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

Amira Rasool’s B2B marketplace platform, The Folklore, has achieved another remarkable milestone.  The Folklore has secured $3.4 million in a seed funding round, bringing its total funding to $6.2 million. The funding will fuel further growth and expand the services offered to brands on the Folklore platform. Benchstrength, a VC firm founded by ex-General Catalyst partners Kenneth Chenault Jr. and John Monagle, led the funding round. Existing investors Slauson & Co, Techstars, and Black Tech Nation Ventures participated. “Benchstrength is thrilled to invest in The Folklore,” Benchstre ..read more

Canadian pre-seed venture fund Panache Ventures has partnered with African-focused fintech startup Kora. The partnership will help African tech founders to access venture capital funding. The collaboration announced at a recently concluded event in Lagos, Nigeria, is in response to the challenges that entrepreneurs in the region face, which impede their growth and operations. Facilitating The Growth of Venture Capital in Africa  Panache Ventures and Kora will focus on providing African tech startups with resources such as mentorship, partnerships, and direct guidance on securing venture c ..read more

TechCabal, a leading African tech publication, has released its latest ‘State of Tech in Africa Report.’ One of the main findings of the report is that in Q1 2024 African startups prioritized profitability as they raised $466 million in 2024 Q1; a 45.62% reduction compared to Q1 2023. Published by TC Insights, TechCabal’s data, research, and intelligence unit, the ”State of Tech in Africa” report is a quarterly publication that gives a bird’s-eye view of technology trends in Africa. The Q1 Report, themed “Charting a path to profitability,” provided a comprehensive round-up on the funding winte ..read more

One of West Africa’s age-long debates, the Jollof rice dispute, might finally be resolved soon. Chase Bank has unveiled a campaign film called “A Taste of West Africa.” The film features Nigerian cross-continental Chef Tolu Eros, Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan, ESPN analyst and WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike, former NBA player Pops Mensah Bonsu, producer Sarz, and others.  The short film was masterfully directed “by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young.” Taste of West Africa was released on Monday this month in consumer markets while reaching global audiences via social ..read more

In an innovative move to address the industry’s diversity gap, Dark & Lovely, The Sims franchise, and esteemed gaming content creator Danielle “Ebonix” Udogaranya have formed a transformative alliance. Their collective mission is to empower Black gamers by creating new avenues for genuine self-expression within virtual worlds. The Play in Color Initiative Central to this collaboration lies the ‘Play in Color’ initiative, a multifaceted endeavor dedicated to championing diversity and self-expression in gaming. At its core is a powerful social documentary shedding light on the experiences of ..read more

Legendary American tennis player Serena Williams is doing groundbreaking work with her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures. Before announcing her retirement as a professional tennis player in September 2022, Serena Williams had been involved in the world of investments. Building on over a decade of experience, Williams established Serena Ventures in 2014, a venture capital fund supporting women and underrepresented founders. However, the 42-year-old Ohio-born tennis legend recently made an astonishing revelation about her business enterprise. Serena Williams’ Investment Philosophy In a recen ..read more