Winners of the 2026 Cayman Islands Business Design Competition Announced

Enterprise Cayman has announced the winners of the 2026 Cayman Islands Business Design Competition, following its sixth annual “Pitch Day” event held on Saturday, 18 April 2026 at The Grand Cayman Marriott Resort. Nine Cayman-born ventures competed for USD $16,000 in cash prizes and wraparound business support services.

Produced by Enterprise Cayman and sponsored by Cayman Enterprise City (CEC), the annual Business Design Competition invites Cayman’s entrepreneurs to showcase their new and innovative business ideas. This year’s competitors were shortlisted from an impressive cohort of over 40 submissions. Programme finalists took part in an intensive series of workshops, project advisor meetings, networking events, and a “Pitch Day” where they presented their final projects to a panel of judges, which included:

• Melesia Adderly, Founder and CEO of Women's Haven
• Rich Dyer, Co-Founder of Massive Media,
• Thais Ducent, Director of the Cayman Islands Centre for Business Development (CICBD),
• Nick Joseph, Founder of Reside Cayman, and
• Woody Foster, Managing Director of Foster’s.

“This year’s cohort truly raised the bar,” said Alyssa Manderson, Programme Manager at Enterprise Cayman. “The creativity, preparation, and quality of execution we saw on Pitch Day were exceptional and reflected the strength of Cayman’s emerging entrepreneurial talent. What stood out most was the caliber of the founders themselves, their growth, confidence, and commitment to building ideas with real potential. We are proud of how far the Business Design Competition has come and excited to continue building on that momentum through our Launch Labs Incubator initiative.”

To date 52 Cayman-born business ventures, including Emailchaser, Island Pet Co., Cogniscent Learning, and CollectSunny, have completed the competition and are part of a growing community of entrepreneurs.

“Our Business Design Competition is about more than just pitching ideas. It’s about strengthening our innovation ecosystem. It’s about empowering individuals to explore real-world problems, validate meaningful solutions, and move one step closer to creating thriving businesses that can succeed both locally and globally,” said Charlie Kirkconnell, CEO of CEC and Chairman of Enterprise Cayman. “We’ve developed and continue to develop a platform where innovators can connect and grow in a welcoming business environment a place where individuals, local businesses, and global ventures can thrive.”

2026 Competition Finalists:

• DAYHIREKY – A trusted platform connecting Caymanians and residents to flexible, short-term job opportunities by Erika Wilson
• EcoTwin Cayman – A digital twin platform helping buildings and infrastructure optimise sustainability decisions with data by Dr. Eustache Placide, Carrie Giann Smith Martin, and Shevon Campbell
• Haven – A discreet voice-activated emergency response tool designed to help users get support fast by Benjamin Bates 
• LetsGo – A smart public bus solution enabling real-time tracking and more reliable commuting by Saaleha AbrarAli
• Operator Intelligence Engine by BRIKS Advisory – A decision-intelligence tool helping investors pressure-test real estate deals before committing capital by Goodman Powery
• P4.com – A decentralised edge-compute network turning idle resources into usable compute and potential earnings by Patrick Kennedy, Vincent Ross Lirio, and Christian Erhardt
• Rikus – An AI-powered procurement platform simplifying the full journey from scope to payment by Robson Lima
• The Home Equity Exchange (HEX) – A new approach to unlocking home equity through fractional ownership and tradable housing exposure by Paul Saputo
• Tiny Tide Interactive – Building Cayman’s video game ecosystem through local talent development and game production by Sarah Harrison

2026 Programme Instructors & Project Advisors: Melesia Adderley, Lauren Christie, Rich Dyer, Isobel Forde, Khurram Hassan, Joshua Hecht, Lance Jefferson, Terita Kalloo, Vlad Logvinov, David Manouchehri, Bartosz Mozyrko, Marta Pires, Stuart Reavley, Cassandra Shea, Michael Staniewicz, Ty Thomas, Ryan Watson, George Wauchope, Omara Whittaker, and Brianna Wilson.

2026 Competition Awards & Winners:

• The Project of the Year for a business design that shines above and beyond competition expectations was presented to Goodman Powery for Operator Intelligence Engine by BRIKS Advisory, A decision-intelligence tool helping investors pressure-test real estate deals before committing capital. Goodman took home the grand prize of USD $10,000 and a showcase event with the Cayman Islands Investment Angel Society (CIIAS) both sponsored by Cayman Enterprise City, complimentary incorporation of company sponsored by HSM, and a complimentary corporate video sponsored by ZEAL.

• The People’s Choice Award was presented to EcoTwin Cayman, A digital twin platform helping buildings and infrastructure optimise sustainability decisions with data by Dr. Eustache Placide, Carrie Giann Smith Martin, and Shevon Campbell. Members of the public were invited to vote on the “People’s Choice Award” which included a USD $2,000 cash prize sponsored by Enterprise Cayman.

• The Innovation Award for an innovative business design that is inspiring, new and/or unconventional was presented to P4.com, A decentralised edge-compute network turning idle resources into usable compute and potential earnings by Natalie Riley, Vincent Ross Lirio, and Patrick Kennedy received a USD $2,000 cash prize sponsored by ZEAL.

• The Community Impact Award for a business design that makes a difference in our local and/or global communities was presented to Benjamin Bates for his project Haven, A discreet voice-activated emergency response tool designed to help users get support fast. Benjamin received a USD $2,000 cash prize sponsored by HIGHVERN.

Every finalist in the 2026 competition received a business support prize pack valued at over USD $8,000 that includes complimentary access to Cayman Enterprise City's Launch Labs Studios co-working space, events, and network; a reduced rate for incorporation thanks to HSM; a Business Advisory Support Package from the Cayman Islands Centre for Business Development (CICBD); business development and outbound support from Emailchaser; and a 90% discount on HubSpot for Startups.

"I’ve pushed boundaries that I didn’t know I had, and it has just been exceptional. I’m so grateful to have been part of this journey, and to Enterprise Cayman for giving me this opportunity to pursue what I think will be an amazing step toward innovation," said Erika Wilson from DayHireKY.

"Throughout this competition I’ve learned that the idea is only really the starting point. The real challenge is creating something that’s clear, defensible, and marketable," said Benjamin Bates from Haven, winner of The Community Impact Award sponsored by HIGHVERN.

"Being part of this competition has definitely pushed me to come out of my comfort zone, and it has also opened my eyes to what it takes to move an idea from a technical perspective to one that is marketable," said Carrie Smith from EcoTwin Cayman, winner of The People’s Choice Award sponsored by Enterprise Cayman.

“The Business Design Competition has impacted me significantly. It’s helped me to really see the product and the brand come together in one, and I’m just overly joyed," said Goodman Powery of BRIKS Advisory, winner of the 2026 Project of the Year award sponsored by Cayman Enterprise City.

As part of its continued commitment to supporting founders beyond ideation, Enterprise Cayman recently announced the Launch Labs Incubator powered by DMZ, one of the world’s top-ranked startup incubators headquartered in Toronto, with $3Billion raised across its portfolio. The incubator is designed to help early-stage ventures move from validated ideas to scalable investor-ready businesses through structured programming, mentorship, and access to international networks. Individuals interested in building and growing their business are encouraged to apply for the Launch Labs Incubator. For more information and to register, visit https://www.enterprisecayman.ky/launch-labs-incubator.