Hux Ventures

We believe Latinx founders bring remarkable ingenuity, incredible determination, and rich life experiences to their startup companies - yet they receive a tiny fraction of the funding and opportunities available to other groups. Inicio Ventures was formed to help close that gap by ensuring that Latinx founders can build equity and wealth in the startup economy. To complement our investment work, we build and manage Latinx startup ecosystem programs, including our pitch competition series focused on growing the talent pipeline, a Venture Fellows program for grad students interested in being the next generation of Latinx investors and an industry convening and collaboration that creates opportunities for Latinx leaders and their organizations to work together.

Aduna Capital is a visionary investment firm dedicated to unlocking the transformative potential of African startups. Our mission Our mission is to empower the next generation of African innovators by providing them with the capital, guidance, and network they need to succeed. We focus on early-stage, tech-enabled startups with the potential to scale and bring about positive change. Our vision At Aduna Capital, we envision a thriving African entrepreneurial ecosystem where innovative startups have the resources they need to scale and impact the global market. We believe in the transformative power of technology and entrepreneurship to drive economic growth and improve lives across the continent. Unlocking the transformative potential of African startups through visionary investmentsInnovation: Championing cutting-edge solutions. Integrity: Upholding transparency and ethical investment practices. Impact: Committing to long-term, sustainable development. Inclusivity: Ensuring diverse representation and equitable opportunities.

Francophone Africa offers many economic opportunities with great potential. However, the lack of access to capital and strategic support fosters an ecosystem where it is difficult to thrive. Haskè Ventures' goal is to create scalable, sustainable and profitable businesses in Francophone West Africa. Our vision is to revolutionize the universe of start-ups in the region, by reducing the risk of failure in the early stages of the creation of start-ups. Our goal is to fund and support entrepreneurs, bridging the gap between the idea stage and the growth stage. With decades of experience in entrepreneurship and the private sector, in addition to a solid understanding of the economic growth needs of our region, we identify and develop start-ups based in French-speaking Africa, providing them with all the ingredients for success. PrinciplesBusinesses, like entrepreneurs, are unique: Businesses, like entrepreneurs, are unique. We take a personalized approach to business creation. It takes more than capital to build a successful business. From strategy to execution, including seed capital, our innovative business model allows us to support entrepreneurs throughout their journey. We have the regional expertise: With our knowledge of French-speaking Africa, its immense opportunities and particularities, we build flourishing businesses in this region with great potential. Our goal is to guarantee our investors a return on investment. Immense untapped potential: To create an ecosystem where entrepreneurs can thrive, everyone must contribute. Francophone Africa has immense potential for creating successful businesses, but it remains untapped. The companies in which we invest generate tangible dividends, thanks to the capital, and to the accompaniment that we provide to them. Nimble and ready: The global landscape is changing at very high speed, so entrepreneurship is a relevant option for professional development and personal success. Through a very judicious selection and analysis process, we work with the most talented entrepreneurs to contribute to the success of their business. Our approach Haskè Ventures supports start-ups with seed capital and concrete and sustained support, in the development of strategy, the search for talent and operational support. Our pipeline is generated via an innovation axis and a co-creation axis.

We are a VC firm that accelerates early-stage Latin American startups on three fronts: investment, knowledge transfer, and community building. We bet on projects with the greatest potential from their ideation, so that they can grow and scale exponentially, generating a positive and measurable impact on the economy and society. We are formed by a team of 15 people who are distributed across 7 different areas.

Fifth Star Funds is a venture philanthropy fund seeking to address the funding epidemic in America where only 1% of venture capital is awarded to Black founders. We accomplish this by investing in Black tech founders in Chicago at the early stage “Friends & Family” round. We believe the funding gap at this stage is the most critical to address, as centuries of inequity have prevented these potential entrepreneurs from having the initial capital to start their businesses. Any individual, corporation, or foundation can contribute to the fund as a tax-deductible donation, and 100% of all returns from successful investments are reinvested into the fund to support future generations of underrepresented founders. We are partnered with leaders in the industry such as 1871, Winston & Strawn, Tides.org, and many more. The Chicago flag features four stars that represent pivotal events in our city’s history; we contend that the Fifth Star belongs to underrepresented founders and the extraordinary impact they will have on our city’s future.

We believe in enabling causes that matter, and the ambition to shape the future of humanity requires singular vision, independent thought, boldness, dedication and flexibility to adapt. We seek out people who challenge themselves to be exceptional – and champion that spirit in others. We define an audacious ambition with them, then work together as one team to create high levels of value that set new standards of excellence. We are an early stage venture studio that partners leaders and visionaries in business and society to tackle their most important challenges. We invest in people, ideas and businesses to achieve transformative results that bridge what is, with what can be.