On Thursday night at the University of the Virgin Islands campus on St. Thomas, six local startups pitched their ideas for a share of $100,000 in investment at Startup Battle USVI 2026, a live pitch competition.
Steve Lowe, founder of Estate Shield VI, won the $80,000 top prize for his estate planning platform, while Keturah Nelson, a UVI senior and founder of CTF Consulting, secured the $20,000 student award for her environmental waste-to-fertilizer initiative.
“We had a Startup Battle, think about ‘Shark Tank’ down in the Virgin Islands,” said Kelly Pugh, who serves as Client Relations Manager at the UVI Research and Technology Park.
Pugh said the format is designed to showcase a range of local companies and signal to founders that capital is available in the territory. “The idea is that we are hoping to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit in the Virgin Islands and show that there is investment here,” she said.
“This is a way to build that entrepreneurial spirit and encourage more people to see that they can have a viable idea, and there’s someone out there who wants to help them build it and bring it to life,” said Pugh.
This year’s lineup featured six teams, four community-based startups, and two UVI student ventures. Each was given five minutes to present and five minutes for questions from a four-judge panel, which included previous Startup Battle participants and local business leaders.
In the community track, cpStacks presented an artificial intelligence – driven trading platform that allows users to mirror the strategies of experienced investors, with the goal of expanding access to financial tools for everyday traders in markets that are often difficult to enter.
RePlastic Recycle pitched their modular recycling system designed for island communities that uses a human – machine interface, robotics and other technology to convert plastic waste into construction materials such as blocks, lumber and roofing tiles.
Estate Shield VI, founded by Steve Lowe, focuses on modernizing estate planning through a digital platform designed for Virgin Islanders. The company provides tools to help residents protect their assets and avoid common legal and financial challenges tied to probate. The venture was named the competition’s top winner, earning the $80,000 prize.
Lowe cited data showing the Virgin Islands lieutenant governor’s office holds about $22 million in unclaimed property and said traditional wealth management firms often turn away clients without a sizable amount in investable assets. He said Estate Shield VI has served about 180 families in the past 16 months, protecting roughly $250 million in assets.
In a press release from RtPark, Lowe shared, “Startup Battle was an inspirational night In a press release from the UVI Research and Technology Park, he said, “Startup Battle was an inspirational night surrounded by such innovative, driven doers and support from our neighbors and community stakeholders. Spaces and opportunities like this are exactly what we need more of to continuously elevate our territory.”
He added that the investment will help the company reach more Virgin Islands families with affordable estate and financial planning solutions. “This critical investment will help us reach more Virgin Islands families with affordable estate and financial planning solutions that protect their loved ones, assets and legacy while helping them avoid the probate nightmares that have plagued our territory for far too long,” Lowe said. “This is a community fight to break the cycle of poverty and financial vulnerability, and I sincerely thank the UVI RTPark for partnering with us in the fight.”
There was also Juju and Cece’s Lemonades and Treats, a growing agriculture-based business that transforms local crops into beverages and related products. What started as small has expanded into a multi-flavor, farm‑to‑bottle operation sold across the territory, and is now developing body-care products that use byproducts from its drinks line.
