BeyGood with Beyonce; Second-hand fashion startups to the rescue; Streaming and Gaming break records.
A weekly newsletter for Black and Brown women highlighting venture capital in the tech ecosystem.
Good Morning and welcome back to For Colored Girls Who Tech!
Streaming, video conferencing, social media, and online delivery apps have been all the rage since the confinement began. Zoom went from 10 million users to 300 million. Facebook, ever the innovator, launched Messenger Rooms, a free video-conferencing program. Netflix added 16 million subscribers. And this weekend,12.3 million people tuned in to Fortnite to watch the historic musical/gaming performance of a rapper.
At the same time, public figures and organizations are coming together to provide relief funds and assistance to those hit hardest. Remember to reach out. Keep calling. Stay active. Stay healthy.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
USA
Travis Scott Fortnite virtual concert set a record with 12 million people in attendance.
Startups have laid off 20K since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic.
Spot, the Coronavirus Doctor Robot Dog, is helping hospitals remotely treat coronavirus patients.
Beyoncé and Jack Dorsey donate $6 million for African-Americans’ mental health amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Rihanna, Stacey Abrams, Ariana Grande, and other public figures are backing Project 100, a fundraising effort to distribute $100 million to 100,000 low-income families hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis.
AFRICA
Apple Music is now available in 30 African countries.
Amazon opened its first data centers in Africa, with its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud division launching in Cape Town.
The IFC will invest up to $20 million in companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region via a new independent private equity fund.
African Agripreneurs invited to apply for $50k GoGettaz Prize.
MIT COVID-19 Challenge is organizing a virtual hackathon focused on building solutions for tackling C-19 in Africa. This 48-hour virtual event will take place May 1-3, 2020.
Calling All African Investors!! Fill out this AfriLabs Investor Needs Assessment Survey supported by the African Business Angels Network.
EUROPE
Female founders in Europe only received 0.4% of venture capital funding in 2019—compared to the U.S.'s 2.7%.
French Fashion Tech company Vestiaire Collective raised $64.4 Million for its second-hand fashion platform.
Luxury Promise, a London-based marketplace for used handbags and accessories raised a $3.75 Million Series A round.
WOC STARTUP RESOURCES
She Leads Africa has opened applications to its High Growth Coaching Programme, a three-month accelerator providing growth-focused entrepreneurs with coaching and support to scale their businesses.
All Raise is relaunching its VC Associate Cohort Program in Silicon Valley and NYC. The program is dedicated to empowering junior VC investors to strengthen their technical and soft skills in order to succeed long term. Applications due May 1, 2020.
DigitalUndivided, a social startup, is now providing micro-grants for Black Female Entrepreneurs impacted by COVID-19 through the Doonie Fund.
Seven Companies Offering Diverse Business Owners COVID-19 Relief Funds.
UPCOMING (VIRTUAL) EVENTS
Extra Crunch Live with Kapor Capital’s Freada Kapor Klein and Mitch Kapor, April 28, 2020.
All Raise: Helping Your Portfolio Navigate COVID (For VC Investors), April 29, 2020.
Extra Crunch Live with entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Mark Cuban, April 30, 2020.
Techstars Music’s 2020 Demo Day Will Be Livestreamed on Billboard Pro, May 5, 2020.
Fundraising 101 Workshop Powered by Google for Startups hosted by The Black Girl Ventures Foundation May 5, 2020.
Out in Tech | Queers On Zoom: Backstage with Arlan Hamilton, May 6, 2020.
ON OUR RADAR
Michelle Obama launches online weekly reading series for children.
Uber Eats is becoming a rogue cocktail delivery service.
Deepfake yourself, live on Zoom.
Coach-Class Dreaded Middle Seat Is Gone, for Now.
Kanye West is now a billionaire, according to Forbes.
Microsoft Word now flags double spaces as errors, ending the great space debate.
Thank you for reading and see you next week!
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