Entrepreneur Steven Bartlett’s company Steven.com, which houses his creator media assets and ventures, has closed an eight-figure funding round to build the “Disney of the creator economy.” The round, reportedly the largest of its kind for a creator holding company in Europe, was led by Slow Ventures and Apeiron Investment Group and puts his company’s valuation at $425 million. Bartlett, best known as the host of The Diary of a CEO podcast and a former Dragons’ Den investor, shared the news on X (formerly Twitter). Building the Platform for the Next Creator Era Founded
Africa’s wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote —the richest Black man in the world —has reached a net worth of $30 billion as of October 23, 2025. His net worth’s last valuation change is more than $430 million, according to Bloomberg’s index. A few weeks ago, Bloomberg index stated that Dangote’s net worth was $29.6 billion, $400 million away from entering the $30 billion club. About Aliko Dangote Aliko Dangote is the founder and chairman of Dangote Cement, Africa’s largest cement producer. He also founded Dangote Refinery, the largest petroleum refinery in Africa.
A hair-braiding robot designed to cut styling time in half has won the President’s Innovation Challenge, a startup competition organized by Harvard Innovation Labs competition. Created by Harvard Business School alumni Yinka Ogunbiyi and David Afolabi, the Halo Braid robot aims to make the centuries-old art of braiding faster, more efficient, and more affordable for both stylists and clients. The 2025 President’s Innovation Challenge Hosted at Harvard, the the President’s Innovation Challenge invites students and alumni from its 13 schools to showcase groundbreaking ideas with the potential to transform industries.
Fawn and Keith Weaver, the founders of the Uncle Nearest whiskey brand, are opposing efforts to add more of their businesses that are already placed under judicial control. Nearest Green Distillery and the flagship Uncle Nearest whiskey brand have been under a receiver’s management since September, after lender Farm Credit Mid-America claimed the Weavers defaulted on more than $108 million in loans. The weavers opposing efforts Receiver Phillip Young asked US District Judge Charles Atchley Jr. to decide if other Weaver-affiliated businesses should be included in the receivership, including a
Black and other minority-owned businesses are being severely affected by the federal government shutdown. A recent survey conducted by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) reveals that these firms are being adversely affected by the economic downturn caused by the shutdown. The closure, which began on October 1, is expected to be one of the longest in US history. Additionally, new analysis by Creative Investment Research estimates that the shutdown could result in losses ranging from $400 million to $450 million for minority business enterprises (MBEs). Black businesses affected
Elly Savatia, a Kenyan inventor and social entrepreneur, has won the Africa 2025 Engineering Innovation Prize founded by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering. He won the award for Terp 360, an AI-powered app that translates speech into sign language using lifelike 3D avatars, along with a £50,000 ($67,000) grant. Terp 360: A Sign Language Translation App Terp 360 offers real-time sign language interpretation, facilitating smooth communication between deaf and hearing individuals across both physical and digital settings. Using 3D avatars and motion-capture technology, it delivers natural, accessible, and immersive interactions. Terp
Join our Patreon for extra-long episodes and ad-free content: https://www.patreon.com/techish Techish host Michael Berhane and TechCrunch reporter Dominic-Madori Davis unpack what’s really going on with funding for Black founders — and why so many are heading back to the 9-to-5. They also get into Elon Musk’s clash with X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, Meta’s smart glasses and the end of privacy, and why academics need to step out of the ivory tower. Follow Dom on Instagram (@dominicmadori) and subscribe to her Substack, The Black Cat. Chapters 00:28 Black Founders Are
Tanya Morris, founder of Mom Your Business (MYB), is teaming up with Baltimore-based EcoMap Technologies to launch Foundery PHL, as reported by Technical.ly. The platform will help founders access the necessary tools needed to expand their businesses. Foundery PHL will host organizations like Enterprise Center, Startup Leader, and Women’s Opportunities Resource Center, providing resources and support for entreprenuers. Black women-led Businesses in the US Black and African American women-owned businesses are a driving force in the US economy, leading more than two million companies that employ over 647,000 people, according to the 2025 Wells Fargo Impact
Campus, a Black-owned community college startup, has acquired Sizzle AI, an AI learning platform founded by former Meta AI chief Jerome Pesenti, who will join as Chief Technology Officer. “Acquiring Sizzle accelerates our engineering roadmap by 2-3 years,” said Tade Oyerinde, founder and Chancellor of Campus, in a press release. “They’ve built the best AI team in education and their infrastructure is so far ahead of anyone else – it’s super exciting.” Rethinking the Community College Model In American higher education, community colleges serve as gateways for students aiming to
Pinky Cole Hayes has announced that Slutty Vegan is welcoming people to become franchisees of the company. Once a business becomes a franchise, it allows other people to sell goods through a licensing relationship. It also grants rights from one party to another. The new move will allow the business to expand. Cole hired former Planet Fitness and 7-Eleven exec Shawntel Daniels as franchise president, who has hinted that a high-profile celebrity will be the first franchisee. “I went to restructure on February 13, 2025, and then I repurchased the company
