Black founders raise highest amount of quarterly funding since 2022, but there’s a catch

US Black-founded startups have raised $643 million so far in 2026, the strongest year-to-date total since 2022.

The rebound is driven by a few large rounds, led by SambaNova’s $350 million Series E, plus Noviq and Harper.

Even with the improvement, funding remains a small fraction of the broader U.S. startup market.

The figures suggest renewed venture interest, but persistent access and network gaps continue to limit Black founders.