Hire and Wire; Sesame Street explains Black Lives Matter; Africa Now Radio; Growing list of VC and corporate $$$ for racial justice.
A weekly newsletter for Black and Brown women highlighting entrepreneurship and venture capital in the tech ecosystem.
Hello Everyone,
I used this weekend to reload and refresh after a very long week. While many individuals and companies put black and brown faces on their newsletters and social media feeds this past week, it is our mission to do so in every issue we create!
We are hopeful that our new found friends and allies will hold steadfast to their commitment to being inclusive for the long haul, even when the news cycle changes.
USA
NEOU, the ‘Netflix of Fitness,’ has raised $5 million from investors.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel Calls for Reparations Commission, Higher Taxes to Combat Racial Injustice.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is resigning from the board of the company he helped create, and requesting that a black candidate take his seat.
SoftBank launched a $100 million fund, "to invest in companies led by founders and entrepreneurs of color."
Andreessen Horowitz launches $2.2 million fund to invest in underserved founders.
EUROPE
French startup backer The Family downsizes “core” team and closes London and Berlin offices.
Spain’s top women investors.
Vara, a Berlin-based developer of AI breast cancer screening tech, raised a $7 million Series A funding.
Puig, a Spanish perfume-maker, agreed to buy London makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury for more than £1.2 billion.
Salto, the French answer to Netflix, begins the test phase ahead of autumn launch.
Bepro raises €8.8 million to expand its football tech platform.
AFRICA
Apple Music is launching its first-ever radio show based in Africa with Nigerian DJ Cuppy.
South African Insurtech startup, Inclusivity Solutions raised $1.3 million in funding.
Nigerian startup Jamborow raises $400K for blockchain-based fintech platform.
Ugandan fintech startup Eversend raised $706K in crowdfund campaign.
South African e-health startup BusyMed raised an undisclosed amount of growth funding from local venture capital firm LionPride.
Ethiopian food delivery startup Deliver Addis received follow-on funding from the Impact Angel Network.
South African fintech startup Sticitt announced it has raised $249,000 in funding this year.
INSIGHTS
I Am A VC But Still A Black Man In America
- Lo Toney/ Plexo Capital
I Know Voting Feels Inadequate Right Now
-Stacey Abrams
Finding Hope in Uncertain Times
-Black Girls Code
My White Boss Talked About Race in America and This is What Happened
-Mandela SH Dixon/ Founder Gym
Knee On The Neck: What Investors Can Learn From ‘Black Lives Matter’
-Gary Stewart/ The Nest
This moment cries out for us to confront race in America
-Condoleezza Rice
Remember, No One Is Coming to Save Us
-Roxane Gay
FUNDING & COMPETITIONS
A new remote pitching event called Debut Sessions is launching this month with some of Europe's best-known investors like Check Warner at Ada Ventures and Harry Stebbings at Stride.
Republic committed $75,000 to support black-founded startups and black-owned small businesses. If you are a black entrepreneur looking for funding & have reviewed their platform, email investment@republic.co.
Women-focused fintech startups can now apply for World’s Women Banking Challenge. Deadline, June 15, 2020.
Apply now for Startup 54: Lambeth - Startup 54 is a 54-hour virtual start-up building program designed for ambitious people with new ideas. Apply for June or July cohort.
Applications are now open for the Aptive Capital early-stage investment fund. The US VC firm is looking to make $10,000 equity investments in five African startups from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, South Africa, and Ethiopia. Deadline June 10, 2020.
UPCOMING (VIRTUAL) EVENTS
Republic’s Angel Investing 201 & Portfolio Construction Masterclass, June 9, 2020.
All Raise: Lessons on Operating and Investing in Uncertain Times, June 9, 2020.
Investors Unplugged with Check Warner, Partner at Ada Ventures, June 10, 2020.
Women in Tech is hosting a panel on Tech for Good Post COVID-19, June 10, 2020.
Free Workshop: Finding Product/Market Fit in a Post-COVID World, June 10, 2020.
Intro to Fundraising in FemTech & AMA with Juliana Garaizar and Dr. Barreto, June 11, 2020.
Broadband Conversation: Opportunities In Africa’s Emerging Digital Economy, June 12, 2020.
#PitchForDevs, June 18, 2020.
ON OUR RADAR
How to Protest Without Sacrificing Your Digital Privacy.
Vegan seafood: The next plant-based meat trend?
Kanye West donates $2 million, pays college tuition for George Floyd's daughter.
A superhero kid with autism shines in new PBS Kids’ series.
A heartfelt thank you for reading and see you next week!
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