Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – December 15, 2025 – Zindi, the largest data science competition platform in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, successfully concluded its first-ever Caribbean hackathon, which ran from November 17 to December 13, 2025, marking a historic milestone in the region’s tech and innovation landscape. The competition culminated with final pitch presentations on December 13 at the AIIC (Artificial Intelligence Innovation Centre) launch in Trinidad and Tobago. Out of 40 competing teams, a Barbadian team, Team Machel, won the pitch competition, while three Jamaican teams—SMG Labs, JAIA, and Di Transcribers—dominated the technical phase, sweeping all three prize-winning positions by building the best-performing automatic speech recognition (ASR) models.
The groundbreaking event brought together data scientists, developers, and tech enthusiasts from across the Caribbean to tackle the challenge of building automatic speech recognition models for Caribbean accents. Over nearly a month, 40 teams worked to develop innovative solutions, with the competition testing their technical prowess through Zindi’s data science challenges while also evaluating their ability to communicate and pitch solutions at the AIIC launch event.
“We are thrilled to bring Zindi’s mission of advancing data science skills to the Caribbean,” said Celina Lee, CEO and Founder of Zindi. “The caliber of talent we witnessed was exceptional. With 40 teams competing, the Jamaican teams’ complete dominance of the technical phase—building the three best-performing ASR models—was remarkable. Team Machel from Barbados then delivered a compelling pitch that showcased the power of AI for cultural preservation. This event demonstrates the incredible depth of tech talent across the region and marks just the beginning of our commitment to fostering innovation in the Caribbean.”
The hackathon was made possible through the generous support of major sponsor Sarah Rudder Chulhan, Associate Director, Digital Client Experience, Technology, Infrastructure & Innovation at CIBC Caribbean. CIBC Caribbean’s sponsorship underscores the organization’s commitment to advancing digital innovation and developing technical talent throughout the region.
What stood out at this AI Hackathon was not just the technology, but the purpose behind it. Teams applied AI to address real Caribbean realities, including hurricane preparedness and response, expanding access to work, monitoring broadcast content in meaningful ways, and most importantly preserving our oral and written histories for future generations. On Behalf of CIBC I would like to extend special congratulations to Team Machel for their outstanding work, which exemplified how AI can be applied thoughtfully and responsibly within the Caribbean context. As we launch the AI Innovation Center, we encourage greater participation from Trinidad, Grenada, Barbados, and across all islands across the region. The Caribbean cannot afford to sit on the sidelines of the AI revolution; our ability to survive, compete, and thrive in the future depends on how boldly we invest in data, AI, and innovation today.
Team Machel’s winning pitch showcased not only technical excellence but also strategic thinking and effective communication—skills essential for translating data science solutions into real-world impact. Their innovative solution utilized automatic speech recognition specifically designed for Caribbean accents, aimed at preserving and cataloging Caribbean culture for future generations. This culturally relevant application of AI technology impressed judges with its potential to address a critical need in the region while celebrating Caribbean linguistic diversity.
Meanwhile, SMG Labs, JAIA, and Di Transcribers demonstrated exceptional analytical capabilities and technical innovation, sweeping all three prize-winning positions in the technical phase out of 40 competing teams. Their superior ASR models showcased Jamaica’s strong ecosystem of data science talent and technical excellence in machine learning.
The competition’s conclusion at the AIIC launch event provided a fitting platform to celebrate both the hackathon winners and the broader commitment to artificial intelligence innovation in the Caribbean region.
The success of this inaugural Caribbean hackathon sets the stage for future Zindi events in the region, as the platform continues to expand its global footprint and democratize access to data science opportunities.
About Zindi
Zindi is the largest community of data scientists in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, connecting talented professionals with organizations seeking innovative solutions to complex problems. Through competitions, hackathons, and learning opportunities, Zindi is building data science ecosystems across these regions and empowering tech talent to drive innovation and economic growth.
About CIBC Caribbean
CIBC Caribbean is a relationship bank offering a full range of market leading financial services through our Corporate and Investment Banking, Personal and Business Banking and Wealth Management segments. We are located in ten (10) countries around the Caribbean, providing the banking services through approximately 2,700 employees in 42 branches and offices. We are one of the largest regionally listed financial services institutions in the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean, with US$13 billion in assets and market capitalization of US$1 billion. We also have a representative office in Hong Kong that provides business development and relationship management for our fund administration. The face of banking is changing throughout the world and CIBC Caribbean intends to lead these changes with the expertise, integrity and knowledge gained from banking in the Caribbean since 1836.
CIBC – PR contact
Debra King | Director, Corporate Communications | People, Culture & Brand | CIBC Caribbean |
Michael Mansoor Building | Warrens, St. Michael, Barbados | Tel:+246 367 2248 |
Email: debra.king@cibccaribbean.com
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