Rocket Health, a startup launched in 2012 working to transform the delivery of medical care using technology, has just raised a $5 million Series A funding. Telehealth, which involves speaking to a doctor or nurse through secure audio or video connection, has been around for years and even growing prior to the pandemic but it is yet to be fully utilized in many African countries. The startup’s latest funding round was led by Creadev, an evergreen investment firm backed by Mulliez family, with the participation of early-stage African investors Grenfell
Joshua Mundy and Quawn Clark founded Pivot Technology School, a fast-growing Tennessee-based EdTech startup and Isaac Y. Addae, an assistant professor at Tennessee State University, joined the duo as chief strategy officer shortly after. The tech training school is a “Black-owned, fully remote technology education hub that supports minorities interested in technology careers.” Its mission is to “empower minority students with in-demand technical skills, in an industry that historically lacks racial diversity, and build a 100 million dollar business.” The company trains “minorities to get into tech roles and are working with corporate
After less than two years as Netflix’s chief marketing officer, Bozoma Saint John is leaving the streaming giant. Variety was the first outlet to break the exclusive story and according to their report, Saint John’s departure from the company was “mutual and amicable.” The company, which also confirmed the moves on Thursday, did not elaborate on why Bozoma is departing. But in a statement, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said he “loved working with Boz and have been inspired by her creativity and energy” and that she’s “attracted world-class marketers to the company
Carl is a seasoned product executive with 10 years of experience developing products for the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence industries and specializes in making products that solve urgent problems and are easy to use by anyone. Before founding Boundless Robotics, Carl worked at Rethink Robotics, Neurala, Johnson & Johnson and started another company that manufactured components for the Aerospace, Oil & Gas, and Medical Device Industries. The Boston-based founder started Boundless Robotics with the vision to “create an ecosystem that cultivates health and happiness.” Boundless is using technologies such as
Uganda is one of the countries creating ripples in high-profile tech programs like the Y Combinator accelerator and Google’s $50 million Africa Investment Fund, launched in October last year targeting early and growth-stage startups. The growth of Uganda-based startups comes at a time when the startup ecosystem in Africa has until now been dominated by Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt – countries that continue to receive the bulk of venture capital and other forms of investment. In December 2021, SafeBoda, Uganda’s multi-service and digital payment technology platform, became the
Founders Denis Asamoah and Jay Cheng are the founders of Buzzup, a platform that provides an alternative medium for creatives to connect and ultimately monetize their most engaged fans. The startup launched its alpha version to a small cohort of creators back in January. The initial phase lets creators share their top followers who are generating “buzz” on their Instagram page by pulling publicly available API data from the Meta-owned platform. Buzzup has reportedly already raised $500,000 with investments from creators (many of whom are Buzzup’s earliest users) and is
Codecademy announced that it will be partnering with the Black and Brilliant advocacy group on a new mentorship program and accelerator in Africa. Last year, the two organizations joined forces for their first accelerator and are now eager to expand the program to help create a new pipeline of tech talent across the African continent. The intiative created by husband-and wife-team Tony Effik and Perky Noah-Effik was launched as a way to diversify the tech workforce and increase access for BIPOC communities. The 10-week program will focus on upskilling and mentorship within
This partnership, between Tetra Tech and the National Society Of Black Engineers (NSBE), is part of a commitment to widening the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) pipeline for Black engineers and scientists by driving recruitment and engagement with collegiate and professional NSBE members. Tetra Tech’s BELIEVE Employee Resource Group (ERG) is leading the partnership with NSBE. BELIEVE stands for Black Employees Leading in Innovation, Enthusiasm, Vision, and Excellence and was Tetra Tech’s first chartered ERG. The BELIEVE ERG also provides a forum for Black employees and allies from around the world to engage
Xbox continues to power dreams through gaming and has announced an expansion of its sponsorship with the iconic NBA franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers. To celebrate, the Microsoft-owned video game company teamed up with philanthropist and NBA All-Star Dwight Howard to remodel part of the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley. The new state-of-the-art gaming lab features new artwork, custom purple and gold Xbox Series S consoles, gaming PCs, screens, and more to allow the club members to experience the joy of gaming and exploring their passions. A family-oriented nonprofit dedicated
Raising venture capital is a daunting experience for Black women as both the UK and US startup ecosystems fail Black entrepreneurs with innovative ideas. Furthermore, it’s clear that an entrepreneur’s ethnicity can affect their access to VC in the UK, with Black founders receiving just 0.24% and Black female founders receiving 0.02% of the total venture capital invested over the past 10 years. And before 2021, only 93 Black female founders in the US had raised $1 million or more in venture capital, according to ProjectDiane, a biennial report on the
