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Jamaican artificial intelligence entrepreneur Adrian Dunkley has launched the Caribbean’s first AI fund, 14West, a multi-million-dollar initiative designed to develop AI startups and unify fragmented innovation efforts across the region.

The fund will directly support 14 AI companies across 14 Caribbean countries, investing not just in ideas but in the infrastructure needed to transform them into products and platforms with global potential.

According to Dunkley, the initiative aims to shift the narrative around Caribbean innovation from isolated pilots to integrated impact.

“We’ve waited long enough for the big players to take this seriously. The Caribbean cannot afford to wait. It’s time we stepped up and built this ourselves,” said Dunkley.

Backed by US$1 million in initial support, 14West promises more than funding. It brings with it a plan for cross-country collaboration, long-term ecosystem development and the elevation of local expertise in a space long dominated by international players.

Regional mission, not a national programme

The 14West initiative is explicit in its scope. This is not a single country effort, nor is it a short-term campaign. It is a Caribbean-led movement built to ensure the entire region participates meaningfully in the global AI economy.

To that end, the team is launching the Caribbean Assembly for AI Growth (CAAG). This advisory body will include equally represented voices from every Caribbean country that chooses to participate. CAAG will serve as a steering group for funding, mentorship, education, and policy alignment.

“People ask me the best ways to apply AI,” said Dunkley. “I always say, How much time do you have? AI is a field centred on building problem-solving machines, meaning every country, every industry, every person has a use case for AI that they will find useful and potentially life-changing. 14West is here to tap into that.”

From fragmented projects to regional cohesion

Artificial intelligence is not new to the Caribbean, but its development has largely been fragmented. Governments are exploring strategies, businesses are testing tools, educators are introducing new curricula, and independent developers are building passion projects. Yet few of these efforts intersect.

14West aims to connect what is currently disconnected. By bridging industries, countries, and disciplines, it seeks to form the kind of regional infrastructure that supports scalable innovation, one built on aligned priorities and shared resources.

The work of 14West and CAAG are structured around six core pillars that define its mission and values:

Representation: Each Caribbean nation will have a voice. Funding and leadership must reflect the region’s geographic, cultural, and social diversity.

Alignment: From education to policy to investment, regional strategies must be coherent. Fragmentation weakens outcomes.

Capacity: Too many territories lack reliable access to computing power, training, data, and infrastructure. 14West will address this gap.

Capability: Workshops and hackathons are starting points. The fund will focus on turning ideas into viable, investable companies with real market access.

Ethic: Cultural values matter. Caribbean AI must reflect principles of equity, transparency, and community-based design.

Fairness: Opportunities must be distributed across gender, generation, class, and island. Equity will guide investment, selection, and growth strategies.

Looking ahead

Applications to 14West’s first cohort will open this fall. At the same time, the team is actively calling for CAAG members, professionals, creatives, educators, and leaders who want to help shape the region’s AI roadmap.

For Dunkley, the fund is not a response to a global trend. It is a necessary step toward regional independence and innovation.

“AI is too important to be something we consume,” he said. “It has to be something we build.”