Polaris, founded by journalist Rahman J. Dukes, is on its way to becoming the first Black-owned free ad-supported streaming channel to land on VIZIO SmartCast. Duke’s platform is focused on becoming a channel that celebrates Black culture and delivers unique entertainment experiences to SmartCast users. With guidance from the Polaris board, media personality Sway Calloway – from MTV – and music historian Shaheem Reid, Polaris hopes to deliver a “superior viewing experience through authentic, meaningful content that channels the spirit of African culture and music.” It was specifically designed to uncover
Black-led Investment Bank, Loop Capital, Partners With Goldman Sachs To Help Close Racial Wealth Gap
Black-led investment bank Loop Capital and Goldman Sachs have just announced a partnership to launch a new money market fund that will benefit Black women pursuing careers in STEM. The two money market fund share class offerings will be available exclusively to Loop Capital and Goldman Sachs clients, and a portion of the revenue from the share classes will go to causes that impact increasing racial equity, according to a statement. The Loop Capital share classes will be offered as part of the Goldman Sachs Financial Square Government Fund and
Singer-songwriter Doja Cat is taking the NFT world by storm and outselling major investor Jay Z as her single edition NFT sells for $188k – becoming the most oversized auctioned item in Tezos history. Doja first announced her first non-fungible token (NFT) collection earlier this month with green NFT marketplace OneOf. OneOf is built on the Tezos blockchain, recognized as an “energy efficient proof-of-stake network,” according to the company‘s website. It also claims to offer some of the most affordable transaction fees for users looking to tap into the world
Citi has announced its next round of investments through the Citi Impact Fund, a $200 million fund launched last year to invest in companies that are addressing some of the biggest societal challenges. Daylight, Flume, and Stackshare are among the list of companies included in the round. This brings the Impact Fund’s total number of investments to 23 companies – more than half of which are founded by women and/or minorities. Ed Skyler, Head of Global Public Affairs at Citi, said: “The portfolio of the Citi Impact Fund keeps growing as we continue to
Elizabeth L. Carter, Esq., LLC, a Black-owned securities law firm, has just launched a legal fund to support Black businesses that plan to raise capital through crowdfunding campaigns and other means. Ms. Carter, whose firm created the #BlackCapitalMatters Gift Legal Fund, is seeking corporate and individual contributions to the fund, which will help subsidize securities legal services for Black-owned businesses. It will also allow the firm to provide legal support at below-market-rate so that more Black-owned businesses can combat the disparities in investing that they often face. Black-owned entities, including businesses, nonprofits,
Location-based VR destination Dreamscape and Sony Pictures Virtual Reality have announced they’re launching a new VR experience that puts a group of people in the shoes of the ‘Men in Black: First Assignment’ crew. Dreamscape, founded just four years ago, will allow six attendees per round to take part in an exhilarating adventure where they will face and defeat incoming virtual aliens. According to the Dreamscape website, you will have to suit up as an agent. Participants will get exclusive access to the “secret command center,” where they will receive assistance from more friendly aliens and
Google for Startups has announced the next 50 recipients of its Black Founders Fund, unveiling the next slate of trailblazers who will be receiving $100,000 in non-dilutive funding. This is the second batch the giant tech firm has supported. All 126 of them hail from all over the United States, including Georgia, Texas, New York, Alabama, California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida, Hawaii, and Missouri. Last year, Google for Startups gave 76 Black-led startups up to $100,000 in non-dilutive funding – meaning founders did not give up any ownership in their company in exchange for
Nigeria and San Francisco-based start-up, Klasha, has just announced its partnership with OpenCart, an all-in-one e-commerce builder that provides businesses with the tools to create and launch an online store. Klasha, first launched in 2018 by Jess Anuna and Kemi Oritsejafor, specializes in helping merchants worldwide sell online to Africa and receive payments in local currency. The new partnership means that OpenCart merchants can now sell more and accept payments online from customers across the continent while enjoying “superfast last-mile delivery to customers across the continent within 10 days.” Merchants who
Infibranches Technologies Limited has secured $2million in funding from ‘All On,’ an investment company backed by oil and gas giant Shell. The Nigerian firm, founded in 2019 by Olusola Owoyemi, aims to provide digital financial services for service providers in the energy sector. Through its flagship products – OmniBranches and Green Energy Plug – Infibranches helps companies with extensive distribution networks. With the support of The Nigerian Off-Grid Market Acceleration Programme, it has also developed a payment system that helps to facilitate payment collection for providers of solar home systems and mini-grid developers through
Netflix Inc has launched a free mobile plan in Kenya as part of its strategy to spark growth in the East African nation, home to over 20 million internet users. The plan will be rolled out to all users in the country; it will be available on Android mobile phones and will not have any ads. Some shows will not be included in the free plan, and they will be marked with a lock icon. Clicking on one of those titles will encourage the user to sign up for a
