35 GA Black-Owned Businesses Will Receive Cash Awards From Google

ATLANTA, GA — Google for Startups announced Wednesday the recipients of the $5 million Black Founders Fund. Georgia-based Black founders will receive $2.35 million of the total $5 million awarded nationally through the fund.

Georgia has the highest number of recipients among all states, according to Google.

Google for Startups selected 76 recipients, with 35 coming from metro Atlanta. They will all receive the best of Google’s technical resources, people, and best practices, through future Google for Startups programming.

Aaron Fender, founder of Portrait Coffee, said the funding will impact the growth of his business.

“This capital and support comes at a critical time, allowing us to hire more team members and purchase additional manufacturing equipment to support our growing business,” he said.

The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund was announced in June as part of Google’s company-wide racial equality commitments. Unlike equity dependent funds, non-dilutive cash awards allow founders to make meaningful updates to their business with no strings attached, said Google in a news release.

“We are committed to helping Black founders who have been deeply impacted by COVID-19 and who are disproportionately locked out of access to the funding they need to succeed,” says Jewel Burks Solomon, Head of Google for Startups US. “By combining cash awards with Google for Startups mentorship and programming, we hope to help create a more level playing field for these founders, who are building amazing companies and making an impact on their communities.”

Atlanta-based Goodie Nation, a nonprofit organization that facilitates and accelerates social capital opportunities to help fill the funding gap for diverse founders and social entrepreneurs, will manage the distribution of $5 million in cash awards for Black Founders Fund recipients nationwide.

Georgia-based Black Founders Fund recipients:

• Aquagenuity
• Brown Toy Box
• Clubba (by Usit Inc.)
• Countalytics
• Deepr
• Edifius
• Film Connx
• Goodr
• Healthy Hip Hop
• Infiltron Software Suite
• Jax Rideshare Rentals
• Just Add Honey
• Knac
• Kommute
• Laine London
• Latched and Hooked Beauty
• LVNGbook
• Make Music Count
• MantisEDU
• Mar Dat
• Music Tech Works
• Musicbuk
• Optimal Technology Corporation
• Origyn, PBC
• Pharaoh's Conclave
• Portrait Coffee
• Qoins
• SOIL
• SPRAISE
• Staat
• TQIntelligence
• TruDiary
• U Scope Technologies
• Vibe Ride
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