CLF III REVEALS NEW INVESTORS

The Weeknd, Blake Griffin, Colin Kaepernick and Pharrell Williams are among the newest investors in a16z’s Cultural Leadership Fund III.

Consisting entirely of Black cultural leaders and organizations committed to Black ownership and wealth generation, CL III addresses gaps in access and equity for Black communities in technology.

In addition to a new slate of cultural leaders, including Anderson .Paak, Andrea and Charles Young, Anré Williams, Ben Simmons, Bubba Wallace, Dez Bryant, Erin Teague, Kenneth Frank, Kyle Lowry, La Mar Taylor, Lionel Richie, Maya Moore, MK, Patrick Mahomes, Rashad Bilal and more, CLF III welcomes back a number of Fund I & II investors.

a16z launched the first CLF in 2018 with investors such as Quincy Jones, Sean Combs and Nas. Since then the firm has raised $60m+ of Black capital and invested it into more than 300 a16z portfolio companies in consumer goods, crypto, fintech and healthcare/biotech, among other industries.

Moreover, a16z has donated $2.5m+ in management fees and earnings associated with the CLF to nonprofit organizations focused on improving diversity in the tech sector while continuing to grow the CLF Talent Network, which connects Black professional talent with opportunities in tech.