ByBlack

What ByBlack does

ByBlack is a national directory and certification platform for Black-owned businesses, operated as an initiative under U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), a nonprofit headquartered at 1001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, D.C. Its core function is to verify — through a no-cost certification — that a business is at least 51% Black-owned and operated, and then to surface certified businesses to two downstream audiences: corporate procurement teams seeking verified diverse suppliers, and consumers seeking Black-owned brands. The platform pairs certification with a searchable national directory (byblack.us/search), curated City Guides co-produced with 14+ local African American Chambers of Commerce, and a paid Grant List aggregating over $25M in business grants and programs. Underlying technology is a web platform built on Firebase (hosting, real-time database, cloud storage), Algolia for search, Google Maps APIs for location services, and Google/Facebook OAuth for account creation. There is no mobile app; distribution is web-based.

ByBlack serves three customer segments. On the supply side, Black business owners receive free certification, directory listing, and access to grant/contract opportunities — the platform claims to have connected business owners to over $50M in grants and contracts over three years. On the demand side, 20+ corporate partners (including 40% of the top 20 largest US companies) pay for access to the certified supplier directory for supplier diversity procurement; pricing is not publicly disclosed. A third, non-monetized segment is consumers, who use the directory to discover Black-owned businesses; the platform cites 2M+ visitors over the past two years and notes that 60% of consumers already prioritize buying from Black-owned businesses. The revenue model is hybrid: freemium (free certification for businesses), subscription (paid Grant List access routed through the US Black Chambers storefront), and an implicit B2B fee/transaction layer for corporate partner access. Distribution combines self-serve web sign-up, Chamber of Commerce channel partnerships, direct B2B sales to enterprise procurement teams, and referral programs (Refer-the-Next, Refer-a-Business).

Name

ByBlack

Legal name

United States Black Chambers Inc

Website

https://byblack.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ByBlack, a U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. initiative, operates a national free certification and directory platform verifying 51%+ Black-owned businesses, serving Black entrepreneurs, corporate procurement teams seeking diverse suppliers, and consumers discovering Black-owned brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Directory & Certification Platform

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Software Publishers (5132)

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing Certification Services (AFALAMAD)

Keywords

• Black business certification
• Business directory platform
• Supplier diversity sourcing
• Diverse vendor verification
• Grant aggregation platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Business Certification (Free): Free certification service for Black-owned businesses that establishes them as trusted vendors. This creates network value for corporate partners seeking diverse suppliers.
2. Grant List Access: ByBlack Grant List offers access to aggregated grant and program information. Purchase access to exclusive list of financial resources for business growth.
3. Corporate Partner Engagement: Corporate partners pay to access certified Black supplier directory and sourcing services to meet diversity procurement goals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ByBlack operates a national online directory and certification platform that verifies Black-owned businesses (at least 51% Black-owned and operated) and connects them with corporate partners seeking diverse suppliers and consumers who want to support Black-owned brands. The free certification establishes businesses as trusted vendors, while the platform also aggregates business grants and programs worth over $25M and offers curated city guides developed in partnership with local African American Chambers of Commerce across 14+ U.S. cities.

Product overview

ByBlack is a national directory and certification platform designed to give Black businesses access to training and contracting opportunities. The platform operates as a unified ecosystem consisting of the core ByBlack Directory (for discovering Black-owned businesses), the ByBlack Certification program (for verifying Black-owned status), City Guides (city-specific curated business and cultural guides), the ByBlack Grant List (aggregated financial resources for business growth), and a Refer-a-Business Program. The platform serves three key audiences: business owners seeking recognition and contracting opportunities, corporate partners looking for diverse suppliers, and consumers wanting to support Black businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ByBlack Directory National directory of Black-owned businesses that allows consumers to search and discover Black-owned brands, products, and services across categories including restaurants, retail, services, and more. Used by 2M+ visitors over the past 2 years.
• ByBlack Certification Certification program that verifies businesses are at least 51% Black-owned and operated, establishing them as trusted vendors and potential partners for corporate and consumer connections. Free for qualifying businesses.
• City Guides Curated city-specific guides highlighting Black-owned businesses, activities, and history, created in partnership with local African American Chambers of Commerce across 14+ cities including Denver, Detroit, Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Louisville, New Orleans, Tulsa, Orlando, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Oakland, and Washington D.C.
• ByBlack Grant List Aggregated list of business grants and programs worth over $25 million to help Black businesses grow, accessible through paid subscription via U.S. Black Chambers.
• Refer-a-Business Program Referral program ('Refer The Next') that allows users to suggest Black-owned businesses for inclusion in the ByBlack directory, driving community-led growth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% of top 20 US companies use ByBlack for supplier diversity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• U.S. Black Chambers Inc.flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerByBlack is powered by U.S. Black Chambers Inc., the parent organization dedicated to economic empowerment of Black enterprises. USBC provides organizational backing, corporate relationships, and network reach across the country.
• Local African American Chambers of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with 14+ local Chambers including Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce, African American Chamber of Commerce of PA/NJ/DE, African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, Noir Black Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Black Chambers, Historic Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, and Greater Las Vegas Black Chamber of Commerce. These partnerships drive local content and business engagement.
• Corporate PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing Partner40% of the top 20 Largest US Companies work with ByBlack to find Black suppliers for diverse procurement programs. These corporate partners use the platform to source verified Black-owned vendors.
• Sienna NaturalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIssa Rae's haircare company Sienna Naturals is certified and featured as a ByBlack success story, demonstrating the platform's value for consumer brands.
• Terminal BminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured brand that leveraged ByBlack certification to build relationships and grow a customer base. Showcases the platform's value for emerging brands.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Black Chamber of Commerce: National Black Chamber of Commerce is a national Black business advocacy organization supporting Black-owned enterprises and corporate engagement. Operates in the same ecosystem as ByBlack and USBC, with comparable goals but distinct organizational structure.
• Disability:IN: Disability:IN certifies disability-owned businesses through the Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE) program and connects them to corporate supplier diversity initiatives. Closest structural peer to ByBlack operating in the demographic-certification niche.
• Official Black Wall Street: Official Black Wall Street is a directory and marketplace platform for Black-owned businesses, with both consumer discovery and merchant services. Shares ByBlack's directory-led consumer GTM and Black-owned focus, though with less institutional backing.
• WeConnect International: WeConnect International certifies women-owned businesses globally and connects them to corporate supply chains. Operates an equivalent certification directory model to ByBlack, with comparable dual-sided value proposition for certified suppliers and corporate partners.
• National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC): NGLCC certifies LGBT-owned businesses via the NGLCC Supplier Diversity program and routes them into corporate procurement. Operates the same demographic-certification-plus-corporate-sourcing architecture as ByBlack, with national Chamber of Commerce affiliations.
• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC): WBENC certifies women-owned businesses and connects them to corporate buyers, mirroring ByBlack's certification-plus-supplier-directory model for a different demographic. Closest analog in structure and corporate-buyer GTM.
• National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC): NMSDC is the largest minority business certification body in the US, certifying MBEs (including Black-owned businesses) and connecting them to corporate procurement teams. ByBlack operates the same demographic-certification-plus-supplier-discovery model but is narrowly focused on Black ownership.

Broad incumbents

• Supplier.io: Supplier.io is a SaaS platform helping corporations manage and expand their diverse supplier base, including minority-owned suppliers. Competes with ByBlack on the corporate-procurement side of the marketplace but is a broader, multi-demographic incumbent.
• Yelp: Yelp is the dominant general business directory with consumer search and discovery. ByBlack's directory layer competes with Yelp for Black-owned business discovery, though ByBlack layers certification and community curation on top of the directory.

Others

• Black Enterprise: Black Enterprise is a media, events, and data platform serving Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and corporations. Adjacent ecosystem player to ByBlack, sharing audience and corporate-partner relationships but operating as a media brand rather than a directory or certification platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/byblack.us
• Facebookfacebook.com/byblack.us
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/byblack-platform
• Instagraminstagram.com/byblack.us

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ByBlack