Black Founders Fund

Three men discussing and laughing while sited in conference room, and one man looking into the camera,.

Brazil - Hybrid

6 months

Google for Startups Black Founders Fund: Brazil provides cash awards — without giving up equity in return — and hands-on support to help Black-led startups in Brazil build and grow their businesses.

Brazil - Hybrid

6 months

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will be considered for the next round.

Apply here

About the initiative

A team sited in the conference room, smiling.

A women wearing a black t-shirt showing something by directing a hand.

About the initiative

Over 56% of Brazilians self-identify as Black, and of them, 29% own their own businesses. Yet Black Brazilian founders face unique barriers to becoming entrepreneurs. In fact, around one-third of Black entrepreneurs reported that they were denied credit without explanation. So, many have had to dip into their personal savings or rely on family and friends to get their businesses off the ground.

So why is this happening? It’s because there’s a market gap. Black business owners aren’t getting the capital they need to launch their companies. That’s why Google for Startups established the Black Founders Fund. We’re here to provide entrepreneurs with equity-free capital to grow their businesses.

Key benefits

Access to capital

Receive support without diluting your equity ownership.
Google Cloud credits and support

Receive Google Cloud credits and dedicated support via the Google for Startups Cloud Program.
Founder network

Connect and get support from fellow founders as a part of the Google for Startups alumni network.
Custom mentorship

Receive tailored product and leadership support from Google mentors and industry experts.
Leadership training

Become a more effective leader through research-based strategies and expert coaching.

Entry criteria

Diverse company, including at least one Black founder on their team
At Seed or Series A stage
Scalable product or service with a proven significant market
Companies with a social impact mission will be prioritized
Seeking to raise an initial investment round (seed) to finance the next stage of their startup’s development
Use of technology as the foundation of the solution

Entrepreneurship is lonely and requires a constant search for support. When I joined the Google for Startups community I realized how lonely you can feel if you're not part of a network with similar challenges to yours. It has been transformative on my journey!

ARTHUR RUFFINO

CEO OF OCTA

Meet the latest cohort

Conecta Tech is software that integrates and optimizes the management system, CRM, and marketplace into the online sales process.

Fitinsur is a platform that offers services for insurance sales and management, enabling flexibility and agility in the generation of customized experiences and promoting scalability for all players in the insurance market.

Infleet is an autotech company that simplifies fleet management and operational control, offering route planning, maintenance, refuelling, monitoring, telemetry, and video telemetry.

Intreguei specializes in product pickup and delivery, making logistics more accessible and efficient for businesses, retailers, and marketplaces by connecting them to a network of logistics partners.

Logstore is an e-commerce processor that integrates physical and digital retail through SaaS (software as a service) platforms.

Lovel specialize in hiring tech professionals.

Metha Energia connects residential consumers to renewable energy plants.

Shooju is a customizable data as a service (DaaS) platform that manages corporate data in order to add value throughout the chain.

Turn2C develops customized consortia to help customers acquire a good or service in a safe and simplified way.

Zentek helps fintechs and insurers increase customer retention and monetization.