American actress, writer, and producer Issa Rae has launched Ensemble, a new company that connects brands with diverse creators.  Ensemble brings world-class production and distribution infrastructure to a diverse collective of talented and influential creators. The company collaborates with brands, platforms, and publishers to produce and distribute epic content that shapes culture, engages audiences, and moves products. Ensemble’s mission is to close the pay gap between creators of color and white creators by making the creator economy more equitable. Research shows that Black creators ..read more

Kubik, an African tech startup, has achieved a significant milestone by raising an impressive $5.2 million in a seed round.  This achievement marks a major success for the Ethiopian startup and positions it as the pioneer in securing a multi-million dollar investment in climate and sustainability solutions. The seed funding round, which has propelled Kubik’s mission forward, was made possible by the support of key investors. These include East African venture capital firm African Renaissance Partners, Endgame Capital, and King Philanthropies.  “We are thrilled to close our $5.2 milli ..read more

Kubik, an African tech startup, has achieved a significant milestone by raising an impressive $5.2 million in a seed round.  This achievement marks a major success for the Ethiopian startup and positions it as the pioneer in securing a multi-million dollar investment in climate and sustainability solutions. The seed funding round, which has propelled Kubik’s mission forward, was made possible by the support of key investors. These include East African venture capital firm African Renaissance Partners, Endgame Capital, and King Philanthropies.  “We are thrilled to close our $5.2 milli ..read more

Nigeria’s on-demand delivery platform, Chowdeck, has raised $2.5 million in seed funding to optimize its operations and support expansion into more cities nationwide. YCombinator, Goodwater Capital, FounderX Ventures, HoaQ Fund, Levare Ventures, True Culture Funds, and Haleakala Ventures were some of the investors who participated in the round.  The seed round attracted founders like Simon Borrero and Juan Pablo Ortega (Rappi), Shola Akinlade, and Ezra Olubi (Paystack). Sudeep Ramani (Sportybet), Ayo Arikawe (Thrive Agric), and Karthik Ramakrishnan (Amazon) also participated as angels. A ..read more

Lamar and Ronnie Tyler are determined to uplift, support, and strengthen Black American families and businesses. Driven by a passion for advancing the Black community, the power couple has built from the ground up the internationally recognized company, Tyler New Media. The ever-evolving brand is the parent company of two groundbreaking entities: one to uplift Black families and the other to help Black entrepreneurs create generational wealth. For nearly two decades, the duo has been reshaping the description of black families. First, with Black and Married with Kids, now, they are demolishing ..read more

Kevin Hart’s Gran Coramino Tequila has disbursed over $1 million to over 100 Black and Latinx small business owners. The premium Tequila brand was co-founded in 2022 with 11th-generational tequila maker Juan Domingo Beckmann. The Coramino Fund supports entrepreneurs in partnership with its U.S. impact partner, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). “As an entrepreneur myself,” Kevin Hart, co-founder of Gran Coramino Tequila, noted. “I’ve seen how early financial support can impact the business’s long-term success. The Coramino Fund was created to support some of the hardest working ..read more

Award-winning digital news brand UrbanGeekz has teamed up with Black-owned ride-hailing app Moovn to share its content with passengers on the move. The wide-reaching syndication deal gives riders across the globe direct access to UrbanGeekz content right in the comfort of Moovn ridesharing cars. Embedded in the interface design, the Moovn mobile app empowers passengers to read, watch, and engage with UrbanGeekz during trips. “I’ve always been someone who thinks outside the box,” said UrbanGeekz founder and CEO Kunbi Tinuoye. “For years, I’ve had this huge vision to sho ..read more

Tade Oyerinde’s startup Campus, an online community college, has raised $23 million in a Series A extension round. The recent funding, spearheaded by the Founders Fund and with the involvement of 8VC, is set to propel Campus’s growth and fortify its position in the ed-tech sector.  This is Founders Fund’s first ed-tech bet, and while commenting on it, Trae Stephens, Co-founder and partner at the venture firm, said, “I think the structure is kind of a hack. You can get the cost low enough that there are no out-of-pocket costs. That’s very hard to do when there are overhead costs attached ..read more

Truevast, an innovative tech startup creating cutting-edge digital products for business networking, is hosting a must-attend networking event in Atlanta next month. Spearheaded by millennial co-founders Warner Knowland and Jonathan Terrell, the Truevast Networking Experience will attract entrepreneurs, C-level executives, thought leaders, and anyone passionate about fostering impactful collaborations. The aim is to create a dynamic space where professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives, and industry leaders from diverse backgrounds can forge meaningful connections, exchange insights, and uncover ..read more

Vista Equity Partners, Robert Smith’s private equity firm, is closing on more than $20 billion for its eighth flagship fund, according to a letter sent to investors. Vista extended fundraising to raise more capital than its initial $17 billion, which began last year. This means the private equity firm has topped $100 Billion in assets under management, showing institutional investors’ interest in big tech takeovers. This is the firm’s largest fund to date. Vista Equity Partners intends to invest heavily in AI with its new fund. Writing to investors in reference to the firm’s annual general mee ..read more