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Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has put its Talent x Opportunity (TxO) program on hold, marking an unexpected shift in the firm’s efforts to support founders from underserved communities, TechCrunch reports. Launched in 2020, as AFROTECH™ previously reported, the program aimed to bridge gaps in venture capital access for entrepreneurs, particularly women and minority founders, by offering mentorship, funding, and industry connections. The a16z TxO fund pause comes after five years of operations, during which the program supported more than 60 companies, per TechCrunch, including Brown Girl Magazine, food tech startup Myles Comfort Foods, and maternity tech company Villie. Participants benefitted from a 16-week training program, access to a professional network, and $175,000 in investments via a donor-advised fund managed by the nonprofit Tides Foundation. In 2024, TxO expanded to include grants of $50,000 each for three nonprofits focused on tech entrepreneurship in underserved...
Spelman College is the latest HBCU to receive funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. CBS News reports Scott signed the Giving Pledge after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. She vowed to donate over half her wealth, and she has been doing so ever since, with some allocated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She made early rounds in 2020, with Spelman College receiving $20 million toward scholarships and its endowment. Fast-forward to 2025, and Scott has doubled down on her pledge and invested an additional $38 million in unrestricted funding. The commitment will support financial aid and the school’s technology infrastructure. “This investment is a powerful affirmation of our mission and our commitment to educational excellence and equity,” Spelman Interim President Rosalind “Roz” Brewer said in a statement, according to CBS News. “The flexibility of this gift allows us to move more swiftly to strengthen the entire student experience,...
Steven Bartlett has secured historic funding for the creator economy. Bartlett, who has remained on an entrepreneurial path since dropping out of college and becoming a millionaire by 23, as AFROTECH™ previously told you, has scored an eight-figure investment for his creator company Steven.com. The company houses several divisions such as FlightStory, FlightFund, and, more recently, FlightCast, an AI-powered podcast hosting platform, as mentioned in a news release. “Steven.com is the creator holding company built to help high-potential creators grow their audience, build IP, commercialise their work, launch ventures, and provides the technology to power it all ... If you’re an aspiring creator please do get in touch,” he explained on Instagram. Slow Ventures and Apeiron Investment Group led Steven.com’s round. Philipp Freise (KKR), Second Sight Ventures, Tom Profumo (Active Partners), Magnus Grimeland (Antler), Gary Vaynerchuk, Kevin Rose (founder of Digg), Will Ahmed (Founder of...
Howard University intends to use its latest investment to train medical professionals. The Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has received $80 million in unrestricted funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, according to The Washington Post. She previously invested $40 million in 2020. Scott has been making her rounds across several HBCUs, including Morgan State University. Her $63 million investment in the HBCU was the largest in the school’s history (individual or organizational), as AFROTECH™ previously reported. As it relates to Howard University, Scott’s investment has led to “a boost of confidence,” according to Wayne A.I. Frederick, Howard’s interim president. “It also says that what you’re doing, based on our own evaluation, we think is important. And we think you’re doing it well enough that we can trust you with that type of gift,” Frederick said. The investment will train medical professionals at Howard, one of four HBCUs with a medical...
Atlanta-based Goodr Co. is stepping up for the community as millions are set to experience a pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In an Instagram video shared Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, Goodr Founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe-Houston issued a call for help. “As many of you may have heard, millions of people will lose their SNAP benefits in just a few days, including hundreds of thousands right here in Metro Atlanta ,” Crowe-Houston said. “What this means is that their grocery budgets will disappear overnight. At Goodr, we’re stepping up to fill the gap,” she continued. The tech-enabled sustainable food waste management company has launched the Goodr Community Fund, allowing the public to make a direct impact. For a $10 donation, donors can sponsor a “grab bag” meal that feeds a family of four. For an additional $5, Goodr will deliver groceries and meals directly to seniors and families. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Goodr Inc (@goodrco)...
Tech company Bending Spoons is set to acquire one of the internet’s early pioneers, AOL. Based in Milan, Italy, Bending Spoons, known for apps such as Evernote, a note-taking platform, and Remini, a photo-enhancement application, is purchasing AOL from private-equity firm Apollo Global Management, The Wall Street Journal reports. The deal comes after Bending Spoons’ recent expansion, which included securing $2.8 billion in debt financing for AOL and other investments. As part of the deal, AOL could be valued at $1.5 billion. Bending Spoons said it plans to maintain and develop AOL’s operations over the long term, according to the outlet. The company also owns Brightcove, a video distribution and analytics platform, and recently announced plans to acquire video platform Vimeo for $1.38 billion, TechCrunch reports. In a statement, per The Wall Street Journal, Bending Spoons described AOL as an “important and beloved business with a brand that has stood the test of time.” The outlet...
Is Walmart closing on November 1st? Many people are curious — and increasingly concerned — as the government shutdown continues with no clear end in sight. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in a notice on its website that the shutdown will cause Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to stop being issued starting Nov. 1, 2025. According to Newsweek, this could lead to a major drop in consumer spending for Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer. “Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01,” the USDA wrote on its website. The department attributed the continued shutdown to Senate Democrats’ failure to act. “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats,” the notice adds. “They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition...
The federal government shutdown has entered its fourth week and is now threatening one of the nation’s most widely used assistance programs. According to USA Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will stop going out on Nov. 1 if lawmakers do not reach a deal to reopen the government. The shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 following a congressional impasse over funding and healthcare policy, is now the second-longest in U.S. history, with hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed and just as many others working without pay, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Agencies that rely on annual appropriations are running low on resources. The USDA confirmed that SNAP, which provides food assistance to more than 40 million Americans, has exhausted its budget for November and cannot legally draw from emergency disaster funds to cover regular monthly benefits. And even if it could use some of these...
NFL running back Saquon Barkley has invested in AI data center startup Crusoe, joining other investors in the company’s $1.4 billion funding round, which values the startup at more than $10 billion, per Business Insider. According to the outlet, Crusoe, which calls itself “the AI Factory Company,” develops clean-energy-powered data centers for artificial intelligence. The company integrates energy sourcing, AI-optimized construction, and proprietary cloud services. Its Crusoe Cloud platform is used by AI startups, including Together AI and Fireworks, to provide computational resources for AI model training and data processing. Investors in the funding round also include Nvidia, Valor Equity Partners, Mubadala Capital, and Founders Fund. Details about Barkley’s individual investment were not disclosed, per Business Insider. The funds will support the expansion of Crusoe’s renewable-energy-powered data centers for large-scale AI operations. Barkley, who plays for the Philadelphia...
Black Operator Ventures (Black Ops VC) is working to close the Series A funding gap for Black tech founders. Black Ops VC is a venture capital firm led by a Black team of co-founders with a shared mission to “invest in extraordinary founders solving complex problems with software,” its CEO, James Norman, said in conversation with AFROTECH™. Norman and Black Ops General Partner Sean Green sat down with AFROTECH™ to discuss the firm’s vision, leading oversubscribed seed rounds, opportunities in today’s investment landscape, and more. The duo met nearly a decade ago in Los Angeles. Green was among the early cohorts of Transparent Collective, which supports Black, Latinx, and womxn entrepreneurs with raising early-stage funding, and Norman serves as its chairman. Call To Action Realized Before their paths formally aligned, the pair charted unique territory. Norman launched his first company at age 16, an online retailer for car and home audio. He had always been interested in building...
An investment has been made to support scholars at Virginia-based Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). $150K Boost According to 13News Now, Google Data Centers’ Community Development and Engagement team has invested $150,000 in the Virginia Humanities HBCU Scholars Fellowship, which supports HBCU-affiliated writers, community scholars, faculty members, and doctoral candidates. This is accomplished through funding, academic publishing, and peer support networks, access to the University of Virginia’s library systems and archives at the Library of Virginia, among other avenues, per information on the fellowship’s website. The fellowship backs individuals whose work spotlights the state’s history, considers marginalized stories, and explores South Atlantic themes. “It’s heartening to see that the private sector values and supports this work,” said Yosef Medina, director of the fellowship, per 13News Now. “This funding represents more than the support it will provide...
African fintech company Moniepoint has secured new funding to expand its footprint globally. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the company, founded by CEO Tosin Eniolorunda and Chief Technology Officer Felix Ike, offers banking accounts, loans, expense cards, instant payouts, and accounting and bookkeeping solutions. According to information shared with AFROTECH™, the company has processed more than $250 billion in transactions annually for more than 10 million business and personal banking customers. The company said it “is one of the few fintechs globally, and the first in Africa, to achieve profitability at unicorn scale while driving financial inclusion,” in a press release. Moniepoint has officially closed its Series C round, amounting to over $200 million in equity financing. The round was led by Development Partners International’s African Development (ADP) III fund, with LeapFrog Investments joining for the final close, the press release confirmed. Lightrock, Alder Tree...
Black women continue to plant their flags in technology. University of Michigan graduate Crystal Brown stumbled into technology after a friend introduced her to a CEO behind a life science startup, TechCrunch reports. She was already nose deep in the automotive manufacturing industry and aiming to become a C-suite automotive executive. The CEO that she had been introduced to was looking for a business manager, and Brown accepted a part-time role. Her friends encouraged her to leave her position in the automotive industry altogether. “I was like, no one’s gonna take me seriously. I’ve never studied biology. I studied poli sci and women’s studies,” she told TechCrunch. Brown stayed with the company and eventually moved up to director of operations. Then the startup went public. With a substantial payout, she decided to launch her own biotech startup, per the outlet. Though she made some rookie mistakes, like hiring too quickly, and the company ultimately closed due to funding, she had...
Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education offers a fully online Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Leadership Graduate Certificate for $13,760. According to the program’s website, the next term begins in Spring 2026. To complete the certificate, participants must take one course from each of the following four categories: history and context, core, leadership principles, and applied learning. One course offered under the history category is “Riots, Strikes, and Conspiracies in American History,” while the leadership category includes options like “Gender, Leadership, and Management.” “With a graduate certificate in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) Leadership, you can become a powerful voice for strategic change within your organization. You will gain critical knowledge and skills to address bias and marginalization and to foster an inclusive corporate culture,” the program’s website states. The website notes that, among other outcomes,...
A planned international basketball league is gaining momentum. Front Office Sports (FOS) reports that a five-on-five men’s and women’s basketball league, quietly called “Project B,” could launch by the fall of next year with tournaments in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. It will follow the blueprint of Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 basketball league, by offering equity to its players. The league’s investment group is led by Skype Co-founder Geoffrey Prentice and former Facebook executive Grady Burnett, reports FOS. Former WNBA player Candace Parker — who recently submitted a bid to bring a WNBA league to Nashville, TN, as AFROTECH™ previously reported — also backs the international league. Tennis players Novak Djokovic and Sloane Stephens, former WNBA player Alana Beard, ex-NFL quarterback Steve Young, and others are also listed as investors in the international team, per FOS. The league has also secured interest from “some of the game’s most respected athletes,” a spokesperson told FOS....
