Startup Havana: Launching Tomorrow's Unicorns




A Region That Changed the World — And Will Again

The next-generation high-tech incubator stewarding small companies building the new frontier across Cuba, Florida, and the Caribbean — where AI-powered support, world-class mentorship, and elite infrastructure converge to transform bold ideas into category-defining companies.



Why Now · Why Here

Our Investment Thesis: The Untapped Frontier

Cuba, Florida, and the Caribbean represent one of the most underleveraged economic zones in the Western Hemisphere — a combined economic zone of over $620B in GDP, 50+ million people, deep cultural connectivity, and a startup ecosystem still in its earliest innings. Startup Havana exists to change that.

A Region That Changed the World — And Will Again

Five centuries ago, Havana was the crossroads of empires and the engine of the first global economy — the original gateway through which the Americas were discovered and developed. That season of world-changing greatness is returning: not through ships and trade winds, but through artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and entrepreneurial ambition. This region is once again positioned to be at the center of history.

Florida: The Launchpad

  • South Florida: Miami, Fort Lauderdale & Palm Beach ranked #16 globally in startup ecosystems (Startup Genome 2024)
  • South Florida startups raised $4.13B in 2025 — up 49% YoY
  • Florida now ranks #4 nationally for tech employment
  • South Florida: Miami, Fort Lauderdale & Palm Beach is the undisputed gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean and Viceversa
  • $400B+ combined real GDP across Miami-Dade, Broward & Palm Beach counties (FAU, 2024)
  • 2.5M+ jobs across the tri-county area
  • 300,000+ businesses spanning tourism, trade, finance, and tech


Stat callout: $1.9T+ Regional GDP · $48.4B Startup Ecosystem Value (GSER 2026)

The Caribbean: The Emerging Frontier

  • 44 million people across 15+ nations, largely underserved by venture capital
  • Caribbean startup ecosystems classified in "Activation Phase" — early but accelerating (Startup Genome / CARIBEquity)
  • GDP growth projected at 2.5% in 2025, driven by tourism and construction — but tech remains untapped
  • Structural challenges (energy costs, debt, climate vulnerability) create massive opportunity for tech-driven solutions
  • ~$219B total Caribbean GDP (IMF, 2024) — growing but largely untouched by venture capital
  • Guyana alone grew 43.5% in 2024 driven by oil — signaling the region's explosive upside potential
  • Tourism accounts for 40%+ of GDP in many island nations — creating massive demand for tech-driven solutions in hospitality, logistics, and payments

Stat callout: $219B Caribbean GDP · Activation Phase Startup Ecosystem (Startup Genome)

Cuba: The Long Game

  • 11M+ people with high literacy rates and strong STEM talent pipeline
  • 11,000+ MSMEs approved since 2021 — private sector now accounts for 55% of retail sales (2024)
  • 570,000+ jobs created by private sector since 2012
  • Cuban diaspora in Florida (1M+) represents a powerful bridge for capital, talent, and distribution

Stat callout: First time since 1959 — private sector outpaces the state in retail

What's Coming: Q4 2026

1

October 2026 — Cohort 1 Kickoff

First cohort launches across all three hubs — Levan Innovation Center (Broward), 1909 (Palm Beach), and Miami Hub. 10–15 founding companies begin the 6-month Startup Havana program.

2

November 2026 — Regional Summit: Cuba, Florida & the Caribbean

Startup Havana hosts its inaugural regional summit bringing together founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders from across South Florida, the Caribbean, and the Cuban diaspora community.

3

December 2026 — Demo Day & Investor Showcase

Cohort 1 companies present to a curated audience of angel investors, VCs, and corporate partners. Target: $5M+ in commitments from Demo Day.

Our Philosophy

We Build Differently: The Redemptive Entrepreneurship Framework

Startup Havana operates under the Redemptive Entrepreneurship Framework — a model that goes beyond profit to actively restore, transform, and uplift the communities we serve.

What We Reject

Exploitative Entrepreneurship

Builds for extraction — maximizing returns at the expense of people, communities, and ecosystems. This is the dominant model that has left the Caribbean and Cuba behind for generations.

The Floor, Not the Ceiling

Ethical Entrepreneurship

Operates with integrity, fairness, and accountability. A necessary baseline — but not enough. Ethical businesses avoid harm; they don't necessarily create transformation.

Our Standard

Redemptive Entrepreneurship

Builds to restore. Redemptive ventures use business as a platform for transformation — healing broken systems, creating dignified work, and generating returns that bless founders, employees, customers, and communities alike.

The Six Commitments of Redemptive Business

1. Product & Brand — We build products that solve real problems with honesty and dignity, not manufactured desire.

2. Culture — We cultivate workplaces of belonging, accountability, and shared mission — not hustle culture.

3. Business Model — We design for sustainability and shared value — not extraction.

4. Partnerships — We choose partners who align with our values and amplify our mission in the region.

5. Ambition — We surrender winner-takes-all ambition for a vision of flourishing — for founders, families, and communities.

6. Regional Impact — We measure success not just in exits and ARR, but in jobs created, communities lifted, and the new frontier built across Cuba, Florida, and the Caribbean.

We are not just building companies — we are building the next world, and we are building it right.

Historical Context

Then & Now: The Original Frontier

The First Frontier

When Havana Was the Center of the World

In the 16th century, Havana was the most strategic port in the New World. Spanish galleons loaded with gold, silver, and spices from across the Americas gathered here before crossing the Atlantic — making the Caribbean basin the engine of the first global economy. The navigational charts, trade routes, and colonial infrastructure built from this region shaped the modern world.

The New Frontier

The Streets That Will Launch the Next regional Economy

Today, a new kind of navigator is charting these waters. Founders armed with AI, data, and digital infrastructure are building the trade routes of the 21st century — not in gold and silver, but in software, platforms, and exponential companies. The Caribbean and South Florida are once again at the crossroads of a world-changing economic shift.

Five centuries ago, the ships that left Havana changed the world. The startups leaving Startup Havana will do the same.

Where We Operate

Our Physical Footprint: All of South Florida

Startup Havana founders don't just get a program — they get a home. We've secured physical presence across three premier innovation hubs, giving our cohort companies access to world-class co-working, networking, and collaboration spaces — with the Levan Innovation Center in Broward County, 1909 in Palm Beach County, and our Miami Hub in Miami-Dade, spanning the full tri-county South Florida region.

Levan Innovation Center

The Levan Innovation Center is at the heart of Broward County's tech ecosystem, anchored by a prestigious MIT partnership. It connects Startup Havana founders to Broward's enterprise networks, research institutions, and a high-caliber innovation community.

  • MIT partnership & research access
  • Premium co-working space
  • Meeting rooms & event facilities
  • Investor and enterprise network access
  • Broward County's leading tech and innovation community

1909

Palm Beach's premier innovation hub, 1909 is the beating heart of Palm Beach County's startup scene. Home to hundreds of founders, creatives, and technologists, it's where Startup Havana runs its core programming and community events.

  • Dedicated desks
  • Event space
  • Community of 500+ members
  • Programming hub for Startup Havana cohort activities

Miami Hub

Our Miami presence puts founders at the epicenter of South Florida's venture capital activity, international business community, and Latin American gateway — ranked among the top 25 startup ecosystems globally.

  • Access to Miami's VC network
  • International deal flow
  • Co-working space
  • Proximity to eMerge Americas and the broader Miami tech scene

Why Startup Havana? The Problem We Solve

No Roadmap

Early-stage founders drown in noise — conflicting advice, unclear milestones, and no structured path to product-market fit.

Capital Deserts

Pre-seed funding remains gatekept. Most founders lack the network to reach the investors who actually write checks at idea stage.

Tech Gaps

Building on limited infrastructure wastes months. Without the right stack, promising ideas stall before they ever reach users.

Isolation

Solo founders and small teams burn out fast without peer community, accountability, and experienced operators in their corner.

Our AI-Powered Incubation Model

Startup Havana is the first incubator to embed artificial intelligence at every stage of the founder journey — from ideation diagnostics to investor matching and go-to-market simulation.

What Our AI Does

  • Analyzes market fit signals in real time
  • Matches founders with ideal mentors algorithmically
  • Generates personalized growth roadmaps
  • Predicts funding readiness with precision scoring
  • Automates competitive landscape tracking

Why It Works

Traditional incubators rely on human intuition applied inconsistently. Our AI layer creates a consistent, data-driven backbone — so every founder gets elite-level strategic intelligence, not just those lucky enough to know the right mentor.

Technology doesn't replace our human network. It supercharges it.

Core Services That Drive Results

Funding Access

Pre-seed capital, investor introductions, and pitch coaching to close your first round fast.

Expert Mentorship

1-on-1 sessions with operators, CTOs, and founders who've scaled to Series B and beyond.

Tech Infrastructure

Cloud credits, developer tools, AI APIs, and a full-stack sandbox environment — on day one.

Market Access

Warm introductions to enterprise clients, distribution partners, and go-to-market advisors.

The Havana Journey

From Idea to Scale in 6 Months

Our structured program is engineered for velocity. Every phase is milestone-driven, accountability-backed, and designed to compress years of trial-and-error into a single, high-intensity cohort.

1

Month 1

Onboarding, AI diagnostics, founder-market fit assessment & team building

2

Month 2

Problem validation, customer discovery sprints & MVP scoping

3

Month 3

MVP build with tech infrastructure support & first user testing

4

Month 4

Go-to-market launch, growth hacking & early revenue generation

5

Month 5

Investor-ready pitch preparation, deck refinement & warm introductions

6

Month 6

Demo Day, funding closes & post-program scale support activation

Who We Work With

We champion ambitious founders building technology-driven solutions across high-growth industries. Whether you're pre-product or pre-revenue, if you're solving a real problem with conviction — we want to meet you.

AI & Deep Tech

Machine learning, computer vision, NLP, and next-gen software infrastructure startups.

HealthTech & BioTech

Digital health platforms, diagnostics tools, biotech solutions, and patient-centric innovation.

FinTech & Web3

Payments, lending, DeFi, blockchain infrastructure, and financial inclusion platforms.

CleanTech & Sustainability

Energy transition, carbon intelligence, circular economy, and environmental impact startups.

Our World-Class Network

Mentors & Operators

Over 80 active mentors — former founders, C-suite operators, and technical leaders from Google, Stripe, OpenAI, and top-tier VC-backed startups. Real experience, real accountability.

Investor Partners

Direct access to 40+ angel investors and venture funds actively deploying capital at pre-seed and seed stages across our focus verticals.

Corporate Partners

Enterprise Pilots

Paid pilots with Fortune 500 corporate partners to validate and scale your product.

Tech Sponsors

$250K+ in cloud credits, SaaS tools, and API access from AWS, Google Cloud & more.

Success Stories

Startups That Launched, Scaled & Disrupted

Our portfolio companies have collectively raised over $120M in follow-on funding, serve millions of users, and operate in 18 countries. Here's a glimpse at what's possible.

Family Playland

Media & Entertainment · Streaming
A wholesome streaming platform delivering educational and entertainment content for Latino families across the U.S. Family Playland launched on VIZIO and is now reaching 25 million households nationwide, powered by an AI content studio.

ClearLedger

FinTech
Democratized cross-border payments for SMEs in emerging markets.

GreenCore Systems

CleanTech
Carbon accounting platform adopted

$120M+

Raised by Alumni

87%

Funded Post-Demo Day

18

Countries Reached

60+

Companies Launched

Leadership

The Team Behind Startup Havana

JC Sanchez

Co-Founder & CEO

A visionary media and entertainment executive with 20+ years of experience at Fortune 100 companies. Formerly VP of Audience Insights & Analytics at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Multiplatform Media Planning Lead at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. Also held senior roles at Colgate-Palmolive and Visa. Now Co-Founder & Managing Director of Family Playland, a media startup delivering wholesome entertainment and educational content for Latino families across the U.S. JC brings deep expertise in data analytics, media strategy, content, and multicultural leadership to Startup Havana.

Enrique Triay

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

A seasoned venture consultant with 20+ years of experience advising over 500 startups from ideation to post-Series B. Former Director of the Broward College Incubator (7 cohorts, 2012–2019) and current Venture Consulting Manager at the University of Miami's Launch Pad. Deep ties to the South Florida startup ecosystem with expertise in angel investing, venture finance, and entrepreneurship programs. Enrique brings structured mentorship and a powerful investor network to every founder he works with.

M.B.A., Stanford GSB · B.S. & M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Cornell University

Apply Now: Secure Your Spot in the Current Cohort

Applications for our next cohort are open now. Spots are limited to 25 founding teams per intake. We review on a rolling basis — early applications receive priority consideration and direct feedback from our selection committee.

01

Submit Your Application

Complete the 15-minute online form. Tell us your problem, your team, and your vision.

02

Founder Interview

Top candidates meet our selection panel for a 30-minute deep-dive conversation.

03

AI Assessment

Our platform evaluates market opportunity, team composition, and readiness scores.

04

Decision & Onboarding

Accepted founders receive their offer within 7 days and onboard the following week.

Start Your Application →

Contact & FAQ

Have questions before applying? We've got answers. Reach out to our team directly or explore the most common questions from founders just like you.

Get In Touch

Email: founders@startuphavana.com
Office: Open hours Mon–Fri, 9AM–6PM
Response time: Within 24 hours

Follow us for cohort updates, founder stories, and startup insights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an equity requirement?

We take a small equity stake of 3–6% depending on the program tier selected at application.

Do I need a co-founder to apply?

Solo founders are welcome, though we strongly encourage team-building during Month 1.

Is the program remote or in-person?

We offer a hybrid model with monthly in-person intensives and weekly virtual programming.