Apply for the Google for Startups Black and Latino Founders Fund
In 2020, we launched our first Google for Startups Black Founders Fund to help Black tech entrepreneurs overcome the disproportionate hurdles they face when raising capital. Within months of receiving Google's funding, that first group of recipients went on to raise millions in subsequent follow-on funding, often crediting Google's funding as a powerful driver of additional investment. Based on that success, we expanded the Founders Fund to Brazil, Europe and Africa, and last year we announced our first ever Latino Founders Fund in the U.S.
Since that initial fund in 2020, we’ve provided over $34 million in cash awards to 448 Black and Latino founders, who have gone on to raise over $400 million after our investment. Beyond the capital, recipients join a tight-knit community and get deep mentorship and training from Googlers.
Beginning today, we're opening applications for another round of Black Founders Funds in Africa, Brazil, Europe, and the U.S., as well as for our Latino Founders Fund in the U.S. We can't wait to welcome a new group of Black and Latino founders who are using technology to solve some of society's biggest problems. If you or someone you know would be a great fit for the Google for Startups Founders Funds, encourage them to apply now.
Nohoa Arcanjo, Founder of Creators
São Paulo, Brazil
Currently headquartered at Google for Startups Campus São Paulo, Creators is an influence marketing platform that connects vetted creators and brands. After receiving support from the Black Founders Fund, Creators increased sales and was able to grow their team from four to 26 employees.
Danielle Lawrence, Founder & CEO of Freyda
London, United Kingdom
Freyda is a cloud-based platform that leverages machine learning, natural language processing and artificial intelligence to help financial institutions process, interpret and analyze data from their documents. Danielle says that financial support and Google Cloud credits from the Black Founders Fund helped grow Freyda’s revenues tenfold.
Margo Baines, Founder & CEO of Enrichly
Houston, Texas
Enrichly is an e-learning platform for youth and families designed to help prevent low academic achievement, violent behavior, poverty, and self-neglect. Margo credits Google’s sales training from the Black Founders Fund for growing her revenue by 30% and creating an $8 million sales pipeline for her business.
Naledi Magowe, Cofounder & CEO of Brastorne
Gaborone, Botswana
Brastorne is a platform connecting farmers, youth and women who can’t afford smartphones or expensive data— but do have feature phones—to the resources they need. Google for Startups support allowed Brastorne to invest in new analytics and business intelligence systems to track user behavior metrics more effectively. They’ve since successfully launched in Cameroon and reached 100,000 users there in the first month.
Bruno Ramos, Founder & CEO of HartB
São Paulo, Brazil
HartB is an AI startup that specializes in big data, data analysis and cross-checking to help companies make better-informed decisions. After being selected for the Black Founders Fund, Bruno closed a contract with a major Brazilian telecommunications company, empowering him to create 138 job openings and hire developers of all levels, with a focus on underrepresented professionals.
Josephine Philips, Founder & CEO of Sojo
London, United Kingdom
Sojo is a sustainable fashiontech marketplace for clothing alteration that connects customers with local tailors via an app and bicycle delivery service. By making repairs and alterations easy and accessible, they ensure less clothing ends up in a landfill. “Being selected for the Black Founders Fund was a real turning point in the evolution of the business,” Josephine says. “Last year, we raised $2.4 million in a pre-seed funding round and we’re confident that Google’s support will be key to us achieving even greater business growth in 2023.”
Pauline Roteta, Founder of Pasito
New York City, New York
Pasito’s software integrates payroll, financial, and claims data to optimize benefits coverage and utilization. By guiding employees to make better and more efficient health and retirement benefits decisions, they save companies money on healthcare and payroll. Pauline credits the Latino Founders Fund for generating investor awareness and interest for Pasito, helping them ultimately raise a $3.25 million seed round.
Daniel Temesgen, Cofounder & CEO of Garri Logistics
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Garri Logistics is a web and mobile-based digital freight brokerage platform that matches shippers looking to move cargo with vetted truck owners and drivers, while finding optimal route pairings to reduce empty miles. Daniel's ’s participation in the Black Founders Fund allowed him to use Google Cloud credits to train multiple large machine learning models and access guidance from the Google mentors to prepare for fundraising.
Beto Altamirano, Cofounder of Irys
San Antonio, Texas
Irys is a collaborative two-way engagement tool that helps to drive community inclusion on infrastructure projects, improving project workflows and optimizing outcomes for city planners and citizens alike. As recipients of the Latino Founders Fund, the team was able to access key networks and mentorship. “An executive from the Google Cloud team coached us on how to navigate obtaining public sector contracts, which was huge for Irys,” says Beto. “I use those tools to this very day.”
