Fundraising Fox

Black Star

Venture capital

Sacramento · 7 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Black Star Fund invests in high-growth companies founded and led by Black entrepreneurs who have historically been overlooked, undervalued, and undercapitalized. The firm views this cohort as an underserved asset class with potential to generate outsized returns. Beyond capital deployment, the firm provides extensive portfolio support including business development, operational guidance, networking access to decision-makers and strategic partners, and marketing and media expertise to accelerate founder and company growth.

Invests inSector AgnosticSacramento

Source: firm website, verified Jul 21, 2026.

HQ
Sacramento, US
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2021
AUM
$12M
Tracked investments
15

Team · 7 people

from the firm's website
Kwame Anku· Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer

Kwame Anku is the Founding Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Black Star Fund. Named 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, he has pioneered the creation of venture funds led entirely by Black leadership with Black portfolio founders.

Alex Gill· Head of Growth Strategy

Head of Growth Strategy who develops growth initiatives for portfolio companies and the fund. Previously led the fund's Portfolio Management team as a Principal and worked as a consultant at Bain & Company supporting private equity and technology clients.

Jerome Fulton Jr.· Summer Associate

Second-year MBA candidate at Harvard Business School with prior management consulting experience at Deloitte Consulting and EY. Holds accounting and business credentials from University of Florida and University of Southern California.

Katya Ivahno· Portfolio Management Intern

Second-year student at Chapman University pursuing Business Administration and Finance with a Computer Science minor. Active in investment and finance groups and passionate about advocating for equitable access and leadership for women and diverse individuals in entrepreneurship and finance.

Sarah Fassberg· Marketing Associate

Marketing Associate supporting brand equity and marketing initiatives for the fund's Portfolio Management team. Recent Cornell University graduate with experience in diversity and inclusion work and marketing.

Sarah Lynn· Head of Operations

Head of Operations responsible for designing and implementing fund policies and procedures. Previously Chief of Staff at Black Star Fund and spent twelve years in the events industry, most recently managing VIP speaker logistics at SXSW.

Temi Olonilua· Summer Associate

Second-year MBA candidate at Harvard Business School and Toigo Foundation Fellow. Prior engineering and operations experience at Con Edison. Passionate about using entrepreneurship to facilitate wealth transfer to underinvested communities and build pipelines for Black and African diaspora entrepreneurs.

Investments · 15 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path
<UNKNOWN>
Acclinate
Actively Black
AYO Foods
Bandwagon
CEEK Metaverse
Mixtroz
Partake
Reviver
Take Back The Mic Studios
The MOST
Unknown
ViuHealth
Vurple
Win-Win

Frequently asked questions

What sectors does Black Star focus on?
Black Star focuses on Sector Agnostic.
Where is Black Star located?
Black Star is headquartered in Sacramento, US.

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