Black-led fintech startup, Moove, raises $20 million in investment funding from the British International Investment (BII) program, formerly known as the CDC. The investment reflects the BII’s plans to build a resilient market in Nigeria, providing access to various economic opportunities for upcoming businesses while simultaneously accelerating the country’s limitless entrepreneurial spirit. Moove, co-founded by Jidi Odunsi and Ladi Delano in 2020, is a mobility fintech platform that provides revenue-based vehicle financing to mobility entrepreneurs across Africa. The co-founders, both British-born Nigerians with degrees from the London School of Economics
LL Cool J and Michelle Williams have teamed up with tech company Salesforces.org for the Rock the Bells festival, which will take place on August 6, 2022. Based in Queens, New York, the festival will feature live performances from music veterans Lil Kim, Rick Ross, Jadakiss, and more. The program will not only champion legendary voices within hip-hop, but it will also help to raise awareness of the mental health issues and stigmas that continue to plague the music industry. Salesforce.org first announced the initiative during their panel discussion earlier this year. They plan
Black-led communication startup, Simpu, has launched its first-ever omnichannel inbox, allowing businesses to interact with customers through various social channels. The omnichannel inbox will not only enable companies to communicate with their consumers in a range of mediums, but it also allows them to diverge away from the traditional customer support channels, which primarily focus on phone, email, or chat support. Collins Iheagwara co-founded Simpu with Kolawole Balogun and Tioluwani Kolawole in 2020, which was designed to help business owners unify all their communication channels through an automated workflow. The
Tech giant Apple has celebrated the inauguration of the first class to graduate from their US Developer Academy program. The program was launched as part of Apple’s $100 million Racial Equity and Justice scheme and is the first of its kind to take place in North America. The scheme has provided students with the necessary skills and knowledge to land some of the most prestigious jobs in the tech industry. The Detroit-based academy offers members of the community a free program to teach them the fundamentals of coding, design, marketing, and
The hashtag VCTok is slowly but steadily growing along with founderstiktok. TikTok has more than 1 billion users — the majority of whom are under the age of 30. So it’s the perfect place for firms looking to tap into the younger market or for business owners who want to attract more customers. Back in January, Redpoint Ventures gave Rashad Assir just one task: Make TikToks about venture capital. The request, which some could argue was a bit strange coming from a VC firm, came after Assir amassed more than 56,000 followers
London and Kenyan-based educational entertainment company, Kukua, has raised $6 million in its latest investment round. The funding round was co-led by world-leading technology company Tencent and Italy-based VC Alchimia and included participation from EchoVC, Firstminute Capital, and Auxxo Female Catalyst. Kukua, co-founded by Alexandre Terrien and Lucrezia Bisignani in 2015, uses technology to create magical learning experiences for children centered around a universe of superhero characters. The company is best known for creating the first-ever African animated superhero series, ‘Super Sema,’ and aims to empower the children of the
Cryptocurrency platform Binance has joined forces with TikTok star Khaby Lame for the launch of their new NFT series. The influencer, who will join the team as a brand ambassador, will use his signature moves to debunk myths surrounding crypto and the blockchain space. The partnership will see Lame create content that helps clear up any misconceptions people may have around Web3 and cryptocurrencies. As a result, fans will not only be able to purchase exclusive Khaby Lame NFT collections, but they will also have access to educational resources to
Media company, HARTBEAT, founded by comedian and actor Kevin Hart, has announced the launch of their new TV special, “Confessions from the Hart.” The series, which will be the first Web3 experience produced by the media company, is set to premiere on July 6, exclusively on Roku. The program will be released in partnership with the Web3 platform, Moonwalk. The special will kick off the first of many more episodes throughout the year, honoring the company’s mission to globalize its content and reach a wider audience. “My favorite thing to do
Businessman and investor Baron Davis has announced his partnership with Hennessy for their “Never Stop Never Settle Society” campaign. The serial entrepreneur and former NBA player is set to join the team as a board member and hopes to use his experiences to help champion Black entrepreneurs. The initiative, launched by the famous liquor brand in 2021, works to accelerate the growth of Black business owners across the US. The $1 million campaign, which Hennessy developed in partnership with talent development platform Marcus Graham Project, provides 20 Black entrepreneurs with
Black-owned venture capital firm, Backstage Capital, has cut 75% of its operational staff due to fundraising and growth challenges, both externally and internally. Backstage Capital, founded by Arlan Hamilton in 2015, was one of the first VC firms to dedicate their services to minimizing the funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders of color, women, and LGBT members. The firm, which Hamilton built from the ground up while homeless, invested in over 170 start-up companies led by underrepresented founders. The decision to downsize its team came just three
