Black Founders Fund
Google for Startups Black Founders Fund: United States provided cash awards — without giving up equity in return — and hands-on support to help Black-led startups in the U.S. build and grow their businesses.
About the initiative
About the initiative
Established in 2020, the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund awarded more than $40 million to help Black-led startups secure funding, strengthen communities, and create generational change.
In addition to equity-free cash awards, Black Founders Fund recipients received ongoing Google mentorship, Google Cloud credits, and product support to help them navigate every stage of their startup journey.
Meet some of our alumni
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Nana Wilberforce
Akeptus
Akeptus is advancing decarbonization of buildings, enhancing grid resilience, and enabling sustainable energy transitions.
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Seke Ballard
Beta Financial Services Inc.
Beta Financial Services provides banks with digital tools to automate commercial loan underwriting.
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Manny Smith
EdVisorly
EdVisorly is a platform connecting community college students and 4-year university enrollment teams to increase transfer admissions and bachelor's degree completion.
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Kene Anoliefo
Elis
HEARD by Elis helps product and marketing teams gain customer insights fast by using AI to conduct user interviews.
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Tiffany Ricks
HacWare
HacWare is an AI-powered cybersecurity awareness platform for lean security teams to fight phishing attacks.
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George Holmes
Hire Henry
Hire Henry creates AI-powered robots for industrial applications.
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Nicole Clay
Hue
Hue is a shoppable video platform.
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Darren Riley
JustAir
JustAir's platform provides the air quality insights necessary to address the effects of local air pollution on community health.
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Sherisse Hawkins
Pagedip
Pagedip is a content management tool, giving users the power to create and share trusted information while gathering deep reader insights in real time.
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Darryl Keeton
Sensagrate
Sensagrate is a computer vision AI data and analytics platform that helps improve transportation and urban planning.
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