Bajan innovator cops Future Caribbean Buildathon challenge

A Barbadian-led technology venture designed to help island utilities manage electricity grids using artificial intelligence has won first place in Future Caribbean’s Buildathon, a regional innovation competition whose Investor Showcase was broadcast live from the New York Stock Exchange on November 13.

Caribbean Grid AI, founded by Barbadian entrepreneur Andrew Narine, topped a field of approximately 450 builders from 39 countries, securing first place for its work in electricity grid intelligence and coordination.

Future Caribbean, an innovation engine and venture studio developing Agentic AI companies for Caribbean and global markets, announced the winners during the showcase. Trinidad and Tobago’s Neptune Energetics, founded by Simon Neptune, placed second, while Canada’s Mirra Call, led by occupational therapist Brenda Luo, finished third.

(From left) David Rice, investment executive at Invest Barbados, joins Lily Dash, founder of Future Caribbean, in presenting a cheque to the winner of the 2026 Future Caribbean Buildathon Challenge, Barbadian Andrew Narine. (Photo by: Future Caribbean)

Caribbean Grid AI is developing an intelligence and coordination platform for island electricity grids that combines climate data, renewable energy forecasting and Agentic AI to support decisions on when to store electricity, dispatch it, hold reserves or curtail generation.

As utilities integrate more solar, wind and storage resources, the platform aims to help operators improve forecasting and operational decision-making.

Narine said the company has conducted forecasting assessments in response to requests from Barbados Light & Power and is seeking a utility pilot that combines electricity demand data with its climate intelligence platform to demonstrate operational value.

Finalists presented their ventures to investors, government representatives, industry leaders and prospective deployment partners.

Hosted by Future Caribbean founder Lily Dash, the showcase featured insights from Jamaican Minister of Finance Fayval Williams and venture capitalist Bill Tai, who spoke about opportunities for the Caribbean to shape the AI transformation through technologies that improve the operation of industries and public services.

The programme’s prize package included US$50 000 in cash and US$20 000 in AI deployment hardware from Other World Computing for the top three winners.

The New York Stock Exchange Investor Showcase was supported by Invest Barbados, Andrik Capital and Polymath Research.

(PR/BT)