Today, only 1% of founders backed by venture capital in the United States are Black. This is appalling and shows how the odds are stacked against Black technologists and entrepreneurs. The onus is on us in the tech community to start evening the odds.

In an effort to provide concrete, long-lasting support, we are coming together to make our software completely free to U.S.-based, early-stage startups led by Black founders.

How we want to help

The companies listed below are making it simple and free for Black founders to capture and act on customer data to accelerate their growth. The initial tools in this collection span what we call the Growth Stack—data collection, attribution, analytics, and customer engagement. The companies participating in this program offer strong, native integrations that are often implemented and used together by digital businesses. We also invite other technology companies to join us in this endeavor to broaden the capabilities offered.

Criteria for free access

U.S.-based companies led by one or more Black founders, that have raised less than $30M in venture capital, and have fewer than 150 employees are eligible for this program. We request that founders apply personally and share with us how else we can help them.

Our shared goal is to help you scale your business as rapidly and efficiently as possible. This program will be available for free to you in perpetuity as long as you continue to meet the criteria shared here.

Application process

We understand that not all founders will want to use each platform offered in this Growth Stack, so you can apply to access the individual products using the links provided below. As soon as you fill in the short forms, our respective teams will be in touch to get you started.

Other resources


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Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, offering over 165 fully-featured services from data centers globally. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—are using AWS to lower costs, become more agile, and innovate faster.

The AWS Startups Segment aligns the people, programs, and resources of AWS to successfully support builders from all background. The Startups Segment’s Underrepresented Founder Business Development team is laser-focused on accelerating founders from diverse backgrounds. As a part of that effort, AWS is offering up to $10,000 in AWS Promotional Credits for up to 40 participants. AWS Promotional Credits are subject to the terms and conditions found at → http://aws.amazon.com/awscredits

<aside> 💡 To Apply: Please email us at [email protected] with #techforblackfounders as the subject. Please include your name and name of co-founder(s) if applicable, company website, and a brief description of your company.

All applicants must meet the requirements of the AWS Activate Program, which can be found at http://aws.amazon.com/activate.

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