A new study shows growth in venture capital (VC) for Black founders in the U.S. — but is it really growth compared to other demographics?

According to data from Crunchbase, U.S. Black founders raised $942 million in venture capital in 2025. In 2026, they have already raised nearly 70% of last year’s total, with $643 million secured so far.

Notably, one of the companies included in this funding is Harper, a Black-owned insurance company that uses AI to answer questions at odd hours, manage quotes, and communicate with underwriters. In February, it raised $47 million in a Series A round led by Emergence Capital, according to a press release.

AI was the dominant category in VC last quarter, leading to $242 billion in funding, according to a separate Crunchbase report. The technology accounted for 80% of all global venture funding in Q1.

However, the stats for U.S. Black founders in venture capital are still a drop in the bucket. As Crunchbase reports, U.S.-based VC companies collectively raised $250 billion in Q1, compared to Black founders’ $643 million.

Gené Teare, Crunchbase’s head of research, shared with TechCrunch what she believes to be barriers for Black founders, citing “access to networks, relationships, and early introductions” in the midst of an “increasingly concentrated, AI-centric funding market of 2026.”

“We are eight to nine quarters into a venture funding downturn, but Crunchbase data has shown a persistent decline in funding to Black-founded companies that outpaces the overall decline in startup funding,” Teare continued.

TechCrunch also notes that the pendulum could swing either way, toward or away from funding ventures by Black founders across the nation.

“One has to wonder if the abundance of caution that’s now prevalent in the industry has prevented investors from taking chances on first-time founders who are more likely to be diverse,” Teare explained, according to TechCrunch.

The post US-Based Black Founders Have Raised $643M This Year, But Will The Trend Continue? appeared first on AfroTech.

The post US-Based Black Founders Have Raised $643M This Year, But Will The Trend Continue? appeared first on AfroTech.