Venture for T.H.E.M
Venture for T.H.E.M. is a founder-owned HBCU entrepreneurship accelerator providing non-dilutive grants, VC/C-Suite mentorship, and an AI-powered mobile app (Fund.FWD) that connects Black college students and alumni with grants, scholarships, and accelerator opportunities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Venture for T.H.E.M does
Venture for T.H.E.M. is a private, founder-owned startup accelerator and social enterprise focused exclusively on supporting entrepreneurs from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Founded by Morgan State University graduates and operating as a Maryland LLC with a four-person leadership team (Founder/CEO Kiante Bush, Co-Founder/COO Clarevonte "Clay" Williams, Communications Director Jewel E. Bush, and CTO Jeffrey S. Scruggs), the organization delivers its mission through three integrated pillars: the HBCU All-Stars Accelerator (offering up to $5,000 in non-dilutive grants plus mentorship from VC and C-Suite executives), the annual HBCUniverse Summit (a community event co-organized with Think PGC that drew 900+ registered attendees and 30+ sponsors in February 2025), and the Fund.FWD AI-powered mobile application available on iOS and Android.
The core technology product is Fund.FWD, a mobile application built on Google Firebase infrastructure (Authentication, Firestore, Cloud Functions, Crashlytics, App Check, Cloud Storage) and integrated with Google Cloud Vertex AI / Generative AI (Gemini) to power VentureAI, the company's proprietary conversational engine. VentureAI is trained on insights from hundreds of mentorship sessions and business panels and delivers personalized guidance for proposal writing, readiness assessments, and funding matching. Supporting services include the Partner Opportunity Portal (a B2B entry point for corporations and accelerators to submit funding opportunities), SendGrid and OneSignal for communications, Jotform for form management, and EmbedSocial for social feed rendering. A Version 2.0 of Fund.FWD with advanced AI matching and automated funding alerts is planned for early 2026.
The business model is hybrid and still forming on the revenue side. The accelerator distributes non-dilutive grants (not equity) to selected HBCU entrepreneurs, the Fund.FWD app is currently free to consumers, and the Partner Opportunity Portal creates a future B2B channel for corporations to access the HBCU pipeline. Summit-related sponsorships (30+ at the 2025 event with 100% sponsor return rate) provide an event-driven revenue layer. The company is bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional funding rounds, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Geographic focus is the United States, with 2025 expansion across Washington DC, Atlanta, Bowie State, and Houston.
Venture for T.H.E.M firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Venture for T.H.E.M
- Legal name
- Venture for T.H.E.M. LLC
- Website
- https://venture4them.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Venture for T.H.E.M. is a founder-owned HBCU entrepreneurship accelerator providing non-dilutive grants, VC/C-Suite mentorship, and an AI-powered mobile app (Fund.FWD) that connects Black college students and alumni with grants, scholarships, and accelerator opportunities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Venture for T.H.E.M industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Accelerator
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC), Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects) (EDANAKAI)
Keywords
Where Venture for T.H.E.M is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Venture for T.H.E.M business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Non-Dilutive Grant Disbursement: The organization provides non-dilutive funding (up to $5,000) to HBCU entrepreneurs through its HBCU All-Stars Accelerator program. Funding is provided as grants rather than equity, allowing entrepreneurs to retain ownership while accessing capital.
- App-Based Services (Potential): Version 2.0 of Fund.FWD (coming early 2026) will feature advanced AI matching and automated funding alerts, suggesting potential premium subscription features for the app.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | HBCU All-Stars Accelerator - Non-Dilutive Funding |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Venture for T.H.E.M product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Venture for T.H.E.M. is a startup accelerator and social enterprise that provides non-dilutive grants (up to $5,000), 1:1 mentorship from VCs and C-Suite executives, weekly workshops, pitch competitions, and the AI-powered Fund.FWD mobile application to HBCU students and alumni building early-stage or growth-stage ventures. It also operates the Partner Opportunity Portal for corporations and accelerators to submit funding opportunities into the HBCU ecosystem.
Product overview
Venture for T.H.E.M is a startup accelerator and social enterprise providing comprehensive support for early-stage HBCU entrepreneurs. The portfolio consists of the Fund.FWD AI-powered mobile app as the core consumer product, the HBCU All-Stars Accelerator as the flagship program offering non-dilutive funding up to $5,000 with mentorship, Venture AI as the proprietary AI engine powering the app's personalized guidance, the HBCUniverse Summit as an annual community event, and the Partner Opportunity Portal enabling corporations to connect with HBCU entrepreneurs. Together, these offerings bridge the gap between HBCU entrepreneurial talent and funding opportunities through grants, mentorship, and community resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HBCU All-Stars Accelerator: Premier accelerator program designed to identify, fund, and support the most promising HBCU entrepreneurs with access to up to $5,000 in non-dilutive funding.
- Fund.FWD
- HBCUniverse Summit
Products and services
- HBCU All-Stars Accelerator Premier accelerator program that identifies, funds, and supports promising HBCU student and alumni entrepreneurs. Provides up to $5,000 in non-dilutive funding, weekly workshops on business fundamentals and growth strategies, 1:1 mentorship from VC and C-Suite executives, and a demo day pitch opportunity for early-stage and growth-stage ventures.
- Fund.FWD Mobile Application AI-powered mobile application connecting HBCU students and alumni to grants, scholarships, investor opportunities, and accelerators. Features the proprietary Venture AI engine for personalized proposal writing guidance and readiness assessments, a smart dashboard, curated funding database, and a video education library of panels, Founder Fridays, pitch competitions, and workshops.
- HBCUniverse Summit Annual entrepreneurship and innovation conference for the HBCU community featuring industry expert panels, AI/tech/finance workshops, a $2,500 pitch competition, resource expo, recruiting opportunities, $5,000 scholarship giveaway, and $3,000 in student prizes. Organized in partnership with Think PGC.
Quantifiable outcome
- Funded 20+ HBCU entrepreneurs with non-dilutive grants
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Venture for T.H.E.M
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Venture for T.H.E.M technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability5 records
Feature3 records
Venture for T.H.E.M partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Think PGCcoreThink PGC co-organized the HBCUniverse Summit 2025 with Venture for T.H.E.M. The event took place on February 8, 2025, at Morgan State University and highlighted HBCU entrepreneurship and innovation with 900+ registered attendees.
- Morgan State UniversitycoreHost venue for the HBCUniverse Summit 2025. The founders of Venture for T.H.E.M. are Morgan State University graduates, and the organization maintains strong ties to the university.
- 30+ Organizations and SponsorsminorEcosystem of 30+ organizational partners and sponsors supporting HBCU entrepreneurship through the accelerator program and summit events. Includes companies hiring for internships and full-time roles.
- AfroTechminorVenture for T.H.E.M. participates in AfroTech Conference events (November 2025 in Houston) as part of their community outreach and partnership expansion strategy.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Venture for T.H.E.M competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BLCK VC: Nonprofit increasing Black representation in venture capital by mobilizing Black investors; a peer in building Black economic infrastructure, though focused on the investor side rather than founders.
- Backstage Capital: VC fund explicitly backing Black and underrepresented founders with accelerator-style programming and community events; overlaps with Venture for T.H.E.M.'s HBCU/diversity focus.
- Camelback Ventures: New Orleans-based accelerator providing non-dilutive funding and mentorship to underrepresented entrepreneurs; the closest comparable in mission, structure, and stage-funding-then-mentorship approach.
- HBCUvc: Venture collective built around HBCU students, alumni, and faculty; serves the same founder pool and partners with many of the same universities, making it a near-direct peer for pipeline and partnerships.
- Black Girl Ventures: Nonprofit providing capital, capacity-building, and community to Black and Brown women entrepreneurs; comparable grant/funding model and demographic focus.
- Google for Startups Black Founders Fund: Google program offering $100K non-dilutive cash awards to Black-founded U.S. startups; directly comparable as a non-dilutive funding distribution channel and ecosystem builder for the same founder demographic.
- SoGal Ventures: Early-stage venture fund backing diverse founders globally with education and community programming; comparable accelerator-style support and demographic targeting.
Broad incumbents
- Techstars: Large global accelerator with mentorship-driven, equity-based program structure; a broad incumbent against which Venture for T.H.E.M.'s non-dilutive, community-led model is differentiated.
- Y Combinator: Largest U.S. accelerator offering equity-based funding, mentorship, and Demo Day; represents the dominant mainstream accelerator model Venture for T.H.E.M. is positioned against for HBCU founders.
Emerging players
- Visible Futures: Tech-enabled platform supporting underrepresented founders with resources and community; partially overlapping with Fund.FWD as a mobile/community distribution channel for diverse founders.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Venture for T.H.E.M social profiles
Digital presenceVenture for T.H.E.M financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Venture for T.H.E.M leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Venture for T.H.E.M funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Venture for T.H.E.M M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Venture for T.H.E.M
What does Venture for T.H.E.M do?
Venture for T.H.E.M. is a startup accelerator and social enterprise that provides non-dilutive grants (up to $5,000), 1:1 mentorship from VCs and C-Suite executives, weekly workshops, pitch competitions, and the AI-powered Fund.FWD mobile application to HBCU students and alumni building early-stage or growth-stage ventures. It also operates the Partner Opportunity Portal for corporations and accelerators to submit funding opportunities into the HBCU ecosystem.
Is Venture for T.H.E.M a public or private company?
Venture for T.H.E.M is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Venture for T.H.E.M founded?
Venture for T.H.E.M was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Venture for T.H.E.M based?
Venture for T.H.E.M is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Venture for T.H.E.M make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Non-Dilutive Grant Disbursement is the primary driver. The others are app-Based Services (Potential).
Who are Venture for T.H.E.M's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BLCK VC, Backstage Capital, Camelback Ventures, HBCUvc, Black Girl Ventures, Google for Startups Black Founders Fund and SoGal Ventures. Broad incumbents are Techstars and Y Combinator. Visible Futures is listed as an emerging player.
Does Venture for T.H.E.M have an API?
No public API is recorded for Venture for T.H.E.M.
What industry is Venture for T.H.E.M in?
Venture for T.H.E.M's product category is Startup Accelerator. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAH, Venture Studios / Company Builders, with a secondary code of FSANAHAC, Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures). Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8742.