Dominican startups have long been active participants in regional pitch events across Latin America, from Bogotá to Antigua. While these platforms have provided visibility, they have also perpetuated a narrative of Dominican entrepreneurs as guests rather than leaders in the innovation economy. However, a new wave of Dominican ventures is redefining this dynamic, focusing on leverage, infrastructure, and long-term exportability rather than mere visibility.
Take Extinguisher360, a Dominican startup co-founded by Jonathan Bournigal-Read, which recently earned a spot at Guatemala’s Volcano Summit’s Startup Avenue. While such achievements are commendable, the emerging class of Dominican entrepreneurs is charting a different course. These founders are not just seeking applause; they are architecting systems designed to attract capital, shape policy, and influence markets.
The traditional pitch circuit, while valuable, has become a treadmill—a system that often filters rather than funds, extracts novelty rather than elevates innovation, and trains startups to seek approval abroad rather than build local ecosystems. This approach, akin to outsourcing, does little to foster sovereign economies.
The future of Dominican tech lies in ventures that prioritize cross-border monetization, interface with regulation, and collaborate with ministries rather than just mentors. These startups are not just pitching; they are hosting summits, attracting capital, and commanding global attention.
Three key indicators distinguish these power-building ventures: they raise capital before seeking visibility, shape market behavior rather than merely participate in panels, and create products that fundamentally alter how people spend, earn, or move. When competitors begin to study their models, it’s a sign that these startups have stopped playing the game and started writing the rules.
As Dominican innovation matures, some startups will continue to tour Latin America’s pitch festivals, while others will focus on building exportable infrastructure that invites the world in rather than begs to be let out. By 2026, the world will fly in to witness what Dominican entrepreneurs have built, marking the transition from guest to host in the global innovation economy.