Investors, funds, financing and the decisions that determine which Black-owned companies can start, scale and endure.
20 STORIESGrants, prizes and pitch competitions can help founders access capital, but the rules may include scoring criteria, publicity terms, confidentiality limits, legal waivers or financing structures that deserve close review.
READ THE STORY →A construction backlog can signal demand, credibility and future revenue. It does not mean cash is already in the bank.
READ THE STORY →Aster’s post-accelerator acquisition, Google’s published metrics, DivInc’s funding pressures and new research on accelerator value added show why founders and funders need clearer evidence after Demo Day.
READ THE STORY →For founders weighing a private equity offer, the headline price is only one part of the deal; cash at closing, future payments, control, taxes, employment terms and certification risk can change the outcome.
READ THE STORY →The planned merger would combine two African American-owned Carolinas lenders and test whether greater scale can expand credit access while preserving local trust.
READ THE STORY →Brookings’ analysis of SBA summary data shows Black-owned businesses received 7.2% of 7(a) approvals but 4.5% of approved 7(a) dollars in fiscal 2024.
READ THE STORY →MaC Venture Capital’s approach makes a direct argument: lived experience can reveal markets and behaviors other investors overlook.
READ THE STORY →Funding is a tool, not a validation score. The right capital depends on the company’s economics, speed and ownership goals.
READ THE STORY →Export credit insurance, deposits and SBA or EXIM working-capital tools can help Black-owned exporters bridge the gap between overseas orders and buyer payment.
READ THE STORY →Black-owned logistics companies may need trucks, warehouses, systems and working capital to grow, but financing terms have to match thin margins and operating risk.
READ THE STORY →A construction backlog can signal growth, but Black-owned contractors and construction-adjacent subcontractors may still face cash-flow strain when payroll, supplies, retainage and payment delays hit before invoices clear.
READ THE STORY →As Black entrepreneurs continue to face tighter access to working capital, Black-owned and Black-led banks are testing a new model: digital products for scale, stronger underwriting for small businesses and community trust that fintechs cannot easily copy.
READ THE STORY →SBA scorecards show record small-business awards, but Black suppliers still have to navigate prime-contract concentration, subcontracting opacity, contract vehicles and post-8(a) uncertainty to turn certification into durable revenue.
READ THE STORY →As venture checks get harder to win, Black women entrepreneurs are piecing together grants, CDFI loans, revenue-based financing, supplier contracts and customer-funded growth. The tradeoff is cost, speed and control.
READ THE STORY →Cohort announcements are easy to celebrate. The harder and more useful measure is what happens one to three years later: revenue, jobs, survival, ownership and follow-on capital.
READ THE STORY →Corporate grant contests can deliver non-dilutive capital, publicity and mentorship to Black-owned firms. But eligibility screens, judging rubrics, data rights and follow-up reporting often remain murkier than the marketing suggests.
READ THE STORY →Black athletes, founders and executives have become more visible in team ownership groups, media rights and sports startups. The harder question is who controls the asset, the vote and the upside.
READ THE STORY →As succession pressure pushes more established companies to market, Black founders face a high-stakes question: will private capital turn their businesses into generational wealth, or buy control on terms that limit the upside?
READ THE STORY →At MaC Venture Capital, cultural insight is not a substitute for financial discipline. It is a way to identify shifts in behavior, overlooked founders and investable markets before they become obvious.
READ THE STORY →Tope Awotona built proof before Calendly took major institutional capital. His sequence, together with Marlon Nichols’s investor perspective, shows why founders must evaluate the money as rigorously as investors evaluate them.
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