Minister Wheatley Endorses Techstart.online

Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, has endorsed Techstart.online, which provides free business support services to technology start-ups.

Techstart is a free online directory service and business support platform that provides subsidised development and productivity tools to help fast-track technology-driven concepts.

It also connects companies to local and international investors by submitting the company profile to over 100 start-up directories, review sites, funding agencies, and communities.

Dr. Wheatley said this “bold initiative” represents the level of innovation and foresight that his Ministry endeavours to support.

“I applaud the initiative… that was long overdue and well needed. An initiative such as this augurs well for the technology future… Techstart.online will be a one-stop-shop for tech entrepreneurs to be validated and listed,” he said.

He was addressing the launch of the website during the staging of Kingston Beta at Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) in New Kingston on October 26.

Dr. Wheatley informed that his Ministry has taken steps to revitalise and modify Start-up Jamaica (SUJ), which is an accelerator programme that supports talented and technologically savvy young people eager to tap into the global demand for creative mobile applications.

Dr. Wheatley noted that the newly appointed Chairperson of SUJ, Ingrid Riley, will ensure that SUJ achieves its true potential as a facilitator to ensure that budding tech entrepreneurs are able to nurture their ideas.

He reiterated the Government’s intention to build a vibrant technology-driven entrepreneur ecosystem, which is to be facilitated by the Technology Innovation Fund.

“The fund will be a self-sustaining revolving-door facility geared towards catalysing the growth of technology-based ventures by providing sustainable financing,” he said.

In an interview with JIS News, one of the principals behind Techstart.online, Dr. Stacey-Ann Wilson, said companies interested in listing their start-ups on the website are carefully scrutinised to ensure that they are registered locally and are then validated.

Kingston Beta is a bimonthly technology community meetup and pitch event. It aims to promote tech entrepreneurship and innovation and build a vibrant, collaborative and open Jamaican/Caribbean Start-up Community.