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- How Tech Can Save Future Christmas Dinners
So Hi there,
This is Silicon Caribe Insider, the 8-minute newsletter that brings The Future of Caribbean Tech and Business to your inbox weekly.
IN THIS WEEK’S SCI
The Lead: How Tech Can Save Future Christmas Dinners
Caribbean Tech News Amuse-bouche, Tapas + Bytes
Startups in the Spotlight
Caribbean Social Media Gets a Flashback
Caribbean Tech Events
THE LEAD
How Tech Can Save Future Christmas Dinners
Agritech Seeking to Solve Food Security Problems and Make The Future of Farming Sexy
Agriculture has always had an A.S.L (Age, Sex, and Location ) problem, and Agritech is seeking to solve it. In the past, farming was seen as a job for older folks in remote areas, while women sold the produce in bustling markets. Few of us cared about where our food came from until shortages or high prices hit.
But now, with billion-dollar losses from theft, fewer farms, and health concerns driving a shift to healthier diets, food security is a Caribbean priority. Enter Agritech, the solution to age-old farming challenges like Food Security. 🚀🌱"
Food Security is now a Caribbean imperative and by definition that means “when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
In response to all of this, CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO), which is an Associate Institution of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), launched its “Twenty-five by 2025 Initiative” which seeks to reduce the extra-regional agri-food imports by 25% by 2025 and increase the free movement of goods across the CARICOM. The intention is to reduce agri-food imports and emphasize food security and agriculture resilience. In short, make the business of farming sexy to a younger, female and urban and rural demographic. Enters Agri-tech.
Agriculture technology, more commonly known as ‘agritech’ ‘or agtech’, which is the application of technology and digital tools to farming, is an area that is nascent in our region, even as globally, the Agritech market size was valued at USD 24.491 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.33% to USD 49.212 billion by 2028 (Source: MarketWatch).
Benefits of Agritech
Across the Caribbean region, some progress has been made in Agritech, but currently, even as it is still ad hoc, even as the benefits are clear:
Use of current and historical data to make projections that can be used to refine farming strategies, such as regarding weather patterns or the relationship between certain practices and yield.
Optimising production through the use of tracking and monitoring tools, which are analysed and used to refine the production process, such as to track temperature changes, humidity, soil moisture, and chemistry, or even to track the health and location of livestock.
Automating certain aspects of the production process, such as through the use of sensors and robots.
Establishing tightly controlled environments, such as with smart greenhouses.
The Tale of Two Caribbean Agritech Startup Waves
Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen two waves of Agritech Startups. The first wave was primarily stimulated by Development agencies and government initiatives. This second wave seems to be more driven primarily from within - startups, accelerators with a few international partners
The First Wave of Caribbean Agritech Startups was between 2013 and 2018
They included:
AGrocentral ( Jamaica)
REvofarm ( Jamaica)
Guru ( St Lucia)
SCiroot ( Antigua)
World EcoSource ( Belize)
FarmVue ( Trinidad and Tobago)
Harvest (Trinidad and Tobago
The Agritech Startups that caught our eye in 2023
PreeLabs - Driving Farming Efficiency & Security with IoT Solutions
Prosperina - A startup agri-tech project originating in The Bahamas.
Ecoaid - A startup agri-tech and renewable energy project from Jamaica.
Grenada Grows - A startup agri-tech and renewable energy project based in Grenada.
Chick Inn - A startup agriculture project situated in Grenada.
Eco Energy - A startup renewable energy project in The Bahamas.
It is clear that Agritech is still in its infancy in the Caribbean but it has a massive role to play in our food security needs. There is a massive opportunity to focus on small farmers who are the backbone of our local supply chains – who stock our markets, and supermarkets from their small farms even as we encourage fresh faces that are diverse in age, sex, and location so we see more urban, vertical and smart farms that can produce high quality, fresh produce consistently.
We must keep moving forward if we are to protect our Future Christmas Dinners!
AD
CARIBBEAN TECH NEWS
[ Ai ]
Florida-based Ai Accelerator now accepting Caribbean Startups for March Cohort
Angela Benton, the American tech pioneer who started America’s first Black Tech Accelerator - NewME, is at it again. She said “This new accelerator blends my previous work with NewME, my learnings from working with AI companies at Fruit Ventures, and my expertise in data and AI at Streamlytics. The truth of the matter is we are at a critical time in technology and AI is changing everything, literally.” Caribbean Startups can now apply for March 2024 Cohort.
A peek inside the The New EU A. I Act
The European Union’s A.I. Act, which focuses on the riskiest aspects of AI, is finally drafted and agreed upon after nearly three years - even as most of the policies will be unactionable until 2025 and global enforcement is still a question mark. This is what’s on the table.
The A.I. Act is the first comprehensive regulatory legislation in the industry with unique protections.
AI-generated images and deepfakes will have to be labeled as such, putting the responsibility on companies — not customers.
The biggest AI companies will have to provide detailed summaries of their training data and provide risk reports.
Bulk facial-image scraping is now a no-no, as is emotion-recognition systems when employed in the workplace or educational settings.
Social-scoring systems that measure a person’s loyalty are off the table.
Facial recognition tech in law enforcement will be limited, with exemptions for identifying victims in cases of terrorism, human trafficking, and kidnapping.
Firms in violation of the rules could be fined up to 7% of their global sales. Source: The Future Party.
[ Data]
DEMYSTIFYING JAMAICA’S DATA PROTECTION ACT, WITH GRACE LINDO
Jamaica’s Jamaica’s Data Protection Act came into effect on 1 December 2023, but companies were given a 6-month-long breathing space to catch up and become compliant. But myths and misconceptions have persisted. Get clear on potential implications and obligations under the new dispensation: when using certain technologies and platforms, such as WhatsApp, Artificial Intelligence, and ChatGPT in the workplace; in the ethical use of data, particularly for research; in direct marketing; and when data breaches occur.
[ Broadband]
5 Reasons Why Countries Should Not Implement National Broadband Projects without an Updated National Broadband Plan
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the importance of a robust national broadband plan cannot be overstated. Although most Caribbean countries have prepared a national broadband plan, in most instances, they are outdated. But when the deployment of national broadband infrastructure projects is being considered, it is crucial to have an updated and relevant national broadband plan.
Because Getting Ready For 2024 Starts Now.
🚀 STARTUP SPOTLIGHT
Dall-E Ai prompt: Caribbean Tech Startup with black men & women entrepreneurs
English, Spanish, French, and Dutch Caribbean tech-driven startups around the world and how they are changing the way we live, work, and play. They are closing early customers, raising their first rounds, and hard at work building products.
[ Startup Stage Trends ]
What Trended on Kingston BETA’s Startup Stage This Year
Kingston BETA is SiliconCaribe’s monthly Tech Meetup and Startup event in Jamaica. On average 120-200 people from our Community attend to hear local and international speakers in Fireside Chats and panels and to see what’s cooking on the Startup Stage. Five Entrepreneurs spend 5 mins pitching pre-seed and seed-stage ideas for cash, network connections, and resources.
This year there were 7 events attended by just under 1000 attendees that saw over 200 applications to pitch.
What we’ve seen trending is that our entrepreneurs are seeking to solve an even more diverse range of problems in Real Estate, EdTech, E-commerce, Fintech, Car Sharing, Cannabis, Health and Wellness, and Agritech.
Startup Stage Winners this year were in the FIntech, CarSharing, Cannabis, and HealthTech Sectors. Let’s see what trends in 2024
[ Fund is Raising ]
Entrepreneurs of Greatness
Brief: Sebastien CELESTINE is on a mission. The founder of EOG venture studio is seeking to raise a micro fund of US$4m to empower new entrepreneurs in underserved communities to build a more inclusive and sustainable future
The final goal is to have between 40 and 80 LPs in this first fund with a target amount of $4 million, with investment tickets from LPs ranging from $50,000 to $400,000. We will be presenting this opportunity to international LPs in North America, the Caribbean, and West Africa in the coming weeks to quickly finalize the fundraising and fully dedicate ourselves to the financial deployment and operational support of the selected startups.
Founder: Sebastien Celestine
Founded: 2023
Industry: VC
HQ: Guadeloupe
Funds REcently Raised: $400,000
Currently Raising: US$4m
Calling Caribbean Tech Startups in Region & Diaspora!
If you're looking to connect with opportunities, programs, mentors, and angel investors, submit your project here for visibility. We're on the lookout for the Caribbean's exceptional tech entrepreneurs, change-makers, and builders. Submit here
FLASHBACK
A Moment in Caribbean Tech History
14 years ago, I wrote a blog “ 46 social media sites for Caribbean entrepreneurs”. It was inspired by an article I read on VentureBeat, but it turned out to be a beautiful thing as it acts as a capsule to show that Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurs have been the damn thing for a long time.
From this list, more than half of these sites came out of Jamaica. And now only 2 are not in the dead pool. Do you know which ones? Have a look.
1. Caribbeanmassive.com – One of the first social networks online. It’s 5 years old.
2. Likeachampion360.com – The Caribbean’s first Sports focused social network
3. Westindiantube.com – A video-sharing site for Caribbean Videos.
4. Kingstonpo.com – A social network for lovers of Dancehall and Reggae music
5. Teencaribbean.com – A social network for Caribbean teenagers worldwide
6. Cariblifecentral.com – A social network for Caribbean Americans
7. Caribaxisrpro.com– The professional networking site for Caribbean professionals worldwide.
8. Socialingua.com – the newest social network. ( JA)
9. Triniscene.com – The number one party and social scene network for Trinidadians worldwide.
10. Trinituner.com – Trinidad’s largest online community of car enthusiasts.
11. Wheelsjamaica.com – Jamaica’s largest online community of car enthusiasts.
12. Vibesconnect.com – One of the first social networks spawned in Jamaica
13. Caribfriends.com – A year-old site that brings together Caribbean classmates
14. Idletribes.com – A Caribbean hub for online communities and groups
15. Ackee.com – A site focused on reuniting Caribbean high schoolmates worldwide
16. Caribsingles.com – The largest singles dating site in the Caribbean. Over 45,000 members.
17. jampersonals.com – The largest Jamaican dating site. Over 30,000 members.
18. Rainbowvibes.com – The Caribbean’s first gay and lesbian social network
19. Cariblogger.com – The Caribbean’s first bloggers network. Over 200 blogs.
20. CUBlogz.com – A Caribbean bloggers network.
21. Whaddat.com – Jamaica’s party bible
CARIBBEAN TECH EVENTS
Oasis Onchain Summit
What: A 3-day summit focused on consumer crypto for global markets
Date: January 22nd-24th, 2024
Location: Crypto Isle | Nassau Bahamas
Format: Panels, FIresside Chats Plus a Hackathon
Website: https://www.oasisonchain.xyz/
Beyond the Beach
What: An invite-only Tech Investor Summit of Super Successful and highly activated US, Caribbean Diaspora, and Caribbean Angel Investors and Tech Entrepreneurs excited about investing in early-stage Caribbean Startups.
Date: March 21-23, 2024
Location: Jamaica
Format: Unconference Style of Fireside Chats, Lunches, Dinners, and Interactive Activities.
An Entrepreneurs Across Borders and SiliconCaribe Community Event
CARIBBEAN TECH JOBS
We may start posting job openings here. if it’s something your company would like to do, drop us a line [email protected]
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