i3 | October 21, 2021

Investing in Pioneering Companies

CTA’s Investment in Collab Capital 

CTA invested in Collab Capital in May as the sixth investment in its $10 million commitment to venture firms and funds that finance women, people of color and other underrepresented entrepreneurs. Collab Capital is a capital investment firm focused on early-stage investments in tech and tech-enabled companies with Black founders. Led by Jewel Burks Solomon, Justin Dawkins and Barry Givens, the firm is dedicated to startups that provide innovative solutions for the future of learning, work and care.

Collab Capital, based in Atlanta, debuted with $2 million in capital and a gigantic end target of $50 million. Today, the firm has met that goal, with backers such as Apple, CTA, Goldman Sachs, Google, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Mailchimp and PayPal, making it one of the largest funds closed from an entirely Black-led firm solely committed to Black founders. Collab Capital plans to invest in 50 companies over a five-year period. So far, the firm has backed 11 companies in the areas of healthcare, edtech and future of workspaces.

Spurring Growth in Tech Businesses

“The need for innovation in education, workforce and health care has never been more important,” says Tiffany Moore, SVP, political and industry affairs, CTA. “The team at Collab are committed to helping Black founders build sustainable, tech-enabled businesses. This deeply resonates with CTA’s goal to drive growth of the tech industry by leveraging the best and diverse talent in our nation.”

CTA announced its $10 million funding commitment at CES 2019. As part of its commitment, CTA announced its first two investments in July 2019, followed by two additional investments in October 2020 and a recent investment at CES 2021. To date, CTA has invested in Harlem Capital Partners, SoGal Ventures, Rethink Impact, Founders First Capital Partners and Plum Alley.

“Black founders represent the fastest growing entrepreneurial segment, but to this day, they remain the most under-funded and under-resourced group,” says Collab Capital Co-founder Burks Solomon. “Collab Capital is excited to partner with CTA, which has helped us close our Fund I and provide Black business owners with the capital and resources they need to achieve their full potential. We believe this is an important step in narrowing the racial wealth disparity while driving sustained economic recovery across our country.”

In addition to the $10 million investment commitment, CTA is engaging diverse startup founders at CES, helping build a diverse K-12 STEM Pipeline, and has created a forum for member companies to share best practices on creating greater access and mobility for underrepresented communities.

The team at Collab are committed to helping Black founders build sustainable, tech-enabled businesses. 
Tiffany Moore, CTA

A Sample of Collab Capital Backed Business Models

FanFest

is a platform for the biggest names in entertainment to host live shows where fans meet VIPs from their website.

Hairbrella

combines fashion and function with its line of protective rain hats for men and women.

Jax Rideshare Rentals

provides rental vehicles to people who would otherwise be excluded from rideshare and other driver-based gig work.

Music Tech Works

allows content producers and media platforms to make better, more informed music licensing choices.

Stack Influence

a top U.S. micro influencer marketing platform, gives away products at scale for promotions and assets and has one of the largest networks of authentic influencers. 

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