The London-based venture capital firm Black Seed VC has won the prestigious 2025 Startups 100 DEI Award. Black Seed VC aims to address the funding gap between White and Black founders. It’s the first Black-led venture fund in Europe and was also ranked 41st in the 2025 Startups 100 Index, the UK’s longest-running index of the most promising new businesses.
The company was founded by Karl Lokko in 2021, who spent a decade campaigning and advocating for a fairer and more inclusive business ecosystem. After the death of George Floyd, businesses and brands were determined to see change, and Lokko used that as a catalyst to launch Black Seed VC.
“It became clear to me that without the distribution of economic resources, true equity would remain out of reach,” Lokko said.
Natwest Bank partnered with the businesses for their Black Seed VC’s flagship Lyan’s Den event. Attendees engage in workshops, fireside chats, interactive sessions, networking, and a pitch event with a £10,000 cash prize.
What is Black Seed VC?
It’s the first Black-led venture fund in Europe dedicated to investing in Black founders. Black Seed VC is a force for change. Only 2% of venture capital funding in the UK goes to all-female founding teams, and an even smaller 0.24% is allocated to Black founders over the past decade, Black Seed VC addresses the difficulties in securing funding by Black founders.
“This gap in funding represents a significant opportunity to drive meaningful change and foster innovation,” says Lokko.
Black Seed VC initially faced challenges raising funds as potential investors hesitated to invest due to its small track record. However, Black Seed VC secured backing from investors like M&G Catalyst and Atomico and partnered with NatWest Bank.
“Depressing and impressive in equal measure that Black Seed Ventures has the accolade of the first and only Black-led venture fund in Europe. By giving a platform to the altruistic startups that are championing equality across the UK, the Startups 100 Index hopes to promote the good work and business success of inspirational founders such as Karlo Lokko who refuse to accept the status quo.,” Editor of Startups.co.uk, Zohra Huda, said.
Image: Black Seed VC
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