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In this age of technological innovation, builders of the world are exploring new paradigms for finance, social communities, and other frontiers in the digital world. Remote work and decentralization have opened the doors to more freedom of movement and lifestyle options, but there’s also a growing desire for a physical location where these trailblazers can congregate within a community that shares their values. Beyond the good vibes, the place should actually enhance their chances of success.
A private city and special economic zone on Roatan Island in Honduras presents a worthy base consideration for such operations. Próspera’s flagship city, St. John’s Bay, is a growing community of builders empowered by technological innovations and supportive governance. It’s a Caribbean hub where builders from the digital economy converge with those in the physical world to craft a next-gen city that shares the values of freedom and maximized prosperity. 
The E-Residency program
The E-Residency program is the first step for many on the journey into Próspera. For a small fee, individuals can become residents and gain access to the entire platform of services, where they can then register a business, manage their legal entities and regulatory compliance, and generally navigate their governance needs in one place. While e-residents often initially come for the low taxes and regulations, they stay for the growing sense of community. 
Within the <a href="https://prospera.hn/">Próspera</a> community, the chance to build a city around people’s ideals is one of the themes that makes it more of a shared mission rather than a decision made solely for jurisdictional advantages. This frontier city, with many first-world comforts, offers a unique opportunity because there are so many different fields where 21st-century pioneers can be the first to plant their flag and set the standard. 
E-residents can even help shape the future of their particular industry with three intelligently designed regulatory frameworks. One of those options is for a business to propose its unique framework to the governing council. If adopted by the board, this new framework is subsequently available to other firms operating in that same industry.
Creating the optimal environment for business builders
Launching a successful business requires the right conditions, even in good times. With economic headwinds, entrepreneurs of the 2020s are even more focused on ensuring they have the optimal conditions to reduce those fiscal frictions. A favorable tax and regulatory environment is a crucial factor for many startups. It can help reduce the financial and administrative burden, freeing up resources that can be used to invest in the business and drive growth. It also creates a level playing field for builders, allowing them to compete based on their ideas and innovation rather than being disadvantaged due to unfavorable tax or regulatory policies. 
These supportive government policies are attracting the types of businesses at the frontiers of their respective industries. This includes Minicircle, a biotechnology company focused on genetic therapies. Their CEO determined that St. John’s Bay was a jurisdiction that would allow them to safely but quickly get to clinical trials at less than 1% of the cost of running those trials in the US. The city also has fintech companies, a drone delivery service, a Montessori school, and a Bitcoin Academy for community education. The Bitcoin education center is a key highlight, considering that St. John’s Bay has the ambitious goal of being the city with the highest crypto adoption rates in the world by the end of 2023. 
Physical infrastructures to support the initiative
The innovation extends to their real estate developments. St. John’s Bay has the Circular Factory project, which uses geometric principles and layering, robotics, and 3D printing techniques to create beautiful and durable buildings with 70% less concrete and 90% less steel. This concept will result in custom designs like the upcoming Beyabu development.
With the city’s first residential tower slated to open in mid-2023, over 100 businesses have already incorporated within the jurisdiction, enticed by Próspera’s economic policies that empower business creators. Builders appreciate the supportive business environment and note the distinctive brand of freedom found in a private city on a tropical island, an ethos embraced by the city’s growing community of thousands of e-residents.
The city has also attracted interest from investors, including investments from Silicon Valley’s most notable angel investors. For them, Próspera offers a unique opportunity for them to fund the creation of a next-generation city, and potentially realize exponential gains as that city grows. Próspera’s approach to digital governance for a physical city is a unique value proposition outside of traditional software or physical real estate investments. Próspera describes governance as an industry and views its services as an option for individuals and host governments seeking alternatives to the status quo. For investors, this paradigm shift presents a huge opportunity – if governance is a market, it’s one of the largest markets in the world and ripe for disruption. This is one reason investors are flocking to the city, with Próspera raising upwards of $50 million to support the growth of St. John’s Bay. 
Niklas Anzinger runs Infinita Fund and has invested in several businesses based in St. John’s Bay, with plans to move there in 2023. “Prospera is the most exciting project in the world regarding pioneering a new model for unleashing entrepreneurship. This is interesting for me as an investor for two reasons: 1) it attracts underserved talent, i.e., technology entrepreneurs from Honduras, and 2) it attracts international entrepreneurs in frontier technologies that are held back where they’re from because of overregulation. On top of all that, we joined a phenomenal community,” Anzinger shares.
A living and breathing culture
That community spirit, which comes up often, is seen even in the early stages of an entrepreneur’s introduction to St. John’s Bay. There are a number of summits held in the city for industries like fintech, health/biotech, and construction innovation. These summits present a coterie of enthusiastic builders eager to network with each other, compare ideas, and wrap their minds around how to bring their ideas to fruition in building a new city together. 
Entrenched interests often challenge innovations that shake up the status quo. The ZEDE law, which created Próspera’s special economic zone, became a political football when the opposing party came into power. There’s a 50-year constitutional guarantee for the location, but the new administration nonetheless created a perception of doubt around the issue. Despite this challenge, the project has continued to thrive due to the optimism and vision of participants. The number of new businesses boarded into the St. John’s Bay jurisdiction grew by 38% in 2022, and the number of e-residents grew by 86%. 
The e-residency program has been proven effective for builders and trailblazers, creating a new frontier from which to launch businesses built for the coming decades. With the supporting governance and policies crafted to maximize the advantages for business builders, this initiative is expected to make a tremendous positive impact that will send waves across the world. It may even become the only way to build a successful business for the next generation.

Trailblazing Builders Find a Caribbean Launchpad Through Próspera

Próspera

One of the most important lessons born from the global disruptions of the Covid era was the need for more resilient and proximate supply chains. Nearshoring became necessary to ensure access to essential goods and remove China as a potentially critical point of failure. One key component of the nearshoring movement is the potential for developing new ports in the western hemisphere. These ports serve as gateways for the movement of goods, connecting manufacturers and suppliers with buyers and consumers. They also provide essential infrastructure for the growth of local economies, creating jobs and driving economic development.
Spearheading the nearshoring movement
Prospera's announcement of the Port of Satuye Nearshoring Hub in Honduras is a game changer for the nearshoring movement in the western hemisphere. This ambitious project aims to enhance the country's port infrastructure and boost Honduras role as a significant contributor to the global economy. The new port, located in La Ceiba on the Caribbean coast, will feature state-of-the-art technology and automation, making it one of the region's most efficient and competitive ports. The project will not only support the nearshoring movement by providing a reliable and cost-effective gateway for the movement of goods, but it will also drive economic growth and create jobs for local and regional communities. With its strategic location and modern facilities, the Satuye port project is set to become a key hub for trade and commerce in the western hemisphere.
Satuye's strategic location makes it a natural fit as a nearshoring hub. It is ideally connected along the main industrial corridor of Honduras by road and presents the possibility to enhance Honduras' maritime connectivity to the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. The port's geography will contribute to the reduction of logistic costs, creating operational and revenue advantages for companies located in the hub. 
Unique governance system
Prospera offers a variety of regulatory frameworks for industries requiring significant oversight. One of those options is for a business to propose its own unique framework to the governing council. If adopted, this new framework is subsequently available to other firms operating in that same industry. This is particularly advantageous for heavily regulated industries like healthcare and related biosciences. These common-sense regulations, along with growth-friendly tax policies inside the zone, will attract innovative companies to Honduras. They will bring diverse new industries while enhancing and enabling exponential growth for local and regional commercial sector players.
Companies are already expressing interest in relocating their China-based supply chains to the Americas. The CEO of one international supplier of point-of-care medical diagnostics claims, "We are impressed with the Prospera platform, the talent from local universities, and the quality of the workforce overall. Once we are satisfied with the economics of the overall project, we intend to move forward with the development of a manufacturing facility in 2023."
New pathways
The Port of Satuye opens opportunities for companies seeking to grow or redirect their supply chain capabilities into the Americas. These companies will draw from Honduras' significant talent pool, creating stable, well-paying jobs for the country's most industrious and capable workers. The 396 acres (160 hectares) city-scale development will be home to more than 100,000 workers and 50,000 residents. Jacobs Engineering led the master plan design, and the operators of the $600-million smart, sustainable infrastructure will ensure consistent, safe, and secure power, water, and transportation services for the entire development. The Jacobs Engineering Port of SatuyÃ© Master Plan states, "The Port of Satuye will attract the world's best and most innovative companies to Honduras. The nearshoring hub will bring diverse new industries while enhancing and enabling exponential growth for local and regional commercial sector players." Jacobs intends to lead the design and engineering teams to Satuye's successful completion.
Creating thousands of jobs in Honduras
The development of Satuye will bring jobs to the community, and by creating those opportunities at home, Hondurans don't have to migrate to provide for their family and realize a secure future. Quality of life amenities like affordable healthcare, education, hospitality, retail, and open & green spaces will enhance the health and happiness of all residents of La Ceiba and surrounding communities.
The U.S. and Honduran development team is led by proven city-scale development professionals, supported by the best strategy, design, engineering, and financing partners. Prospera's projects in SatuyÃ© and the city of St. John's Bay on the island of Roatan represent complementary components made possible by special economic zones. This is analogous to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Songdo, in Korea. Ironically, these modern SEZs are necessary for the western hemisphere to counteract regional Chinese tactics.
In recent years China has used the siren song of its Belt & Road Initiative and the promise of major infrastructure financing to lure Latin American nations into agreements that held substantial downside risk for the host nation. These BRI projects tend to under-employ locals and often generate unmanageable levels of debt, which leave the host nation vulnerable to further influence from China. A recent report from CSIS points out, "Should the Chinese model dominate the Americas, it is likely that a far more hostile environment will await international private enterprise in the region." Latin American countries that move toward implementing Chinese BRI projects are not blind to the downsides but often cite the lack of a reasonable counteroffer from the United States as a rationale for a turn toward China. For this reason, private non-partisan SEZs represent a twofold opportunity for Latin American nations. They can participate in the nearshoring movement and utilize an alternative to Chinese BRI without all the burdensome financial risks.
A much-needed stimulant for the global economy
As the nearshoring movement takes hold, countries that proactively engage in the process will see an increase in foreign investment as companies look to take advantage of the region's growing economic potential. For Satuye, it is estimated that the total investment for the development over the next decade will exceed $5 billion. Prospera is doubling down on their investment in Honduras, believing the combination of their city and Roatan and this port in La Ceiba will usher in a new era for Honduras as a trade hub. If they're right, Honduras will be well positioned to capitalize on this nearshoring realignment, with hopes of writing a new story for their economy and country.

Honduras Gets Nearshoring Boost with Satuyé Port

Economic development

Nestled on the idyllic island of Roatan in the Caribbean Sea, Pristine Heights is a brand new luxury condominium development that offers the ultimate tropical living, and it's about to get much more interesting. The development is located in Próspera's flagship city, a groundbreaking destination gaining acclaim with entrepreneurs, builders, and freedom-focused individuals who share values of achievement and prosperity.
Pristine Heights is the crown jewel of Próspera, offering residents a standard of luxury homes that matches their drive. The clean, green, and modern architecture by Lane Pettigrew features sea views for 98% of the residences due to the naturally elevated topography. The development is also conveniently located close to the beach and the Mesoamerican Reef, the 2nd largest coral reef system in the world. This makes it an excellent backyard for people who love the outdoors, the sea, and the overall Caribbean vibes.
A city unlike anywhere else in the world
Próspera is a governance platform in which modern cities can be built in special economic zones worldwide. Their global network of builders works together to develop cities for the 21st century with solutions inspired by a convergence of physical and digital economies. The community members contribute to building this new frontier, from simple things like voting on ideas to more complex concepts like infrastructure development. The cumulative work of these thousands of builders and eResidents is manifested in the physical world within the city. This makes Próspera's city in Roatan the most advanced and compelling private location in the western hemisphere, a story that will get even more exciting as it continues to evolve. 
Beyond the motivated citizenry, another highlight of Próspera is its light-touch governance and low taxes, which make it an ideal location for those looking to escape the high cost of living in more traditional cities. The city is home to a growing business community and a range of innovative projects and developments, making it the perfect place for those looking to add a vacation home or even start a new chapter. 
Sustainable, revolutionary, and luxurious
Pristine Heights' clean and green philosophy is evident in the rooftop gardens, the self-sustaining green walls, the discreet use of solar power, and the recycling of greywater. This all adds to a beautiful modern ambiance highlighted by a 4-story lighted waterfall in the atrium. Overall, there's a flow to the property's design, including elevated walkways that create privacy for units while allowing the natural Caribbean breezes to circulate freely throughout the complex. 
Getting to Roatan's international airport is convenient, with non-stop 3-hour flights from cities like Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and Miami. Próspera and Pristine Heights are only a 20-minute drive from the airport, and Roatan's largest grocery store, hospital, and 3 pharmacies are all within a 15-minute drive. 
There are very few places in the world where one can explore the new frontier of next-gen city building while maintaining the high standards of living in top US cities. Pristine Heights luxury condos in Próspera offer a unique opportunity to step into the future and join an inspiring community of entrepreneurs shaping the next generations while having all the amenities to relax and enjoy Caribbean tranquility.

Pristine Heights: The Crown Jewel in a New Era of Caribbean Living

Architecture

There’s newfound excitement on the peaceful Caribbean island of Roatan. In the past couple of years, it has taken a leap into the future with the development of Próspera, a special economic zone created to unleash economic growth. And the latest addition to this new era is Pristine Heights, a luxury condominium development representing an early opportunity to secure a coveted residence in this exciting new city.
Details of their high-end residential development were unveiled this week, which addresses the demand for upscale living options for the ambitious citizens of this growing community. These new residences will support a city that is quickly becoming a haven for builders, entrepreneurs, and freedom-focused individuals who share values of modern solutions and prosperous living.
Designed and crafted by Lane Pettigrew Architects, renowned for their high-end modern and aesthetically pleasing Caribbean designs, Pristine Heights is more than just a place to live – it’s a lifestyle. The development complements Próspera’s vision with clean, green, and modern luxury living. The condos are masterfully sited on the naturally elevated topography to maximize views, with 98% of the units having a sea view. Additionally, half of the residences will experience stunning views of both the sunrise and sunset. The building focuses on sustainability, with the use of eco-friendly materials, discreet use of solar panels, recycling and utilization of greywater, rooftop gardens, and self-sustaining green walls. These considerations fit well with a city focused on finding modern solutions to craft a beautiful life.
Prospering at Próspera
Próspera is a platform where a community of e-residents contributes to building new cities, attracting innovative solutions from thousands of builders. As a result of this ethos within the community, Roatan will be the first glimpse of a futuristic Caribbean city, complete with a genetic biotech clinic, a drone delivery service, and even a Bitcoin Academy. A Bitcoin Center is added to the mix, with cryptocurrency existing as a legal tender within the jurisdiction. eResidents can also use crypto for payments almost everywhere.
The spirit of economic empowerment of businesses is underlined by their low taxes and business-friendly regulatory framework. The result is an advantageous base from which 21st-century pioneers can launch and realize their ambitions.
The community of eResidents has been eagerly anticipating the arrival of residential developments, and supply needs to catch up with the demand. Próspera’s residents and eResidents grew by 86% in 2022, and new corporations in the jurisdiction grew by 38%. With exciting new programs being developed for eResidents in 2023, those numbers are expected to grow exponentially. The availability of housing options for the citizenry is a huge step forward in realizing the aspirations of this city, and Pristine Heights achieves that with an exclamation point.
All eyes on Pristine Heights
Pristine Heights is bringing high-end residential space, which perfectly complements this city’s ambitions. Builders of the jurisdiction’s next-generation industries can come home to luxurious Caribbean views and vibes. Upon entering the building, the 4-story modern waterfall in the atrium will immediately capture anyone’s attention. The waterfall is lit in shades of blue at night, symbolizing the beautiful tones of the seascape within a few steps away. The building also features a beautiful library, creating a communal great room atmosphere separate from living spaces. The city features an 18-hole Pete Dye golf course for outdoor activities, the only championship golf course in Roatan. To top it all, residents can enjoy a relaxing time at the private beach or have a snorkeling, diving, or boating adventure, which they can inquire about at the dive shop. Between the comforts of Pristine and the nearby offerings, residents have a wide range of activities and experiences making up this fantastic lifestyle.
The location of Pristine Heights is also a major selling point. The Roatan Barrier Reef is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-largest coral reef system in the world. This can protect the island from the direct impacts of hurricanes. The reef acts as a natural barrier, reducing the strength of the waves and wind that reach the shore. The development is just 20 minutes from the island’s international airport, making it easy to get to and from Roatan and a direct flight from a number of airports in the United States. The convenient flight paths and an ideal beach setting make it the perfect location for a quick getaway or a longer-term Caribbean base of operations.
Adding Pristine Heights to Próspera’s evolving 21st-century frontier contributes to a vibrant vision of what it means to live, work, and play in this city of the future. Its clean, green, and modern design offer residents the ultimate tropical lifestyle. With the growing demand for high-end housing, this represents a rare opportunity for modern-day pioneers to secure their spot inside Próspera’s custom-made special economic zone. Residents will take in views of the sea, watch a city of the future being built outside, and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle amidst an oasis of innovation.

Pristine Heights:  A Vision of the Future Takes Shape in Roatan

After being confined within masks and borders for the first year or two of the decade, there’s a renewed spirit of exploration and a desire for new frontiers among many people around the world. For the first time, remote work, unshackled work from a physical location, adds to the sense of new possibilities. And in some cases economic or political dysfunction has people open to new models of governance. They’re ready to see which locales best support their ambitions, civil liberties, and philosophical ideals. 
St. John’s Bay, the most established “next gen” city in the Western Hemisphere, wants to make its case to attract these entrepreneurs, working professionals, investors, and digital nomads into a win-win situation for all parties. With effective tax rates in the single digits for personal and business income, <a href="https://prospera.hn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Próspera</a> believes their formula will unleash economic growth in the city while also delivering extensive international investments and benefits to their host nation of Honduras. 
Roatán Próspera, the first Economic Development Hub built on the Prospera Platform
Unlike some other aspirational models for cities of the future, Prospera’s project in St. John’s Bay is tangible and progressing at a brisk pace. There are several buildings already in place, and <a href="https://www.dunaresidences.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Duna</a>, the tallest building in Roatan, will be complete in early 2023. 
Some components of the city really do feel like a glimpse into the future. Their <a href="https://www.beyabu.hn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beyabu</a> project with architects Zaha Hadid certainly has a utopian Caribbean flavor. And there’s a project called the Circular Factory which follows a philosophy of responsible design. Geometric principles and layering, built with robots, and 3D printing techniques combine to create beautiful and durable buildings with 70% less concrete and 90% less steel. 
While these buildings will surely make it aesthetically appealing, the people drawn to this city have other motivations. Entrepreneurs seem particularly enthusiastic about bringing their ideas to life in St. John’s Bay. This is partly attributable to the light touch taxes and regulations which they say enables them to build responsibly, but with less burdensome costs and delays. A recent Fintech summit hosted on the property brought a global audience, from the neighboring Honduran island of Utila to as far as Taiwan, to network and pitch their business concepts for this city. 
Meanwhile, future-oriented companies and concepts are already active here. There’s a biotech startup focused on genetic therapies. There’s a drone delivery company that flies products from one side of the island to another. And the city has a prominent Bitcoin Center to teach residents and tourists about sound money principles and how to effectively use and store what the academy deems “the future of money”. This makes sense since St. John’s Bay passed a resolution making Bitcoin and other top tier crypto currencies legal tender. They want to facilitate an economy where everyone in the city can transact in digital currency. 
The city has also attracted interest from investors, including investments from Silicon Valley’s most notable angel investors. For these investors, Próspera offers a unique opportunity for them to fund the creation of a next-generation city, and potentially realize exponential gains as that city grows. Próspera’s approach to digital governance for a physical city is a unique value proposition outside of traditional software or real real estate investments. Próspera describes governance as an industry, and views their services as an alternative option for individuals seeking alternatives. For investors, this paradigm shift presents a huge opportunity – if governance is a market, it’s one of the largest markets in the world, and ripe for disruption. This is one reason investors are flocking to the city, with Próspera raising upwards of $50 million to support the growth of St. John’s Bay. 
There are of course still challenges to be overcome in such an ambitious endeavor. Prospera has 50 years of legal stability assured by constitutional law, but they still want to maintain a constructive relationship with the new government which had concerns about the special economic zones established by the previous administration. And when building a private city there’s plenty of heavy lifting when it comes to infrastructure and attracting all the necessary businesses for a flourishing ecosystem. 
We are in a time when creators of the world are thinking about new paradigms for finance (Bitcoin & cryptocurrencies), governance (DAOs), and society (social media). But many of these modern explorations are currently confined to the digital world. Prospera’s flagship city in St. John’s Bay is a real world manifestation of this quest. It’s a place where this century’s pioneers are congregating to contribute to a new model of economic and human prosperity for the physical world. If it proves successful, it could be one of the more compelling business stories of this decade.
Source: <a href="https://coastalnetwork.com/prospera-hub/" target="_blank">Coastal Network </a>

In the News

Trailblazing Builders Find a Caribbean Launchpad Through Próspera

Honduras Gets Nearshoring Boost with Satuyé Port

Pristine Heights: The Crown Jewel in a New Era of Caribbean Living

Pristine Heights: A Vision of the Future Takes Shape in Roatan

Building The Next Frontier With Cryptocurrencies And A Next Gen Workplace

Mayor of a Free City - Podcast Interview with Jorge Colindres

A Platform for Sustainable Growth.
Launching on Roatán

In the News

Trailblazing Builders Find a Caribbean Launchpad Through Próspera

Honduras Gets Nearshoring Boost with Satuyé Port

Pristine Heights: The Crown Jewel in a New Era of Caribbean Living

Pristine Heights: A Vision of the Future Takes Shape in Roatan

Building The Next Frontier With Cryptocurrencies And A Next Gen Workplace

Mayor of a Free City - Podcast Interview with Jorge Colindres

A Platform for Sustainable Growth. Launching on Roatán

A Platform for Sustainable Growth.
Launching on Roatán