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dc.titleVenture Capital in the Caribbean: A Study of the Ecosystem in Five Countries
dc.contributor.authorLeslie, Winsome J.
dc.contributor.authorBeecher, Wayne
dc.contributor.authorSwaby, Kemesha
dc.contributor.editorJohnson, Simon Christopher
dc.contributor.editorDoboin, Ruben
dc.contributor.editorGyoung, Joo Choe
dc.contributor.orgunitIDB Lab
dc.coverageBarbados
dc.coverageBahamas
dc.coverageJamaica
dc.coverageSuriname
dc.coverageTrinidad and Tobago
dc.coverageThe Caribbean
dc.date.available2025-11-24T00:11:00
dc.date.issue2025-11-24T00:11:00
dc.description.abstractThis study analyzes the venture capital (VC) ecosystem in the Caribbean, focusing on five countries: Barbados, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago. It provides an overview of the Caribbean VC ecosystem, showing that although VC has become a driver for innovation and private sector development across Latin America, the Caribbean VC market remains less mature, with limited investments and significant funding gaps for startups. To assess ecosystem development, the authors developed the Caribbean Ecosystem Maturity Model (EMM), which scores the region and each country on a five-level scale across 12 critical dimensions: deal flow, entrepreneurial culture, funding sources, VC and private equity activity, exit mechanisms, talent pools, professional services, international connection, investment networks, support organizations, regulatory frameworks, and research & development and innovation. Overall, the region is categorized as “nascent” or “emerging,” depending on the dimension. The study calls for a multi-faceted approach to further develop VC in the Caribbean, addressing many areas such as education and capacity-building, cultural barriers, regulatory progress, and financial de-risking.
dc.format.extent67
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0013829
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Venture-Capital-in-the-Caribbean-A-Study-of-the-Ecosystem-in-Five-Countries.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectInvestment
dc.subjectVenture Capital
dc.subjectEquality
dc.subjectSmall Business
dc.subjectFinance
dc.subjectStakeholder Ecosystem
dc.subjectStartup
dc.subject.jelcodeG23 - Non-bank Financial Institutions • Financial Instruments • Institutional Investors
dc.subject.jelcodeO16 - Financial Markets • Saving and Capital Investment • Corporate Finance and Governance
dc.subject.jelcodeO19 - International Linkages to Development • Role of International Organizations
dc.subject.keywordsVenture capital;early-stage financing;angel investing;startup financing
dc.typeTechnical Notes
idb.identifier.pubnumberIDB-TN-03261
idb.operationBK-C2176
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