NASSAU, BAHAMAS: Five emerging entrepreneurs have been selected from 114 applicants to pitch their FinTech ventures as part of a new University of The Bahamas and OKX Bahamas partnership aimed at developing innovative ideas into sustainable businesses capable of contributing to the Bahamian economy.
The collaboration between UB’s Ignite Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and OKX Bahamas Fintech Company Limited was formalised through a memorandum of understanding designed to combine entrepreneurship training with digital innovation.
A central component of the partnership is The Bullpen FinTech Venture Pitch Competition, which will allow emerging entrepreneurs to present their business ideas while gaining practical exposure to potential mentors, industry experts and professional networks.
The five finalists were selected from a cohort of 27 incubator participants shortlisted from the initial 114 applicants. They will pitch their ventures before a six-member judging panel on Thursday, August 27, at UB’s Performing Arts Centre.
Their pitches will be judged on innovation, market potential, feasibility, financial viability, impact on The Bahamas, clarity, the overall product or service, and their responses to questions and feedback. The event will be open to the public.
“The Bullpen is about creating a platform where Bahamian students and emerging entrepreneurs can move from having an idea to demonstrating its potential. At OKX, we believe that innovation is most powerful when it is connected to real opportunity,” said OKX Bahamas Business Strategy and Operations Director Deno Cartwright.
“Through our partnership with University of The Bahamas, we want to help give young Bahamians the exposure, networks and practical experience they need to turn their ideas into businesses that can contribute meaningfully to our economy.”
Beyond the pitch competition, UB Ignite and OKX Bahamas plan to collaborate on FinTech-focused training programmes, workshops, short courses and masterclasses.
The programmes will cover areas such as financial technology, blockchain, digital assets, cybersecurity, compliance and risk management, providing aspiring entrepreneurs with industry-specific knowledge and practical business-development support.
Keturah Babb-Higgs, interim executive director of UB Ignite, said the initiative forms part of a broader effort to rethink how young Bahamians prepare for economic opportunities.
“The Bullpen FinTech Venture Pitch Competition is a powerful platform that brings together entrepreneurship, innovation and opportunity. Through UB Ignite, we are committed to equipping entrepreneurs with the knowledge, resources, mentorship and networks they need to transform their ideas into viable businesses,” Babb-Higgs said.
She explained that the goal extends beyond preparing young people for traditional careers and includes helping them become business owners and creators of capital.
“Continued partnerships between the public and private sectors are essential to strengthening our entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem and we appreciate OKX Bahamas for recognizing the vision and investing in the future of Bahamian FinTechs,” Babb-Higgs said.
