TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTRE

What TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTRE does

Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) is a business incubator founded in 2002 within the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech Ja.), and is positioned as the first Technical Business Incubator in the English-speaking Caribbean. It operates as a special unit under the Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship, Ethics & Leadership in the College of Business and Management, and is functionally a non-profit, government-linked entity. TIC serves early-stage technology and tech-enabled entrepreneurs from three primary segments: UTech Ja. students, faculty and alumni; external pre-startup founders (3–6 month pre-incubation); and external early-stage technology startups (1–3 year incubation), with a secondary segment of small businesses served through the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC), a joint project with the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC).

TIC's service portfolio includes the Pre-Incubation Programme, the 1–3 year Incubation Programme with 24-hour office access and high-speed internet, Virtual and Incubation Associate tiers for remote entrepreneurs, Business Education & Training, GrowthWheel Assessments & Toolkits (via a certified partnership), Business Planning & Development, and Business Advice & Counselling. Physical infrastructure includes flexibly configured meeting and conference rooms (6–60 people) and reprographic services. TIC's underlying "technology" is not a proprietary software platform but rather the GrowthWheel business assessment framework together with a structured advisory methodology; the organization explicitly does not develop proprietary technology products.

Revenue is generated from a mix of recurring programme fees and space/membership rentals, professional services fees for training and advisory, one-time fees for meeting/conference room bookings and reprographic services. Since inception, TIC reports 286 registered businesses impacted and 158 residential clients, with JM$35 million in cumulative grants and equity channeled to client ventures over 2017–2019 through partnerships including the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and distribution is concentrated at the Kingston campus and through the SBDC partnership, with digital marketing conducted via the TIC website, LinkedIn, quarterly newsletter, and event/webinar programming.

Name

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTRE

Legal name

Technology Innovation Centre

Website

https://ticutechja.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) is a Jamaica-based, university-affiliated business incubator founded in 2002 that runs pre-incubation, 1–3 year incubation, training, advisory, and coworking programmes for early-stage technology and tech-enabled entrepreneurs from UTech Ja. and the wider Caribbean.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubation Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)

Keywords

• Business incubation services
• Startup advisory services
• Entrepreneurship training
• Co-working workspace
• Business development support

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Jamaica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Incubator Space Rental and Membership Fees: TIC generates revenue from leasing flexibly configured office suites and co-working spaces (hot desks, dedicated desks) to resident and associate clients. Fees vary by programme tier and additional services required.
2. Meeting and Conference Room Bookings: TIC rents out meeting rooms (6-15 people) and conference rooms (up to 60 people) to both clients and the general public, with pricing based on booking type and duration.
3. Business Training and Programme Fees: Revenue is generated from paid business education and training programmes including the Pre-Incubation Programme, Business Planning & Development Services, and GrowthWheel Assessments & Toolkits.
4. Reprographic and Office Services: TIC charges for printing (black & white and colour), laminating, binding, and other office services provided to clients and the public.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TIC is a university-affiliated business incubator that provides structured Pre-Incubation (3-6 months) and Incubation (1-3 years) programmes for early-stage technology-based entrepreneurs. Core offerings include mentorship and business advisory sessions, co-working and dedicated office space with 24-hour access, GrowthWheel-certified assessments, business planning and training services, funding search and investor introductions, and ancillary facility rentals including meeting, conference, and reprographic services.

Product overview

The Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) operates as a business incubator offering a portfolio of interconnected programmes and services for early-stage entrepreneurs. The core offering includes the Pre-Incubation Programme (3-6 months), the Incubation Programme (1-3 years with physical office space), and Associate Programmes (Virtual Associate, Incubation Associate) for remote entrepreneurs. Supporting services include Business Education & Training, Growth Wheel Assessments, Business Planning & Development Services, and Business Advice & Counselling. Physical infrastructure includes Meeting and Conference Room Facilities and Reprographic Services. The Small Business Development Centre extends consulting services to the broader small business sector. All services are coordinated through the Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship at UTech Ja.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Small Business Development Centre (SBDC): Joint project with Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) providing quality business consulting services and education accessible to the Small Business Sector.

Products and services

• Incubation Programme A 1-3 year residential incubation programme for university students, research faculty, and external technology-based entrepreneurs, providing mentorship, advisory sessions, business model refinement, funding access, and 24-hour office space with high-speed internet.
• Pre-Incubation Programme A 3-6 month support programme for university students, research faculty, and external aspiring technology-based entrepreneurs, offering business address, ideation, business plan development, mentoring, and venture development training.
• Incubation Associate Virtual associate programme combined with training, mentorship, monitoring, marketing support, and hot desk office space accessible by booking only.
• Virtual Associate Business address and virtual administrative support service providing professional administrative assistance and flexible support to entrepreneurs.
• Business Education & Training Programs Skills development programmes covering business model development, business plan creation, taxation, accounting and record-keeping.
• GrowthWheel Assessments & Toolkits World-renowned business framework assessments and toolkits that help entrepreneurs make better decisions and take critical action to grow their business, including budgeting, HR management, and financial analysis worksheets.
• Business Planning & Development Services Services including development of business plans, business models, and grant funding application assistance.
• Business Advice & Counselling Coaching, counselling and guidance from qualified business advisors during confidential advisory sessions, with referrals to other professionals and organizations.
• Meeting and Conference Room Facilities Multi-purpose meeting and conference room facilities with full multimedia equipment, flexible seating for 6-60 people, reliable internet access, and professional support services.
• Reprographic Services High quality printing services including photocopying (black & white/coloured), document enlargement/reduction, double-sided copying, laminating, and spiral/uni binding.
• Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) Joint project with the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) providing quality business consulting services and education accessible to the small business sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• JM$35 Million in grants and equity accessed by clients over the past 3 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) is a joint project between the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) and the Technology Innovation Centre (TIC). The SBDC provides quality business consulting services and education to the small business sector in Jamaica, making professional business counselling accessible to small enterprises.
• GrowthWheelcoreTechnology or IntegrationTIC is a certified GrowthWheel partner organization. GrowthWheel is a world-renowned entrepreneurial assessment and training tool that helps entrepreneurs make crucial decisions and take action. TIC uses GrowthWheel assessments and toolkits (including budgeting worksheets, HR management worksheets, financial analysis worksheets, and mission/vision planning worksheets) as part of its business advisory programme.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Antler: Global early-stage VC and accelerator operating cohort programmes worldwide. Comparable in delivering structured incubation for first-time and early-stage founders, though with a venture capital funding model rather than university-affiliated non-profit.
• Station F: Paris-based mega-incubator/founder campus providing workspace, programmes, and an alumni network. Comparable incubator model (office space, programmes, mentoring, partner ecosystem) at much larger scale and different geography.
• DMZ (Toronto Metropolitan University): University-affiliated tech incubator/accelerator providing cohort programmes, mentorship, and workspace to early-stage startups. Highly comparable operating model to TIC (university-anchored, programme-based, mentorship-led) but at significantly larger scale.
• MaRS Discovery District: Large urban innovation hub supporting startups through programmes, advisory, and access to capital. Comparable to TIC at the level of incubator/accelerator model and entrepreneur support services, but at vastly greater scale and broader mandate.
• 1871 Chicago: Chicago-based technology business incubator/hub providing workspace, programmes, and community for early-stage tech companies. Comparable incubator model (shared space, programmes, mentorship, community) even though scale and geography differ.

Regional players

• Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC): Jamaica's government-affiliated SMB advisory body, which jointly runs the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) with TIC. Overlapping customer base of Jamaican SMBs and early-stage entrepreneurs, with comparable business counselling and training offerings.
• Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator: Caribbean-focused accelerator programme supporting entrepreneurs building climate-resilient businesses. Directly comparable in Caribbean regional scope, entrepreneur target segment, and cohort-based accelerator delivery model.

Direct peers

• Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean: Caribbean-focused entrepreneurship support organisation operating accelerator programmes for early-stage founders in Jamaica and the wider region. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and target customer (Caribbean tech-enabled entrepreneurs).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/technology-innovation-centre-utech-jamaica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTRE