Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, the founder of 1000 Black Voices, said George Floyd’s death was a catalyst to launching her accelerator. She launched the AI and Blockchain program aimed directly at early-stage companies founded by Black entrepreneurs and technologists last year. The partnership between 1000 Blackvoices and the AI marketplace platform, SingularityNet, promised a mix of mentoring, coaching, and funding opportunities to ten businesses from around the world. She told Forbes in an interview that the immediate global response to the death of George Floyd was mainly focused on the need to
BKR Capital, previously known as Black Innovation Capital, has closed an additional $4.5 million for its venture capital fund focused on Black tech entrepreneurs in Canada. The venture aims to back 18 Canadian tech companies founded by Black entrepreneurs over the next four years. This recent funding was led by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) through Teralys Capital and Fondaction. It comes in addition to the $6.4 million they secured last year from lead investor BDC Capital and others. Launched in 2021, the Black Innovation Fund aims to
Amitruck, a Kenyan tech-enabled logistics platform, has just raised $4 million in seed funding – bringing the total funds raised to date to $5 million. The most important purpose of this round is hiring, according to Amitruck founder and chief executive officer Mark Mwangi. The seed round was led by Better Tomorrow Ventures (BTV), with the participation of Dynamo Ventures, Rackhouse Venture Capital, Flexport Inc, Knuru Capital, Launch Africa Ventures, Uncovered Fund and a number of angel investors. Launched in 2019 as a digital logistics marketplace, Amitruck connects shippers with transporters
Kenyan insurtech startup Lami Technologies has acquired Bluewave Insurance Agency for an undisclosed amount as it seeks to make insurance covers accessible to more people across Africa. The deal has also opened up new markets for Lami, which states that its technology enables underwriters and businesses to streamline insurance via a single platform, in Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo where Bluewave already has operations. Bluewave insurance, also a Kenyan startup, was founded by Adelaide Odhiambo, who now joins Lami as the head of commercial partnerships. Since its inception, Bluewave has
This week, a new networking platform was launched to help Black tech workers make connections and grow their careers. Launched by Lekan Olawoye, founder and CEO of Black Professionals In Tech (BPTN), the Obsidi platform will serve as a conduit to opportunities for black professionals. The site allows users to upload resumes, build professional relationships, network, and leverage career development resources. His platform is a multi-sided marketplace focused on reducing the “network gap” in tech. Users can be invited to join the platform or may join themselves directly through the
Travel, by nature and at its core, is about celebrating diversity. The very idea of visiting a new destination, meeting new people, and discovering new cultures breaks down barriers and helps us find common ground. But unfortunately, not everyone gets the opportunity to experience a good, drama-free trip without casual racism or microaggressions whether from waiters, waitresses, or bar staff. Believe it or not, it’s been almost half a decade since I last traveled, and as I prepare for my trip to Italy this year with my fiance I started researching
As the Latinx community continues to represent a significant and growing percentage of both the US workforce and the country’s business owners, they are shaping up to be a major force in the future of the economy, according to reports. But over the past five years, tech and science jobs in the United States have outnumbered qualified workers by roughly 3 million. And according to a recent study – the next decade could see a global shortage of more than 85 million tech workers, representing $8.5 trillion in lost annual revenue. In
Law enforcement officials have said that six children are suspected of orchestrating a nationwide campaign of bomb threats against historically Black colleges. More than a dozen universities and places of worship have been targeted by hoax calls, which reportedly spiked on the first day of Black History Month on Tuesday, according to widespread media reports. According to law enforcement, the minors appear to be using sophisticated methods to disguise the source of the threats, which seem to have a racist motivation. “A bomb threat against the university is being investigated,”
Plug In South LA has announced its third tech accelerator program focused on Black and Latinx communities. The benefits of the tech accelerator will include potential grants of up to $40,000 and possible seed investments and pilot partnerships. Mentors in the program will include leaders and executives from the California Health Care Foundation, Courtside Ventures, RareBreed Ventures, and Zeal Capital Partners, among others. “We are keen to help Founders secure capital and investment plus help them leverage the LA start ecosystem to develop traction and momentum around their company,” notes Derek Smith, founder of
On Monday, the rapper took to Instagram to share with over 10 million followers that he will not be endorsing non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Instead, Kanye will continue to place his focus on his products, the “real world,” “real food,” “real clothes,” and “real shelter.” “STOP ASKING ME TO DO NFT’s I’M NOT FINNA CO-SIGN … FOR NOW I’M NOT ON THAT WAVE I MAKE MUSIC AND PRODUCTS IN THE REAL WORLD,” he wrote for his Instagram caption. At the end of Kanye’s note, he adds “ASK ME LATER.” So, perhaps
