Belize’s emerging startup ecosystem is set to receive a major boost this year, as the regional business incubation initiative RevUP Caribbean rolls out its eighth cohort with an enhanced global support framework tailored specifically for local entrepreneurs.
First launched in 2021 at the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic, RevUP Caribbean was built to address a critical gap identified by regional investors: while many early-stage Belizean founders had strong technical expertise for their core offerings, few possessed the foundational business skills needed to scale operations and attract formal venture funding. The initiative grew out of First Angels Caribbean, a regional angel investment network established 12 years prior, after program leaders observed that portfolio companies consistently struggled to meet growth expectations required to deliver returns to backers.
“Many of the founders we funded through First Angels Caribbean were extremely technically competent, but they lacked the capacity to grow and scale their businesses,” explained Sandy Glasgow, Managing Director of RevUP Caribbean, in an interview. “If you take on an investor, you have an obligation to grow that business so they can see a return on their investment. We sat down to map the gaps we saw across our funded companies, and we built this program to fill those gaps.”
The program’s core offering remains a five-month intensive virtual incubation curriculum that covers every key skill set early founders need to scale. Core modules include digital transformation and leveraging artificial intelligence to boost productivity, data-driven marketing strategy, foundational finance and accounting, human resources and process management, corporate governance, long-term strategic growth planning, and comprehensive investment preparation. The investment readiness training specifically demystifies the funding process: it teaches founders what angel investors look for during pitches, how to speak the language of global investment, what to expect during due diligence, what legal documentation is required for investment partnerships, how to value an early-stage business, and how to protect critical intellectual property.
For its 2026 eighth cohort, RevUP Caribbean is stepping up its support through a new partnership with Bridge for Billions, a global entrepreneurship support network. The new collaboration brings expanded resources to participating Belizean founders, including one-on-one weekly mentorship from experienced global business leaders, flexible self-paced online learning modules that adapt to founders’ existing work schedules, and exclusive in-person retreats that facilitate networking and hands-on collaboration.
The end goal of the program is simple: to empower local Belizean entrepreneurs with the practical tools and confidence to turn small, early-stage ideas into investment-ready businesses that can compete regionally and globally. Applications for the eighth cohort are currently open to all eligible Belizean founders and will close on June 30, 2026. Interested applicants can find more information and submit their applications through the official RevUP Caribbean website.
Glasgow emphasized that the program is actively seeking innovative founders with big ambitions for their businesses. “Our program is really designed to support founders who have an aspiration for their businesses to grow into significant companies,” she said, framing the expanded cohort as a potential turning point for Belize’s next generation of entrepreneurs.