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4 mins read

Alternative Investments 101: An Overview of Real Estate, Private Equity, and More

Alternative Investments

Alternative investments are a popular way for investors to diversify their portfolios and potentially earn higher returns. These types of investments are not the typical stocks, bonds, and cash, but rather a range of other assets that offer the potential for higher returns and lower volatility.

Real Estate

Real estate is one of the most popular alternative investments and can take many forms, including residential properties, commercial properties, and real estate investment trusts (REITs). Investing in real estate allows investors to earn income through rent and capital appreciation. Furthermore, real estate can provide diversification benefits as it doesn’t always move in sync with the stock market.

Private Equity

Private equity funds invest in private companies, typically with the goal of taking the company public or selling it to another company. These investments can provide significant returns, but they also come with a higher level of risk. Private equity is only available to accredited investors and institutional investors.

Hedge Funds

Hedge funds use a variety of investment strategies to generate returns that are not closely correlated with the overall stock market. These strategies can include short selling, leverage, and derivatives. Hedge funds are only available to accredited investors and institutional investors, and they typically have higher investment minimums and management fees than traditional mutual funds.

Commodities

Commodities are raw materials that are used in the production of goods and services. Investing in commodities can provide diversification benefits and the potential for higher returns. Commodities can be traded through futures contracts, commodity ETFs, and commodity-focused mutual funds.

Art, Collectibles

Investing in rare and valuable art, antiques, and other collectible items can be a great way to diversify a portfolio. The value of these items can appreciate over time and they can also provide enjoyment while they’re held. Investing in art, and collectibles can be difficult, as it requires knowledge and expertise to accurately value the items.

Venture Capital

Venture capital funds invest in start-ups or early-stage companies with high growth potential. These investments can provide significant returns, but they also come with a higher level of risk. Venture capital funds are typically only available to accredited investors and institutional investors.

Infrastructure

Investing in infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, airports, and other public assets can provide a steady stream of income through tolls, fees, and rentals. Infrastructure investments also provide long-term growth potential as the economy grows and the infrastructure assets become more valuable.

Private Debt

Investing in loans made to companies or individuals, such as real estate loans or small business loans, can provide a steady stream of income through interest payments. Private debt investments can also provide diversification benefits as the returns are not closely tied to the stock market.

Alternative investments can provide diversification and the potential for higher returns. However, it’s important to note that they also come with a higher level of risk, and they may only be available to accredited investors and institutional investors. It’s also crucial to do your research and understand the investment before putting your money into it.

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Published on
4 mins read

Black-Owned Femtech Apparel Brand Oya Raises $1.3 Million

Black-Owned Femtech

Black-owned femtech apparel brand Oya Femtech Apparel has recently announced that it has raised $1.3 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round.

The round is led by the Sixers Innovation Lab, with additional investors including REI Path Ahead Ventures, R/GA Ventures, an SPV managed by Union Heritage Venture Partners and Techstars Sports.

Black-Owned Femtech
Mitchella Gilbert, CEO and co-founder of Oya Femtech apparel

Oya performance wear is engineered for feminine health and comfort using innovative fabrics and sweat absorption technology. The company’s leggings are twice as absorbent as leading brands, and the unique designs provide discrete natural ventilation, significantly improving over current options.

Intersecting science and style, Oya’s antimicrobial fabrics and patent-pending leggings are designed with doctors to combat the $43.3 billion that U.S. women spent last year dealing with feminine health issues. Common feminine health issues include urinary incontinence, bacterial vaginosis, and urinary tract infections. In fact, the CDC reports that 75% of women will struggle with yeast infections in their lifetimes.

Women athletes and performance wear enthusiasts may even be more prone to feminine health issues because of the hours they spend training in workout clothes that retain moisture and don’t allow the body to dry out.

Black-Owned Femtech

“As a collegiate female athlete, I found myself struggling with recurrent vaginal health hurdles and in the dark about why. Then, many years later, I discovered the leggings I had been wearing were the culprit. Unfortunately, most performance wear is made with spandex blends, which trap moisture and do not breathe. This is not good for women athletes who need ventilation and moisture control,” said Mitchella Gilbert, Co-founder, and CEO of Oya Femtech Apparel. “I took it upon myself to solve the issue by creating a line of performance wear designed with women’s health in mind.”

This funding round is a significant milestone for Oya Femtech Apparel and for Mitchella Gilbert as a Black woman founder. The statistics on funding for women and Black women in particular, are not favorable. According to a 2020 report by All Raise, only 2% of venture capital funding is allocated to women, and of that, roughly 0.05% goes to Black women. Investors Sophia and Nia from Union Heritage Venture Partners acknowledged this in a statement, saying “When we find underrepresented, passionate founders with great ideas, it is a privilege to invest in them and work alongside them”.

Black-Owned Femtech

Startups focused on women’s health have become a growing priority for investors since the term “femtech” was coined in 2016. Moreover, the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has increased momentum around developing innovative women’s healthcare products.

Oya Femtech Apparel was founded at the Venture Accelerator at UCLA Anderson by Mitchella (Mitch) Gilbert and Patrick Ayers. The company creates highly functional, quality athletic apparel designed to support feminine health. Oya leggings are the first of their kind to be physician-tested and athlete approved, with over 60 medical professionals and 200 product testers supporting product development. In an athletic apparel industry dominated by men, Oya advocates for a more inclusive approach to athletic wear and the recognition of the specific needs of women’s bodies.

Beyond fighting for women’s health, Oya is developing an ethical supply chain. The line is designed and primarily manufactured in Los Angeles. Oya’s fabrics are BPA, PFA, and PFO.

by Tony O. Lawson

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1 min read

Eunice Ajim: Building a $10 Million VC Fund to Empower Africa’s Tech Startups

eunice ajim

Eunice Ajim is the founder of Ajim Capital, an Austin, TX-based venture capital firm that provides pre-seed and seed funding to early-stage startups in Africa.

In this interview, Eunice discusses:

  • Her evolution from founder to venture capitalist
  • Her perspective on the growing popularity of startups in Africa
  • Differences in investment opportunities across various African nations
  • Her personal experience obtaining funding as a fund manager
  • The technology industries that she has a particular interest in
  • Mistakes she has made and the lessons she has learned as a fund manager
  • Suggestions she has for individuals aspiring to become fund managers.

 

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2 mins read

Ghanaian E-Logistics Platform Jetstream Raises $13 Million for Expansion

Ghanaian e-logistics platform Jetstream

Rapid urbanization and economic growth in Africa have contributed to a rise in e-commerce activity.

Simultaneously, the lack of developed transportation infrastructure and logistics networks in many African countries poses a significant challenge for businesses attempting to move goods across the continent.

This creates a significant market opportunity for e-logistics platforms that can assist businesses in overcoming logistical challenges.

Ghanaian e-logistics platform, Jetstream was founded in 2018 by Miishe Addy and Solomon Torgbor with the goal of giving African businesses greater visibility and control over their global supply chains.

Following a successful $3 million seed round, the company announced today that it has raised $13 million in a Series A round of funding.

Initially, Jetstream provided two services: logistics for cargo owners handling imports and exports, and financing for freight forwarders. Recently, however, they have consolidated these two services into a single one, focusing exclusively on cargo owners. According to CEO Miishe Addy, the pivot helped Jetstream in achieving product-market fit.

Since adopting this new strategy, Jetstream has experienced significant growth. The company estimates that its trade finance product has disbursed approximately $9 million in loans to date, up from $1 million at the middle of 2021. By the end of 2023, it intends to increase this by five times.

Additionally, in the past year, the company’s revenue has grown by 48% and its active customer base by 102%. Currently, 47% of the freight handled by Jetstream is transported via air, 44% via ocean, and 9% via ground.

Twelve of the 29 countries where the company currently operates are in Africa. The funds will be used to support Jetstream’s expansion into new countries and its ongoing technological platform development.

 

by Tony O. Lawson

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3 mins read

Black Owned Electric Vehicle Charging Startup, SparkCharge Has Raised $30M

SparkCharge

There are currently more electric vehicles on the road than ever before — with a record 6.6 million sold in 2021, double the previous year’s total.

However, a recent study found that concerns about the accessibility of nearby charging stations deter more people from buying electric vehicles.

This reluctance is frequently caused by “range anxiety,” the uneasy feeling that prospective buyers or current EV owners experience when they are concerned about having sufficient battery power to reach their destination.

SparkCharge is on a journey to change the way the world charges electric vehicles. Their charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) network, along with their mobile app Currently, enables EV owners to charge whenever and wherever they want.

“We are super excited to bring mobile charging and charging as a service (CaaS) to the next level.” shared Josh Aviv, SparkCharge CEO, and founder. “It’s exactly what is needed right now for America to catch up with electrification of transportation. Mobile charging is a necessity to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. Being able to have your EV charged whenever and wherever you’d like takes away the time wasted at chargers and eliminates the worry of finding a charger that isn’t out of order. We’ve focused solely on making charging as easy as possible from building the portable charging hardware to mobilize charging, and the software to make it easy to access.”

sparkcharge

With the click of a button, SparkCharge subscribers in 121 U.S. cities can arrange a charging appointment.

If you don’t want to subscribe monthly, you can still pay for a single one-time charge that will be delivered within 90 minutes, according to the business.

In both cases, a technician delivers mobile Roadie charging stations to your car, which may be parked anywhere—at home, at work, or just about anywhere else.

SparkCharge raised approximately $30 million from investors including Mark Cuban, Tale Venture Partners, and rapper, Pusha-T. Aviv pitched SparkCharge on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2020, where Cuban and Lori Greiner invested $1 million for a 10% equity stake in the company.

Aviv told CNBC that the investments currently value SparkCharge at approximately $110 million. He added that the company has already established partnerships with major brands such as Kia Motors, Hertz, and Uber, and is on track to generate $10 million in revenue in 2022.

by Tony O. Lawson

Interested in investing in Black founders? If so, please complete this brief form.

Are you a founder? If you are fundraising please complete this form.

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Published on
6 mins read

Black Owned VC Firm Invests in an African American Owned Mining Company in Tanzania

brown venture group

Brown Venture Group is a Black owned VC firm and venture studio exclusively focused on Black, Latino, and Native American technology entrepreneurs.

The Minnesota-based firm provides technology founders of color with investment capital, training, and professional networks that assist in launching and scaling tech-based startups.

We caught up with Dr. Chris Brooks, co-founder and managing partner at Brown Venture Group.

brown venture group
Dr. Chris Brooks, Managing Partner at Brown Venture Group

Describe your path to becoming a venture capitalist. 

My path to VC was an extremely improbable one. At age 16 I was charged with 3 felonies, including attempted murder.

My career has been most heavily in the nonprofit and education sectors.  Two of my 3 degrees are Theology degrees. The thread woven throughout my life is a deep curiosity about and commitment to racial and economic justice.

These two things led me to co-found Brown Venture Group with Dr. Paul Campbell in 2018, and it is a perfect space for me to live out my passion and calling.

What are your thoughts on the state of today’s venture capital market? 

VC has been a gated community for most of its history.  Women and people of color have had little to no access to the industry, both as Executives of VC firms and as recipients of VC capital allocation.  

This remains true today, but things are changing.  Hundreds of new firms led by and focused on women and people of color have emerged over the last decade.  

It is inevitable that a subgroup of these firms/funds will have great financial success, and the industry will be changed forever.

Your firm recently partnered with the Africa Chamber of Digital Commerce (ACOFDC). What inspired the collaboration and what do you hope to accomplish?  

Africa has always had millions of remarkable entrepreneurs.  Due to the long-term impact of European colonization of Sovereign African Nations, access to capital for (Black) African entrepreneurs mirrors the trends in the USA  – it could be argued that it is exponentially worse on the African continent.  

Currently, over 90% of VC investment on the continent is allocated to white entrepreneurs.  Reflect on that.  The partnership between Brown Venture Group and the African Chamber of Digital Commerce has 3 goals:

  1. Accelerate technology investments on the African Continent and within the African Diaspora globally
  2. Strengthen the relationships between African leaders and African-American leaders
  3. Scale a global, interdependent, Black tech economy.

Imagine what it would look like to give access to transformational capital to African entrepreneurs at scale.  Imagine the results, both in terms of financial returns and in terms of global impact.  This is our shared inspiration: a world where Africans own Africa.

What spurred your firm’s interest in African investments? 

We understand that there are disproportionately great investment opportunities on the African Continent, in both existing technologies as well as emerging technologies. 

Our interest stems from the dual purpose of financial returns and (positive) impact.  We are just getting ourselves familiarized with the various nations and sectors. 

Eventually, it is our intention to increase our investment activity in African entrepreneurs and tech companies.

You recently invested in a mining company located in Tanzania. Tell us about the significance of that deal. 

Our first fund only invests in US-based companies.  Our investment in Pula Group, the only American mineral exploration company operating in Tanzania, represents our strong commitment to investing for both returns + impact. 

Pula Group aims to disrupt and redefine the African mining sector, which is currently dominated by extractive outside interests.  We share deep values and vision related to the future of Black ownership.

What advice do you have for other fund managers? 

It is critical to have a very well thought through investment thesis, as well as some concretized, deeply held core values.  These 2 components will guide you internally while they simultaneously send signals to investors and to the broader market about who you are and your intentions. 

Additionally, financial returns must always be prioritized above social impact.  Both matter, but leading a fund includes an inherent ethical mandate to produce financial returns for the fund’s investors (limited partners). 

Without those returns, the fund and/or the Firm is not sustainable long-term.

– Tony O. Lawson

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Include Ventures is Raising $250 Million To Invest in Black Funders and Founders

Include Ventures is a U.S. based venture capital firm that is raising a $125 million fund for Black and Brown-led fund managers and another $125 million for direct investments.

The firm’s leadership team includes Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson, Keith Spears, and Taj Eldridge.

Taj is a 25+ year investment professional whose career has included high-level executive roles in banking, asset management, alternative investments, and entrepreneurship.

We recently asked him to share some of his thoughts and insights as an investor.

Include ventures
Taj Eldridge, General Partner at Include Ventures

How would you describe the investment thesis and structure of Include Ventures?

Include Ventures is a dual fund – a fund of funds to invest in funds I, II, and IIIs led by people of color.

We also have a direct investment vehicle to co-invest in startups with funds in our ecosystem in the sectors of Fintech, Cleantech, Edtech, Media, and Digital health primarily in the series A stage.

We consider Include Ventures as a seeding platform because we have Include Global, an advisory platform for LPs and GPs, and VC Include, an ecosystem created to bring together LPs and GPs to expand their investment opportunities through diversity.

All are geared to impact alpha inclusion and sustainability.

include ventures
Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson, Founding Partner at Include Ventures

Describe your fund selection process. How do you decide which to invest in?

We have a fairly democratic process where we ask funds to upload their material on our site. Then we have a streamlined process to assess the limited number of investments we will move forward in our process.

We look to invest in the best-in-class funds and managers at the intersection of alpha inclusion and sustainability

You are quite outspoken when it comes to matters related to climate change. What sparked your passion for this space?

My illness sparked my focus on climate. I’m currently suffering from a kidney disease partially caused by environmental factors so I see climate as a public health issue.

I also see climate as an opportunity to build green wealth as we make this just transition so both are key to my excitement around communities of color coming to climate tech.

Keith Malcolm Spears, General Partner at Include ventures

What are some ways that you incorporate sustainability into your lifestyle?

One of the main ways I incorporate sustainability is through what I wear. As a former fashion executive, I see a number of brands focusing on sustainable processes to create apparel.

Are there any encouraging trends you’re noticing in the climate tech space? Is there anything you’re wary of?

Encouraging for me are firms that think about the way we use energy for our home like Blocpower as the pandemic has shifted our offices and thus our energy use.

I’m weary of the intersection of crypto/blockchain and energy mainly because it’s not a sector I’m well versed in. I think it’ll take time to mature.

What advice do you have for founders and for fund managers?

The only advice I have is to keep building impactful companies. America and people of color have a history of “funding a way or making one” and I get excited to see our American ingenuity.

– Tony O. Lawson

Want to invest in Black founders? Please fill out this short form.

 

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$136M Agribusiness Fund Aims To Boost Food Security in Africa

Agribusiness is a term used to describe the enterprises involved in the production, processing, and distribution of food for consumer use.

In Africa, agribusiness is responsible for 70% of employment and about 25% of the continent’s GDP. Due to its enormous agricultural potential, the African agribusiness sector is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030.

Zebu Investment Partners is a pan-African private equity fund with offices in Ghana and South Africa. It was established to build strong companies in the food value chain and improve food security in Africa.

agribusiness
Brian Frimpong, Managing Partner at Zebu Investments

In this interview with Brian Frimpong, Managing Partner at Zebu Investments, we discuss:

  • The reasons why his firm is focused on agribusiness investments
  • Current and emerging opportunities in the agribusiness sector
  • The ways technology is improving food security in Africa
  • Co-investing with funds based outside of Africa
  • The growing interest in Africa from African-American fund managers

– Tony O. Lawson

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645 Ventures, Black Owned VC Firm Closes Two Funds, Totaling $347M

645 ventures

645 Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that partners with exceptional founders who are building iconic companies.

They invest at the Seed and Series A stages and help founders scale to the growth stage.

Today 645 Ventures announced its oversubscribed fourth fund, Fund IV, alongside the launch of the firm’s first opportunity fund, Select I.

The closing of these two funds, totaling $347M, tracks the venture firm’s exponential growth, scaling the portfolio to 50+ companies, 15 team members, two offices, and eight exit events since its inception in 2014.

645 ventures
645 Ventures founders Nnamdi Okike and Aaron Holiday

In another statement made today, co-founder Nnamdi Okike stated, “With our $194m Fund IV, we are doubling down on our early-stage strategy of investing in exceptional Seed and Series A companies. We can invest $1-$5m at the Seed, and up to $10m at Series A. We lead, co-lead, or participate, and look forward to partnering with early-stage funds.

We raised our $153m Select I Fund with the aim of enhancing our value proposition for founders. With this fund, we are focused on re-investing in our existing portfolio companies at the Series B+ stage, with investments up to $15m in a non-lead capacity.

Particularly in this funding environment, we’re excited to be able to support our companies as a follow-on investor, while partnering with growth and multi-stage funds who lead these rounds.”

With the close of Fund IV and Select II, the New York-based firm now manages over $550M in AUM across five funds, with more than $400M to deploy over the next few years to early-stage founders building new infrastructure software, SaaS, and consumer startups that are built on new technology inflections.

The firm is currently hiring for new roles. You can find more information here.

Tony O. Lawson

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3 mins read

Black Owned Supply Chain Logistics Company, Saltbox Raises $35 Million

Saltbox is a co-warehousing and logistics startup that provides space for small businesses and e-commerce merchants to operate as well as store and ship goods, all under one roof.

Today, the Atlanta-based company announced a $35 million Series B funding round.

saltbox

The investment was co-led by Cox Exterprises Inc and Pendulum, a strategic growth investing and advisory platform designed for founders and leaders of color and previous investor in Saltbox.

This Series B round brings Saltbox’s total funding to $56 million. The round also included investment from Playground Global, XYZ Capital, Fundrise, Kapor Capital, Wilshire Lane Capital, Colliers, Lincoln Property Company, Flexport and Overline among others.

Funding will support developing Saltbox’s core technology stack powering its end-to-end logistics platform for small and growing ecommerce businesses.

“Supporting small-and medium-sized businesses as they navigate the challenges of their entire logistics stack, from warehousing, to shipping and more has been our main goal since day one. The next step for Saltbox is to advance our logistics and fulfillment technology while also continuing to expand our physical, human-centric spaces for members,” said Saltbox CEO and Co-Founder Tyler Scriven.

saltbox
Tyler Scriven

In 2022, Saltbox more than doubled its growth, expanding its flexible warehouse network to ten locations, including new co-warehousing locations in Alexandria, Virginia; Duarte, California; Carrollton, Texas; Arden Hills, Minnesota; and a second location in Atlanta’s Upper Westside neighborhood to support its flagship facility.

The company also opened its first-ever fulfillment hub in Dublin, Ohio – a strategic location in the Columbus, Ohio market that allows members to reach 67% of the total U.S. population via 2-day shipping.

This momentum follows a successful 2021, in which Saltbox expanded its footprint into the Los Angeles area in Torrance, as well as Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Seattle. It also launched fulfillment offerings tailored to SMBs. Saltbox closed its Series A round of $10.6 million in March 2021.

Later this year, Saltbox plans to open locations in two new cities: Tempe, Arizona and Doral, Florida, with additional plans to open a second Florida location early next year in Tampa, Florida.

Of Saltbox’s more than 500 members across its ten co-warehousing locations, more than 70 percent are ecommerce companies that sell physical goods directly to consumers.

These SMBs span numerous industries including fashion and apparel, health and beauty, home goods, resale, and tech in the hardware and services sectors. Half of Saltbox member businesses are led by women or people of color.

Tony O. Lawson

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