VISIBLE NEWS
April 12, 2024
Visible Hands is a VC firm that provides exceptional founders from underrepresented backgrounds with the funds, hands-on support, and community they need to thrive at the earliest stages of company building.
Happy Friday, Visionaries!Our team is still riding the high from meeting our latest cohort of NYC-based founders last week for our VHNYC II orientation! This week, we reunited with the cohort via zoom for our first virtual workshop on GTM strategies (see our recap of learnings here), and are looking forward to the next few months of hybrid programming as we support these amazing founders in further growing their startups.Speaking of new cohorts, we may or may not have applications opening soon for another program...any guesses?In the meantime, read on below for the latest founder resources, funding opportunities, events and more!Be well,
The VH Team
VISIONARY UPDATES
Founder Updates, Asks, and Wins:
Congratulations to VHBOS Founder Sid Desai of Novobeing on his first clinical study protocol recently being published in Frontiers Journal!
Congratulations to VHNYC I Fellow Sarah Lee of Relavo on winning first place at UMassM2D2's $200K pitch challenge!
Congratulations to VHBOS Fellow Jashin Lin of Growbie on her recent feature in BBJ's Bostinno!
Each month, Visionary I Founder Alyse Dunn of CareCopilot sponsors a free in-person event for people who are caring for an aging loved one in NYC. This month, she's hosting a 'Paint and Sip' class - learn more and RSVP here!
WHAT WE HAVE OUR EYES ON
➕ Founder funding, community resources, and events
Applications are open for the Kitty Fund Mompreneur Business Grant, which supports moms running small businesses. Learn more about the grant and apply here by April 16th.
Applications are open for the Yass Prize, a year-round initiative devoted to finding, rewarding, expanding, and accelerating transformational education providers. Learn more and apply here by April 18th.
Applications are open for the Latinx/e Start Up Hub Tour Pitch Competition at the ALX Business Summit! Learn more and apply here by April 19th.
Applications are open for the Milky Way Tech Hub Accelerator, an intensive 2-week curriculum tailored for early-stage to Series A founders. Learn more and apply here by April 19th.
Applications are open for the M&T Bank Multicultural Small Business Lab, a program designed to provide multicultural business owners with the guidance and skills needed to build strong businesses. Learn more and apply here by April 19th.
Applications are open for YCombinator's Summer 2024 Accelerator program. Learn more and apply here by April 22nd.
Applications are open for the ERA Summer 2024 Accelerator, which provides a $150K investment to participating founders, plus potential for follow-on funding. Learn more and apply here by April 23rd.
Applications are open for the MuckerLab accelerator, which provides capital and support for startups outside Silicon Valley. Learn more and apply here by April 26th.
Village Capital has opened applications for its accelerator, Dream Climate Tech Launchpad 2024. This investment-readiness program aims to support 8-10 Black and Latinx-led startups building climate tech solutions at the intersection of environmental justice. Learn more and apply here by April 30th.
Cadence Cash Thrive Grant is $5K aimed at supporting small businesses that contribute positively to their communities. Learn more and apply for a grant here by April 30th.
Applications are open for Giving Joy grants, which are one-time micro-grants designed to help women establish or improve their businesses and initiatives. Learn more and apply here by April 30th.
Applications are open for the Soho House Foundation, an independent charity established by Soho House to fund and empower creative young people and artists from underrepresented and lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Learn more and apply here by April 30th.
The Fifteen Percent Pledge is partnering with the Dream Makers Founder Grant, a $1 million grant fund established by Nancy Twine to drive a dedicated effort to support female entrepreneurs, particularly spotlighting the talents and innovations of Black and BIPOC founders. Learn more and apply here by April 30th.
The Urban Future Lab’s Urban Future Prize Competition is back with support from MUFG Bank, The New York Community Trust, and the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Climatetech startups can apply for a chance to win $50k and admittance into the ACRE Incubator. Learn more and apply here by May 1st.
Applications are now open for the 2024 cohort of BK-XL, Brooklyn's premier early-stage startup accelerator designed specifically for underrepresented founders. Learn more and apply here by May 3rd.
Applications for the 2024 Black Ambition Prize Competition are now open! The Black Ambition Prize competition provides a platform for Black and Hispanic founders across the nation to access growth capital, coaching, and a curated community of innovators/mentors. Learn more and apply here by May 3rd.
Applications are open for the TiE Women Pitch Competition, where early-stage startups founded or co-founded by female entrepreneurs can get help scaling with access to expert-led workshops, mentorship programs, pitch events and more. Learn more and apply here by May 15th.
The 8th annual Roadmap to Billions Conference is coming soon, a tech event for Black women to feel empowered, inspired, and discover the latest trends and strategies in entrepreneurship/tech while networking with industry leaders, investors, and fellow founders. Learn more and register here to attend on May 16th-19th!
Applications are open for Techstars Economic Mobility Powered by Samvid Ventures for fall 2024. Learn more and apply here by May 22nd.
Applications are open for LegalZoom small business grants, which support both established and budding business ventures through $10K grants and/or up to $500 in LegalZoom products and services. Learn more and apply here by September 13th.
🌎 Ecosystem Spotlights:
Applications are open for NVIDIA Inception, a free program designed to help startups evolve faster through cutting-edge technology, opportunities to connect with venture capitalists, and access to the latest technical resources from NVIDIA. Learn more and apply here.
Are you ready to take your startup to the next level? If so, a16z Talent x Opportunity is looking for you! TxO is a 16-week accelerator focused on ambitious early-stage founders building consumer companies at the forefront of culture and lifestyle. Learn more and apply here.
Applications are open and rolling for The Amber Grant, which supports women-owned businesses through $30K business grants every month. Learn more and apply here.
Join our friends at TechCrunch in Boston on April 25th at TechCrunch Early Stage! Learn the nuts-and-bolts essentials every budding early-stage founder needs to build a strong foundation. Whether you have an idea or a product, you’ll get actionable advice in hands-on workshops with expert founders, VCs, and subject-matter experts. Topics range from product-market fit and brand-building to finding investors, product-led growth and more. And, thanks to our friends at TechCrunch, we’re offering you a 25% discount. Buy your pass today, and come see us at TC Early Stage!
Introducing PMF Method, a free 14-week intensive experience designed to help exceptional B2B founders build epic companies. Uncover what customers really need, build the right V1 product, and close your first commercial contracts. Learn more and apply here by May 15th.
Applications are open for the National Black Business Pitch (NBBP), a competition designed to connect Black-owned businesses to corporations who seek to expand and diversify their supply chain with new products and services. Learn more and apply here by June 3rd.
We are happy to share the launch of PEERLESS, a $1M pitch competition focused on supporting visionary Latine, Black, Native American and Female founders of early-stage companies. The goal is to highlight and back exceptional founders. PEERLESS is powered by Alley Corp and Management Leadership For Tomorrow. Learn more and apply here for a chance to pitch on June 20th.
💼 Featured Jobs
VHNYC II Team Work Onward is hiring an Operational Research Intern and a Software Tester Intern.
Hire Henry is hiring a software developer,
Notion is hiring a Social Media Lead.
Our friends over at Liberty Mutual are hiring for multiple innovation-related positions - learn more about the available roles and apply here!
🧑🏽💻 What we are loving lately:
Excitedly Awaiting: Per my Last Email Podcast, Morning Brew
If you'd like your founder resource or event/conference to be featured in our weekly newsletter, shoot us a message at kerry@visiblehands.vc
"We celebrate the bold, the curious, and the irrational. We applaud those with big dreams, and who choose the harder, riskier path in relentless pursuit of pushing forward what is possible."
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