Black founders raise highest quarterly funding since 2022
Original: Black founders raise highest amount of quarterly funding since 2022, but there’s a catch
Why This Matters
Highlights ongoing funding disparities despite recent gains in AI-focused market
Black-founded US startups raised $643 million in Q1 2026, the highest quarterly amount since 2022, driven by 34 deals including SambaNova's $350 million Series E. This represents 70% of all 2025 funding in just months.
According to Crunchbase data, US Black-founded startups raised $643 million in early 2026, approaching 2022's quarterly record of $653 million. The funding came from just 34 deals, led by AI hardware company SambaNova's $350 million Series E, sports prediction startup Noviq's $75 million Series B, and YC-backed AI insurance platform Harper's $47 million round. Despite the increase, this represents a small fraction of the $252 billion raised by all US startups in the same period. Black founders raised $942 million total in 2025 (0.32% of $290 billion total venture funding). Crunchbase research head Gené Teare cited persistent barriers including limited access to networks and early introductions, noting funding declines for Black founders outpace overall startup funding declines during the eight-quarter venture downturn.