Celebrating Black founders on Republic

Right now, Black founders receive about 1% of VC funding. This is a discouraging number, to say the least. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in a just and equitable society. While unequal access to capital is but one of the major remaining barriers to achieving Dr. King's vision, it is something we can all work together toward improving. Regulated startup investing is a way to remove that barrier, get around the gatekeepers, and give entrepreneurs from traditionally marginalized communities the resources to realize their potential and transform our society. 

Republic is proud to be a platform where talented people of all backgrounds can bring their ideas to life.  

Our mission is to give regular people the power to become investors and create the future they believe in. We believe there is immense opportunity for individual investors to step in and fund promising companies. Voting with our dollars and investing in founders we believe in is a powerful form of activism that can bring about the change we want to see. 

Today, and every day, we enable our investor community to support underrepresented founders. We encourage you to refer founders to us here.

Let’s take a look at some of our live deals led by Black founders.

Raising now on Republic

Salone Monet

Salone makes nude heels for all skin colors. Beyonce, Gabrielle Union, and Halle Berry are all fans of her color-inclusive shoes: Salone Monet.

Brandon Davenport & Marcellus Alexander III BAOBAB Clothing

The perfect, durable, sustainably-produced polo shirt and the best possible shopping experience.

SaLisa Berrien
COI Energy

Energy management platform that eliminates wasted electricity and passes the savings on to users. SaLisa has over 25 years of experience in the $92 billion industry she's set out to disrupt.  

Read her story

Erik Young
Audios

Wireless event/venue loudspeakers that save hours on setup time and thousands on cable replacement costs. Erik's patented system can connect up to 16 speakers, 100 feet from each other, without Bluetooth or a WiFi router.

read his story

Completed raises on Republic

Ceata Lash
PuffCuff

Raised over $170,000 from 800 investors for the ONLY hair clamp for thick, curly, or textured hair. Ceata's triple-patented, award-winning design is the best styling tool for 65% of the world's population. read her story

Missy and Kristin Koefod
18.21 Drinks

Raised over $270,000 from 682 investors for a craft beverage company specializing in brilliant, low-sugar flavors. After years of perfecting their cocktail mixers, bitters, and spiked seltzers, Missy and Kristin are expanding into sparkling low-dose cannabis infusions.

Su Sanni & Chris Coles
Dollaride

Raised over $420,000 from 1667 investors to bring smart, cheap public transportation to the places that need it most. Su Sanni and Chris Coles' social impact solution merges technology with existing fleets of local commuter vans to serve outer-city communities and other "transit deserts."

Philip Michael
TEMPLE I

Raised $360,000 from 1320 investors to fund student housing in a high-demand neighborhood. Philip Michael is breaking ground on a 100-bed tech-powered coliving development next to Temple University in Philadelphia. read his story

Pierre Laguerre
Fleeting

Raised over $1 million from 4,514 investors for the Uber of commercial trucking! Pierre Laguerre worked at every level of the trucking industry before creating a platform that matches vetted CDL drivers with on-demand trucking jobs, enabling both drivers and trucking companies to maximize their earnings. read his story

Tyla-Simone Crayton
Sienna Sauce

Raised over $195,000 from 1,418 investors to produce healthy, delicious, award-winning sauces. 16-year old "Sauce Boss" Tyla-Simone's three flavors have twice swept the Sauce-A-Holic Fest and have been presented at the World Food Championships! read her story

Domonique Sims
The Lieu

Raised over $70,000 from 234 investors to bring a transformed bathroom experience to women in the workplace.  

Tiki Barber
Thuzio

Raised over $80,000 from 265 investors to produce live events with professional athletes, focusing on the shared values of sports, life and business. Thuzio's business membership community leverages these exclusive experiences for client engagement and networking.

Rashaan Everett
Growing Talent

Raised over $250,000 from 1097 investors to build a national minority-owned cannabis brand with turnkey compliance, business, and retail operations. Rashaan Everett and Dr. Eric Patrick have made it their mission to get enterpreneurs of color in on the cannabis boom.

Mike T. Brown
Win-Win

Raised over $325,000 from 551 investors to transform charitable giving. Mike Brown—a former NFL linebacker, lifelong philanthropist, and self-taught coder—partners with pro athletes to engage their fan networks in gamified giving through social media and mobile apps. read his story

Kobi Wu
VisuWall

Raised over $100,000 from 223 investors to create media-display windows for vacant storefronts. 

Harold Hughes
BANDWAGON

Raised over $145,000 from 330 investors for a system that protects fans from fake event tickets and provides event organizers with invaluable customer data.

Truth Oladapo
Vacayo

Raised over $200,000 from 445 investors for a full-service property management outsourcing service and technology suite that saves landlords time and maximizes their profits.

Ofo Ezeugwu
WhoseYourLandlord

Raised over $50,000 from 136 investors to bring transparency to short- and long-term home rentals. WhoseYourLandlord is the first platform to empower renters to review home providers, connect with neighbors, and educate themselves on their rights.

Obi Omile
theCut

Raised over $90,000 from 421 investors to transform the barbershop business and client experience. Obi Omile's mobile platform seamlessly brings barbers and clients together, eliminating wait times, no-shows, overbooking, and time spent manually booking appointments.

Fatima Dicko
Jetpack

Raised over $250,000 from 800 investors to save students' day with distributed, mobile delivery on campus. Fellow students arrive with charger rentals, coffee, or personal products minutes after an order is placed in the Jetpack mobile app. read her story

Frederick Hutson
Pigeonly

Raised over $120,000 from 155 investors to fund easy-to-use, low-cost inmate communication services that connect families with incarcerated loved ones.  read his story