Serena picks up virtual racket for #StayAtHomeSlam; The explosion of online food in Europe; Netflix renews Queen Sono for season 2; The next Instagram Live battle is pure #BlackGirlMagic
A weekly newsletter for Black and Brown women highlighting entrepreneurship and venture capital in the tech ecosystem.
Happy Sunday,
May is here and we have high expectations for an amazing month. We can only hope that things get better after all that we endured in April. Around the world, countries are beginning to loosen lockdown restrictions. Slowly but surely, we will come out of this. Time is flying and it still feels as if it were just one long day. Still, we have lots of distractions. Serena Williams as a gamer, a subsidized trip to Sicily, Queen Sono renewed for season 2 on Netflix, and funding success stories for Black women owned startups ($1 Million).
We see you May!
USA
#ThankYouHeroes Mattel honors frontline workers with a multi-racial and gender series of toys.
A new Instagram feature will let people raise money for charity while live streaming.
Lyft ends electric scooter operations in Oakland, Austin and San Jose.
Google is making Meet free for all users.
TikTok surpasses 2 billion downloads.
AFRICA
‘Queen Sono,’ Netflix’s first script-to-screen original series out of Africa, has been renewed for season 2.
Warner Music Group invests in Africori, a major African digital music distributor.
Catalyst Fund welcomes four African investors into its exclusive fintech fold.
Okra, a 3-month old Nigerian fintech, co-founded by a woman, has raised a $1Million pre-seed investment.
TikTok and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have each donated $10 million to vaccine alliance, Gavi to deploy coronavirus vaccines in Africa.
Egyptian food-tech startup Mumm raised an undisclosed amount of investment from Alex Angels.
EUROPE
Partech, the Paris-based venture capital firm, has closed a new seed fund of $100m.
Belgian food tech Deliverect has raised €16.25 million to expand its food delivery software globally.
CityTech RUHR invites startups from around the world to participate in Germany’s biggest smart city challenge.
Food delivery startup Deliveroo plans to let go of 367 staff members and furlough 50 employees.
SHE’S MAKING MOVES
The Recording Academy named Google global head of inclusion Valeisha Butterfield Jones as its first chief diversity and inclusion officer.
The Hollywood Reporter names Nekesa Mumbi Moody as Editorial Director.
AfriLabs appointed Nekesa Were as Interim Executive Director.
Atomico recruited Sasha Astafyeva (ex-Felix Capital) and Terese Hougaard (ex-CapitalG) as a partner and principal, respectively.
Clelia Warburg Peters has joined Bain Capital Ventures as a venture partner.
UPCOMING (VIRTUAL) EVENTS
BLCK VC: The Come Up with Arlan Hamilton and Marlon Nichols, May 5, 2020.
The Superheroes Among Us - SheWorx Female Founders Series #4 Mother's Day Edition, May 6, 2020.
Helping Your People as a Founder: An AMA with Sara Sperling, hosted by All Raise. May 6, 2020.
Ajua Webinar: Inside the mind of Africa Venture Capitals during a pandemic, May 6, 2020.
The Erykah Badu vs. Jill Scott Instagram battle, May 9, 2020.
#StartingGood Virtual Summit - a free 10-day summit of social entrepreneurship, May 11-20, 2020.
ON OUR RADAR
Serena and Venus Williams, Naomi Osaka and other tennis stars and celebrities will play in a Mario Tennis Aces tournament.
The National Women’s Museum in Washington, D.C. is collecting women’s coronavirus stories.
Black Leaders Want a Black Woman as Biden’s Running Mate.
Sicily is subsidizing your travel costs. The Italian island will cover half of people’s flights and a third of hotel costs if they book a trip there after borders re-open.
Skin hunger helps explain your desperate longing for human touch.
Watch my kids, please: Parents hire Zoom babysitters so they can shelter in peace.
A Lithuanian city is turning its streets into coffee shops.
Thank you for reading and see you next week!
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