According to Crunchbase data, Black founders in the US have raised approximately $643 million this year, a new quarterly high since 2022. At this pace, this amount is already close to 70% of the total funding raised last year, but the growth is mainly driven by a few large deals.

34 transactions increased the total amount

This funding rebound is not widespread. Crunchbase statistics show that the funds mainly came from 34 transactions, the most notable being the $350 million Series E funding round completed by AI hardware company SambaNova.

This was followed by a $75 million Series B funding round for sports prediction startup Noviq and a $47 million funding round for YC-backed AI insurance platform Harper. These large deals significantly boosted the overall performance.

The overall proportion is still relatively low.

While $643 million is a relatively high level in recent years, it still represents a limited share of the overall US venture capital market. During the same period, the total funding raised by US startups was approximately $252 billion, with Black founders receiving a disproportionately small share of the funding.

Crunchbase previously estimated that Black founders would raise approximately $942 million in 2025, representing only 0.32% of the $290 billion in venture capital funding that year. This means that this year's temporary rebound has not significantly changed the long-term situation of a low percentage.

AI centralization exacerbates polarization

Gené Teare, research director at Crunchbase, told TechCrunch that factors limiting funding for many Black founders still include access to networks, building relationships, and limited early referral opportunities.

She pointed out that these problems have not eased in the increasingly concentrated and clearly AI-biased funding market of 2026. Meanwhile, the venture capital market has weakened for several consecutive quarters, and funding for Black-owned startups has declined faster than the overall startup funding market in the long run.

Teare also mentioned that the industry is generally more cautious at present, which may reduce investors' willingness to support first-time entrepreneurs, who often include entrepreneurs with more diverse backgrounds.