Startups Weekly: A much-needed unicorn IPO update

In this week’s newsletter: Details on Pinterest, Lyft, Uber and Zoom’s upcoming IPOs, plus Glossier and Rent The Runway’s big rounds.

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Backstage Capital’s $36 million fund is taking longer to raise than expected

The tech industry is volatile and Backstage Capital founder and Managing Partner Arlan Hamilton is experiencing that firsthand. Last May, Hamilton announced the launch of a $36 million fund to invest in as many women of color as possible. But the $36 million fund, which would mark Backstage’s second fund, has yet to close, as […]

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Investors are still failing to back founders from diverse backgrounds

The large majority of venture dollars are invested in companies run by white men with a university degree, according to a new report by RateMyInvestor and Diversity VC. This new data reveals that despite the lip service investors have paid to backing founders from diverse backgrounds, much, much, more work needs to be done to actually […]

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Backstage Capital to launch accelerator in Detroit

On the heels of Backstage Capital’s announcement to launch an accelerator for startups led by underrepresented founders, the venture capital firm has selected its fourth location. Backstage Capital decided on three of the cities ahead of time and held a public vote to determine the fourth. Well, the results are in and Backstage Capital has […]

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VCs say Silicon Valley isn’t the gold mine it used to be

In the days leading up to TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018, The Economist published the cover story, ‘Why Startups Are Leaving Silicon Valley.’ The author outlined reasons why the Valley has “peaked.” Venture capital investors are deploying capital outside the Bay Area more than ever before. High-profile entrepreneurs and investors, Peter Thiel, for example, have left. Rising […]

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This startup streamlines the pro bono work of lawyers, including those fighting for immigrants at the border

Felicity Conrad and Kristen Sonday were on very different paths until three years ago. Conrad was an associate at the powerhouse law firm Skadden Arps. Meanwhile, Kristen Sonday, a Princeton grad and the first person in her family to go to college, was reflecting on the several years she’d spent with the U.S. Department of Justice […]

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Backstage Capital launches $36m fund to boost black female founders

Conceiving a product and turning it into a successful high-growth startup is challenging work, but it can be absolutely punishing for underrepresented founders. While a strong product and a great go-to-market is critical for early success, that’s not enough to ensure a successful venture capital fundraise. Instead, what often matters is building relationships with investors, […]

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Q1 2018 global diversity investment report: Investing trends in female founders

In this report, we look at venture and seed investment trends in female-founded startups over the last five quarters.

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Backstage Capital invests $50K in singer Kehlani’s tech startup

 Music artist Kehlani is getting into the tech business and she’s tapped Arlan Hamilton’s Backstage Capital for funding. Backstage Capital, the venture capital firm focused on funding people of color, has invested $50,000 in Kehlani’s stealth startup, Flora. The idea with Flora is to focus on health and wellness for the artist’s target audience of people between the ages… Read More

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