Democratizing the Friends & Family Round; Investor-readiness programs; Google's Racially Diverse Search Results tweak
A weekly newsletter for Black and Brown women (and our allies) highlighting entrepreneurship and venture capital in the tech ecosystem.
Welcome to Issue #66 of For Colored Girls Who Tech, a weekly newsletter for Black and Brown women (and our allies) highlighting entrepreneurship and venture capital in the tech ecosystem. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to partner with us or share stories, tips, or questions. If you are enjoying our content, we encourage you to like this post above and share it with your community!
INSIGHTS
Seed market braces for onslaught by top VC firms
-Marina Temkin / PitchBook
Here's how Black founders and executives are investing in each other to create their own networks and wealth.
-April Joyner / Business Insider
The EuropeanVC firms who’ve backed the most female founders
-Isabel Woodford and Steph Bailey / Sifted
Diversity data isn’t very transparent: What’s the problem?
-Fran Benjamin, Monique Cadle / TechCrunch
How TikTok is changing the music industry
-Dan Whateley / Business Insider
Global SportsTech VC Report 2021
-Sportstechx
OPPORTUNITIES, FUNDING & COMPETITIONS
Mission for the Future Challenge! LG is looking for new technologies, concepts and business ideas that will push the envelope of a technologically advanced lifestyle for the good of people, communities and the planet. Apply by October 25, 2021.
First edition of the Black Excellence Pitch Night alongside Web Summit. Apply to pitch by October 27, 2021. Event will be held in Lisbon on November 2, 2021.
Tuungane 2X is an online investor-readiness program supporting women-led and women-focused businesses to prepare their fundraising and link them to capital providers, sponsored by Melanin Kapital, in partnership with Absa Kenya. Apply now.
ODX by On Deck, a $100 million community fund to accelerate founders with $125,000 and access to the On Deck network to hire talent, fundraise and find customers.
Apply to join SpiceSpace, a free pop-up workplace in East London for founders and startups, giving founders access to a stunning workplace, meeting rooms, and collaboration space. Opens November 2, 2021.
Start.coop accelerator is a 16-week virtual program for for ambitious entrepreneurs building scalable, cooperatively-owned businesses. It features 1:1 coaching, weekly MBA-level workshops, mentoring + $10k investment (with the potential for add-on investment post-graduation). Apply by November 7, 2021.
Target Forward Founders is looking for early-stage product brands looking to learn how to scale into retail for their 8-week accelerator program. Apply by November 14, 2021.
Hello Alice and Project Entrepreneur, a program by UBS, will award thirty founders of color with a $25,000 grant and access to virtual coaching and skill-building opportunities to help them build and prepare for their next stage of investment. Apply by November 10, 2021.
UPCOMING (VIRTUAL) EVENTS
Baltic Sandbox Investment and Networking Week, October 25-29, 2021.
The Rise of Black Tech Communities: How D&I Leads are Driving Change hosted by YSYS, October 26, 2021.
NEXT ROUND 21, EU Next Generation Innovators Summit & Investment Conference, October 26-27, 2021.
The Frontier of Black Innovation in Tech, October 28, 2021.
GoingVC Angels Fireside Chat with Emma Silverman, October 28, 2021.
Breakpoint-The first conference organized by the Solana Foundation will bring together industry leaders, builders, and innovators from around the globe. In-person event in Lisbon, November 7-10, 2021.
ON OUR RADAR
A third of newly added corporate directors were Black last year, up from 11%.
Google Quietly Tweaks Image Searches for Racially Diverse Results.
Tech workers recount the cost of speaking out, as tensions rise inside companies.
A Private Equity CEO with $1.2 billion to spend thinks Africa is ready for its close-up.
PEOPLE / ANNOUNCEMENTS
Howard University receives a $16.8M grant From PNC to support Black entrepreneurs.
The Fund is raising a new angel investment fund, dubbed The Fund XX, that is pulling together a community of women investors and entrepreneurs that will make pre-seed and seed-stage investments.
Capitalize VC, a new Chicago fund, announced its launch this week, with plans to raise $10 million to support more founders of color.
Ankur Nagpal raised a $60 million fund, Vibe Capital, built for scrappy international founders.
SoftBank Vision Fund’s Emerge program announces European cohort.
A heartfelt thank you for reading and see you next week!
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