Boosting the Digital Economy with Haitian Developers was the official tagline of Dev Expo 2021 edition.

Digital innovations are reshaping our society, economy, and industries at an unprecedented scale and speed, impacting us both positively and negatively. We live in a world where technology pervades everything, from health and education to transport and energy, entertainment, manufacturing, agriculture, commerce, and public administration. In this digital age, innovation occurs faster than ever before. Over recent decades, we have witnessed digital technology disrupting numerous markets. Streaming has disrupted the music industry, as well as TV and film, while social media has radically transformed the entire media sector.

In Haiti, pressing questions emerged in 2021:

• How many developers were there in Haiti in 2021?
• What were the main tech startups operating in Haiti?
• How can technology aid in the fight against crime?
• How can we reimagine struggling industries and create new opportunities for work?
• How can we enable entrepreneurs to succeed and access opportunities in technology?
• How can we connect more people with internet and technology access, regardless of age, location, education, or ability?
• How can we elect educated politicians who recognize the need to pass laws benefiting tech initiatives?
• How can an electronic payment system facilitate e-commerce and online business?

The digital revolution reached Haiti with great delay. To catch up and showcase the growing developer community, the Facebook Developer Circle team in Port-au-Prince and Banj launched Dev Expo in 2018, the first developer conference in Haiti, primarily inspired by Facebook's annual F8 developer conference.

The Dev Expo empowered Haitian developers to showcase their products globally, network with peers, and connect with potential investors to bring their projects to life.

In 2021, Dev Expo was held on December 11 at Karibe Hotel, expecting 30 startups and 500 attendees. Projects exhibited at Dev Expo were selected by a panel of judges who evaluated each project against well-defined criteria. Projects that had already launched and had a business model were more likely to be selected.

How to Participate as a Developer?

Developer applications opened on October 1 and closed on November 10 at midnight. We strongly encouraged women developers and founders to apply.

What Could You Gain from the Dev Expo 2021 Edition?

That year, we planned to support several startups, thanks to our sponsors and partners. Benefits included:

1. The top 5 startups had the chance to pitch their ideas in front of 500 attendees and on top social media pages including Chokarella and FernandoLive.
2. They received investments to continue working on their projects.
3. They gained mentorship and support from the Banj network and partners.

Dev Expo represented an invaluable experience for the Haitian developer community—a community eager to learn, share, and grow together while offering a new perspective on the Haitian creative ecosystem.

Dev Expo also served as a platform for Haitian creatives to train a new generation of developers, support those already in the industry in achieving their goals, and empower developers to find new business opportunities both locally and internationally.

This event would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors and partners, including Banj, Syntax Studio, the US Embassy in Haiti, BRH, Digicel, and Chokarella.

Stay connected with everything we do through these links:

1. https://www.devexpo.ht
2. https://twitter.com/devexpoht
3. https://instagram/devexpoht
4. https://facebook/devexpoht

If you wish to support us, please contact us via the email below:

hello@devexpo.ht

Or join the Facebook Developer Circle:

Facebook Developer Circle of Port-au-Prince