Digital Catapult has selected 10 startups from across the UK’s creative industries for the second cohort of its Black Founders Programme.
In partnership with Sony Music UK and Sony Music Publishing UK, it will support DeepTech startups on their scaling journey and tackle systemic barriers including bias in investment decisions and limited access to networks.
Research shows that only 0.2% of overall investment funding in the UK goes to black-founded companies.
Now in its second year, this initiative supports black entrepreneurs to increase their investment readiness by providing mentorship and investment knowledge to help scale and commercialise solutions.
Companies in the 2023 cohort have since formed partnerships with large corporates, received interest from angel investors and 80% reported that they had increased their investment readiness as a direct result of working with Digital Catapult and Sony Music Group.
The 10 companies comprising the 2024 cohort are building novel solutions in a key growth sector, focused on applying immersive technologies (including virtual, augmented and mixed reality) into creative industries, including storytelling, gaming, music production and education.
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Michael Adex is an ambassador for the Black Founders Programme, and the founder and managing director of NQ, one of the UK’s leading record label and talent management companies, where he works with artists such as Blanco, whYJay and Aitch.
“As a founder and innovator myself, I am proud to support the second cohort of black entrepreneurs,” he said. “This programme provides a showcase for UK black tech talent and the potential within our community, and I’m eager to see how their ideas, their products and their business vision will help create meaningful change and inspire future generations.”
Jessica Rushworth, chief policy & strategy officer at Digital Catapult, added: “Breaking down barriers to successful scaling and commercialisation for underrepresented entrepreneurs lies at the heart of the Black Founders Programme.”
The 2024 cohort
Code and Culture
Transforming how audiences engage with rap lyrics and cultural content.
Cambridge XR
Developing a VR system to explore aviation history.
Mismatch Studios
Creating digital clothing for virtual worlds and offering a sustainable solution for fashion designers to prototype designs.
Immersely
Enhancing gameplay experiences by using biometrics to refine game design (founder Goodness Akalazu is pictured).
SymphoMe
Making music learning more interactive and personalised with AI-driven multimodal technology.
Syncd:in Limited
Simplifying global music rights and metadata management for Black artists.
TwoShot LTD
Building a platform for AI tools helping musicians in their creative workflow. Its tech is fully traceable, solving AI music’s complex copyright issues.
BeGenio Tech Ltd
Enhancing educational outcomes through immersive gaming assessments.
Certi.fi World
Combining blockchain technology and augmented reality to verify and issue credentials, ensuring tamper-proof certification for artists and entertainers.
Wellvrse
Integrating health, art, and virtual reality to enhance mental well-being.