Grenadian entrepreneur wins Caribbean technology competition
I’m Local, a Grenadian technology company in the travel and tourism industry, has won 1st place in the 2019 Caribbean Technology Entrepreneurship Programme (CTEP) competition, the most highly recognised technology competition in the Caribbean.
Out of the 250 companies from over 20 countries that applied to the Scale Up programme, only 10 companies were chosen throughout the region. After 3 months of rigorous learning modules, workshops and mentorship sessions, followed by a live demo day and regional pitch finals, I’m Local attained the top spot, reinforcing that Grenada is the #1 country to invest in when it comes to technology in the Caribbean.
I’m Local, who previously won the GIDC’s Young Innovators Challenge and the Grenada Chamber of Commerce, Innovative Business of the Year Award, has developed a mobile application that enhances how tourists explore and experience the Caribbean in a fun new interactive way that protects local sites. Using voice recognition software, augmented reality and location-based technology, their new mobile app will provide an experience to visitors that is the first of its kind in the travel and tourism industry globally.
“Our goal is to create the Silicon Valley of the Caribbean, right here in Grenada. We want to put Grenada on the map as the high-tech hub of the Caribbean, not just regionally but internationally, winning CTEP is a step in that direction,” Cory Zufelt, Co-Founder-CEO.
With the current I’m Local application, visitors can book and pay for activities, tours, schedule transportation and even make restaurant reservations with the click of a button. For those who want to speak to a travel host, you can upgrade to have your very own virtual concierge 24/7.
A huge part of the I’m Local model is giving back to the heritage and tourist sites. Therefore, a percentage of revenue generated from travel experiences purchased by visitors, will be donated to ongoing projects, that are currently managed by the Grenada National Trust (Official I’m Local Partner). This will help fund the development and upkeep of sites that visitors are exploring. It is their way of ensuring that heritage and tourist sites are protected, and that the visitor experience is improved at all major points of interest.
I’m Local is in the process of scaling regionally into other Caribbean islands, starting with the Eastern Caribbean.
