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We aspire to shift narratives of Black tech companies from a deficit lens to an empowered one where we can reimagine the current state of tech toward the tech we want. We have identified 100 companies, particularly those making a positive social impact in the world.
We provide an overall view of our list and an in-depth look at tech companies with innovative products and services. We also spotlight elements of the Black tech ecosystem that have helped members of our list achieve success and growth.
Number Of Companies Founded Per Year
Roughly 55 percent of the Black population resides in the southern regions of the U.S. (World Population Review, 2022). Despite the high concentration of Black residents in the southern regions, most of the Black-founded companies on our list are in the West, likely due to the large tech presence in Silicon Valley and California in general.
CHANGEMAKERS
One of my focuses while an undergrad was in environmental economics,” Aviv shared with Essence. “During class, the professor walked in one day and said, ‘if you want to change the world, solve the problem of infrastructure for electric vehicles and if you’re interested, meet me after class.’ And I was the only person to take him up on his offer. And really, from that conversation, started working on the idea of SparkCharge.
~ Josh Aviv, SparkCharge Founder
I wondered how we could make food waste a consistent alternative for conventional synthetic fertilizers by doing it for soils or hydroponic systems. So, we focused on using food waste as a viable alternative for chemical fertilizers in indoor grow environments.
~ Tinia Pina, Re-Nuble Founder
Who We Are.
The Plug is a subscription-based digital news and insights platform covering the Black innovation economy. We believe in the power of data and diversity to bring the startup and tech community full-scale. We open our coverage and analysis in and beyond Silicon Valley to track the hustlers making moves across the world.
Established by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, Omidyar Network is a social change venture that has committed more than $1 billion to innovative for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations since 2004. Omidyar Network works to reimagine critical systems and the ideas that govern them, and to build more inclusive and equitable societies in which individuals have the social, economic, and democratic power to thrive.
" In prioritizing companies, we defined social impact as addressing sustainability and climate challenges, or creating products, services, networks and systems to counteract disparities in the Black community."
Sherrell Dorsey
Founder & CEO, The Plug
Tayler J. James
Director of Research, The Plug
Courtney L. McCluney Ph.D.
Report Advisor and Principal
Khyati Khandelwal, MSc
Tech Lead
Shaul Gayle, MPH, CPH
Researcher
Aniyia Williams
Principal, Responsible Technology, Omidyar Network
Abiah Weaver
Director of Strategic Communications, Omidyar Network
We provide actionable news, insights and business intelligence on Black tech ecosystems and trends shaping the world.
