Digital Catapult > Programmes > Black Founders Programme

Black Founders Programme

Supporting startups to get investment ready

The Black Founders Programme is an accelerator targeted at early stage startups and pre-seed, Black-founded companies whose product or service is solving a problem in the UK’s creative economy. The Black Founders Programme is delivered in partnership with Sony Music UK and Sony Music Publishing, and in 2025 in collaboration with Channel 4.

Programme benefits

With only 0.24% of investment in the UK going to Black founders in the ten years between 2009-2019, and just 0.02% of investment going to Black female entrepreneurs, the Black Founders Programme provides investment-readiness support, peer-to-peer mentoring and business strategy advice to refine founders’ solutions. Participants receive hands-on access to deep tech expertise and technological consultancy in areas including artificial intelligence and immersive technologies to strengthen their business models and help raise investment in the long-term.

Support Black founders become investment ready

Masterclasses, mentoring and coaching from industry experts

Peer-to-peer support

Potential for funding opportunities

Access to state-of-the-art facilities & deep tech expertise

Access to potential partners, investors and customers

£1.5m

investment and grants raised

30+

founders participated

55+

workshops delivered

Nyangibo Gallery: case study

Case study

Part of the FutureScope’s Black Founders Programme, Digital Catapult supported Nyangibo Gallery to get investment ready and receive business expertise

Loud Parade: case study

Case study

Part of the FutureScope’s Black Founders Programme, Digital Catapult supported Loud Parade to get investment ready and receive business expertise.

Black Founders Programme Showcase event.

SymphoMe: case study

Case study

Part of the Black Founders Programme, Digital Catapult supported Nyangibo Gallery to get investment ready and receive business expertise

Hear from our programme alumni

Participants in previous cohorts of the Black Founders Programme have gone onto achieve further success, securing investment and applying their deep tech innovation to industry. Happaning and Loud Parade for example, received £1 million of investment and grants within two years of engaging with the programme, and Immersley recently received £400,000 in investment from Digital Catapult to scale its solution and transform the interactive media landscape.