Startups in Port-au-Prince, Haiti: 2027 guide

Startups in Port-au-Prince: the short answer

Port-au-Prince is #989 of 1,000 cities in our startup city ranking (scores from 2024 ecosystem data), and in 2026 it is a crisis zone first and a startup market second. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Haiti, the US State Department rates the country Level 4: Do Not Travel, and the UN mission in Haiti (BINUH) counted at least 613 people killed in violence, mostly gang clashes, between 6 March and 31 July 2026. Haitian founders still register companies, sell to local customers and hire remote developers, so this guide covers how to build here with the least exposure.

Is Port-au-Prince a good place to start a startup in 2027?

For most founders planning 2027, no. The city suits a narrow group:

• Haitian and diaspora founders with family, partners and a reason to serve Haitian customers in payments, remittances, solar power, food supply or telehealth.
• Remote-first teams that hire Haitian developers or support staff while the holding company and bank accounts sit abroad.
• Impact founders who work with donor-funded programs and can absorb long delays.

It does not suit founders who need investors on the ground, foreign staff who relocate, reliable flights or hardware moving through the capital’s port. Any 2027 plan needs a security budget and a version of the company that keeps running if the founder cannot enter the city for months.

What does the Port-au-Prince startup ecosystem look like?

The ecosystem is small, and parts of it are paused. These are the names we could confirm as active in 2026:

• Impact Hub Port-au-Prince on 2e Avenue du Travail runs coworking, a makers space, a media studio and courses. It also hosted Port-au-Prince Startup Week, though the latest edition listed on its site is the 7th, held in August 2023.
• AyitiLAB, a technology accelerator for young founders, launched on 29 June 2026 at the Fondation Avenir headquarters in Delmas 83, under a two-year agreement between the foundation, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the École Supérieure d’Infotronique d’Haïti (ESIH), according to Le Nouvelliste.
• The Haiti Business Accelerator, a Clinton Global Initiative commitment led by regional chambers of commerce from Cap-Haïtien, targets 72 startups and small businesses in nine regions outside Port-au-Prince. Founders who can operate from the north should look here first.

Where do founders in Port-au-Prince find funding?

We found no active local venture capital fund we could verify. Money comes from loans, donors and diaspora networks:

• Fonds de Développement Industriel (FDI) manages a credit line and a partial portfolio guarantee, set up with the Haitian government, the World Bank and Desjardins, that pushes banks and microfinance lenders to lend to small firms, with a focus on women- and youth-led businesses.
• Canada’s Revival of Haitian MSMEs project, run by Développement international Desjardins with up to CAD 5 million, includes an accelerator program and new financial products and runs until 31 March 2027.
• Diaspora angels in the US, Canada and France are the most realistic source of a first check. Give them a US or Canadian holding company to invest in, since Haitian SA paperwork runs on paper and notaries.

How do you register a company in Haiti?

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) registers companies. Its online Guichet MCI takes registration requests and trade-name searches. For a société anonyme (SA), the MCI procedure page lists:

• At least 3 shareholders, one of them a natural person, and a lawyer and notary are mandatory.
• A 2,500 gourde processing fee, the statutes, a Banque Nationale de Crédit deposit certificate for at least a quarter of the capital, and a check for publication in the official gazette Le Moniteur.
• SA files go in on paper, by mail. The MCI publishes no official processing time.

What taxes does a startup pay in Haiti in 2026?

Haiti replaced its tax code with a decree published in Le Moniteur on 30 September 2026, in force since 1 October 2026. The new Code Fiscal sets:

• Corporate tax (Impôt sur les Sociétés): 30% of taxable profit, 10% for savings and credit cooperatives.
• TCA (Taxe sur le Chiffre d’Affaires), Haiti’s VAT: 10%.
• Simplified regime for small firms: if last year’s turnover was under 10 million gourdes, you pay tax on turnover after a 1 million gourde allowance, 5% for services and 2% for other activities, with a minimum of 25,000 gourdes.
• The fiscal year runs 1 October to 30 September, so the 2026 to 2027 year is the first under the new code. We found no startup-specific tax break in it.

Which visa can a foreign founder use to move to Port-au-Prince?

Haiti has no founder or startup visa, and we found no investor residence program on official sites. With the UK advising against all travel, British consular help available only from the embassy in the Dominican Republic, and US airlines barred from Port-au-Prince by an FAA order cited in the US advisory, foreign founders should work through Haitian cofounders and not plan a move in 2027.

Pros and cons for founders in Port-au-Prince

Pros

• A brand-new tax code with a 2% to 5% turnover regime for small firms.
• Little competition in local digital payments, logistics and energy services.
• Accelerators still running in 2026, from AyitiLAB to Impact Hub.
• Donor credit lines aimed at women and young founders.

Cons

• Gang violence, a Level 4 US rating and no UK consular presence.
• No US airline service to the capital.
• Paper-based SA registration that needs a lawyer and a notary.
• Almost no local investors.

What does Port-au-Prince offer women founders?

The strongest options are financial: the FDI credit line and guarantee prioritizes women-led firms, and the Canadian DID project funds a professional development program for women in finance and better financial services for women micro-entrepreneurs until March 2027. We found no women-only accelerator in Port-au-Prince with a working website, so women founders should also apply to regional programs such as the Haiti Business Accelerator.

FAQ about startups in Port-au-Prince

Is it safe to travel to Port-au-Prince for business in 2026?

The UK advises against all travel to Haiti and the US rates it Level 4: Do Not Travel. Both cite kidnapping and gang violence across the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Plan investor and partner meetings in Miami, Montreal or Santo Domingo instead.

What tax does a small Haitian startup pay?

Under the code in force since 1 October 2026, a company with turnover under 10 million gourdes can use the simplified regime: 5% of turnover for services or 2% for other activities, after a 1 million gourde allowance. Larger firms pay 30% corporate tax on profit and charge 10% TCA.

Can I build a Haitian startup without living in Port-au-Prince?

Yes. Hire Haitian developers remotely, keep the holding company in the US or Canada, and register a Haitian SA once you have local revenue to invoice. Check the tax position of both companies with an accountant before you sign customers.

Sources (checked October 2026)

• UK FCDO travel advice: Haiti
• US State Department travel advisory: Haiti
• BINUH, UN Integrated Office in Haiti
• Haiti Code Fiscal decree, Le Moniteur, 30 September 2026 (DGI)
• Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI)
• MCI: société anonyme procedure
• Guichet MCI
• Global Affairs Canada: Revival of Haitian MSMEs
• Desjardins: financing for Haitian MSMEs with FDI and the World Bank
• Clinton Foundation: Haiti Business Accelerator commitment
• Impact Hub Port-au-Prince
• Le Nouvelliste: AyitiLAB launch

MeanCEO Index for Port-au-Prince, Haiti 🌍

Port-au-Prince is a hard place for women founders to build a company in 2026. Here is how the capital scores across ten factors that shape daily life and business for women entrepreneurs.

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1. Weather ☀️

• Score: 6/10
  • With a tropical climate, Port-au-Prince enjoys warm temperatures year-round and a good number of sunny days, though the rainy season can be quite heavy at times. This makes it generally pleasant for outdoor activities and networking.

2. Location 🏖️

• Score: 5/10
  • Situated along the coast, Port-au-Prince offers beach access, but the tropical weather can sometimes limit swimming opportunities. Still, the scenic views and proximity to natural beauty are definite perks.

3. Women Friendly 👩‍💼

• Score: 5/10
  • Donor-funded programs for women-led businesses exist, and deep-rooted cultural attitudes still create barriers. The growth of financing aimed at women founders is a positive sign.

4. Foreigners Friendly 🌍

• Score: 6/10
  • Locals are warm and open to new connections. UK travel advice warns of a high threat of kidnapping, which limits how freely any foreigner can move around the city.

5. English as a Business Language 📚

• Score: 4/10
  • French and Haitian Creole dominate, with English gaining traction primarily in tech circles. Overall, communication can pose challenges for non-French speakers.

6. Delicious Cuisine 🍽️

• Score: 7/10
  • Haitian cuisine is rich and flavorful, built on local ingredients and epis, the herb and pepper base of many dishes. Traditional dishes are diverse and reflect cultural heritage, making it a delightful culinary experience.

7. Ease of Getting Married and Starting a Family 💍

• Score: 5/10
  • The dating culture exists, but societal norms make partnership complicated for many women. Community values offer a supportive foundation for family life.

8. Medicine 🏥

• Score: 5/10
  • The US State Department lists limited health care among Haiti’s risks. A few private clinics provide good care, and delays are common.

9. Ease of Transportation & Traveling 🚍

• Score: 4/10
  • Transportation options are limited, with public transport being less reliable. The city has an international airport, and US airlines are currently barred from flying to Port-au-Prince by the FAA.

10. Startup Mindset 💡

• Score: 7/10
  • The local mindset encourages resilience amidst adversity. Founders build around daily problems such as payments, power and food supply, and social enterprises are common.

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MeanCEO Index Score: 57/100 🌱

Port-au-Prince earns a moderate score for women founders, carried by creativity, community and resilience. Security, infrastructure and cultural attitudes toward women pull it down, and most of the support that exists comes from donor programs. For Haitian women building for their own communities, the city remains a demanding place to start a company.

Embrace the journey! 🌟