'This System Wasn't Built For Me': Black Founders Became Investors To Change Venture Capital
The consistently low numbers of U. venture funding to Black founders led some to turn to investing in an effort to help level the playing field. Crunchbase News talked with two such founders to hear more about their experiences in raising capital and what they've learned from investing.
Key Takeaways
- Mary Ann Azevedo Editor's note: This article is the second in a three-part series on the state of venture investment to Black-founded startups in 2026.
Driving these reports is data from Crunchbase's Diversity Spotlight feature, which offers insight into diversity in startups' and investment firms' leadership teams.
- -based startups with a Black founder or co-founder as of May 20.
The majority of that was raised in the first quarter, marking the most raised in a single quarter since Q2 2022, when $653 million was raised by Black founders or co-founders.
- When you add in race, gender, and proximity, it becomes even more difficult," he told Crunchbase News in an email interview.
I often tell founders, raising that first million will be your hardest.
- "I didn't want the fact that it wasn't for me to get in the way of being a part of it.
- From his vantage point as an investor, he routinely witnessed what he described as the same avoidable mistakes being made by talented teams.
Stats & Key Facts
- #Mary Ann Azevedo Editor's note: This article is the second in a three-part series on the state of venture investment to Black-founded startups in 2026.
- #Only around $942 million - or just 0.
- #This year has started off on a slightly rosier note , with $643 million raised by U.
- #The majority of that was raised in the first quarter, marking the most raised in a single quarter since Q2 2022, when $653 million was raised by Black founders or co-founders.
Mary Ann Azevedo Editor's note: This article is the second in a three-part series on the state of venture investment to Black-founded startups in 2026. Driving these reports is data from Crunchbase's Diversity Spotlight feature, which offers insight into diversity in startups' and investment firms' leadership teams. Read Part 1, exploring the data on funding to Black founders, here .
Part 3 will be published next week. Only around $942 million - or just 0. venture funding - went to startups with a Black founder or co-founder last year, per Crunchbase data .
That's one of the lowest shares in years, and down more than two-thirds from just three years prior. This year has started off on a slightly rosier note , with $643 million raised by U. -based startups with a Black founder or co-founder as of May 20.
For more details please read the original article at Crunchbase News.
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