. Caribbean-ready. Global potential.

What It Is

From idea to product
in 12 weeks.

The Caribbean does not lack talent or ideas. It lacks the structured support to take those ideas through validation, product development, and into the market. Startup Lab fixes that.

This is a 12-week accelerator program. You come in with a tech idea, a problem you want to solve, or even just a burning sense that there has to be a better way. You leave with a working product, a business model, and an investor pitch deck that is ready to go.

We work with teams of two to five people. Individuals are welcome and we help match you with co-founders if needed. AI-focused startups are prioritized but any tech product with Caribbean market relevance qualifies.

Young entrepreneurs working on startup in co-working space
🚀
7 Startups Launched From Startup Lab graduates
What You Get

The full support stack
for serious builders.

🤝

1-on-1 Mentorship

Every team is matched with a mentor from our network of Caribbean tech founders, investors, and senior operators. Weekly sessions. Honest feedback. Real connections.

🎓

Weekly Workshops

Customer discovery. Financial modeling. Product management. Legal basics for Caribbean startups. Marketing without a budget. Each workshop is taught by someone who has actually done it.

🏢

Co-Working Space

Access to The Genius Project's Kingston space four days per week. High-speed internet, meeting rooms, printing, and a community of other builders to keep you accountable.

🏆

Demo Day

At week 12 you present your startup to an audience of investors, press, and potential partners. Demo Day is a real event with real stakes. Graduates have raised money from it.

👨‍💼

Investor Introductions

Access to our network of Caribbean and diaspora angels, venture firms with Caribbean focus, and international programs like YC, Antler, and Techstars that have Caribbean pipelines.

💰

Seed Funding Pathways

We help you identify and apply to grant programs, competitions, and early-stage investors. Some Startup Lab teams have accessed up to USD 50,000 in non-dilutive funding.

The 12-Week Journey

From zero to pitch-ready
in three months.

WEEKS 1-3

Discovery and Validation

Talk to 20 potential customers. Understand the problem before you build the solution. Define your target market. Most teams pivot here. That is normal and good.

WEEKS 4-7

Build Your MVP

Minimum viable product. Not the full vision, the smallest thing that tests your core assumption. We help you scope it, build it with AI tools where possible, and get it in front of real users.

WEEKS 8-10

Business Model and Traction

How does this make money? How do you acquire customers at low cost? Get your first paying users or letters of intent. Numbers matter more than slides.

WEEKS 11-12

Pitch Preparation and Demo Day

Build your deck. Practice your pitch. Get feedback from investors before the real thing. Demo Day is your public launch and fundraising start.

Alumni Startups

What past teams
have built.

Mobile app on smartphone
AgriTech

FarmIQ Jamaica

A mobile app giving small Jamaican farmers real-time price alerts, weather warnings, and AI-powered planting recommendations. Now active in three parishes.

2025 CohortActive
Fintech dashboard on screen
FinTech

CreditPath

An alternative credit scoring platform for self-employed Jamaicans using mobile money history and business data. Partnered with a credit union for pilot lending.

2024 CohortSeed Funded
Student using education platform
EdTech

PassMate

An AI tutoring platform built specifically for CSEC and CAPE exam prep. Personalized question generation, weakness tracking, and adaptive study plans.

2024 Cohort500+ Users
Eligibility and FAQs

Who can apply and
what to expect.

Who is eligible to apply?

Jamaican youth aged 18 to 35 with a tech startup idea. You can apply as an individual or as a team of up to five. Prior technical experience is helpful but not required. We look for problem clarity, hustle, and willingness to learn.

Does my idea need to be fully developed before I apply?

No. You can come in at the idea stage. What matters is that you have identified a real problem and have some sense of who experiences it. We help you figure out the rest.

Does The Genius Project take equity in my startup?

No. We are a non-profit and we do not take equity, shares, or any financial stake in startups that go through the lab. The program is free and you keep 100% of your company.

Do I need to be technical to join?

No. Startup Lab welcomes both technical and non-technical founders. We help match non-technical founders with technical co-founders from our network where needed.

What is the time commitment?

Expect 20 to 30 hours per week. This is not casual. Building a company takes real time. Participants who treat it like a side project typically do not get results. Participants who go all in typically do.

Your startup starts here.

The next cohort of Startup Lab opens for applications quarterly. Tell us your idea and why you are the person to build it.

Apply to Startup Lab → Build Technical Skills First