Elevating Underrepresented Tech Founders In The UK

Tech Nation has revealed the startups selected for the 2024 cohort of their Libra program, which aims to champion underrepresented founders.

Based in the UK, Tech Nation is the leading growth platform for tech insights, connections, collaboration, and talent.

It empowers ambitious founders and their teams with the access and knowledge they need from their seed stage to their end goal.

Over the past decade, Tech Nation has engaged with over 5,000 businesses and accelerated 1,250 through 48 growth programs.

The Libra Program

Libra is the growth program for underrepresented tech founders seeking support for their scale journey.

The UK’s Black and Multi-Ethnic communities comprise 14% of the UK population, according to Tech Nation.

However, all-ethnic teams received an average of 1.7% of the venture capital investments made at seed in the early and late stages between 2009 and 2019.

For Black women, it was 0.02%.

Therefore, Libra now serves as a springboard for these founders, providing a platform for conversations about the challenges and experiences they face and the keys to success they have discovered along their journey.

The program offers a range of resources, including industry expert-led workshops, tailored content, peer-to-peer support, and coaching sessions.

Additionally, participants gain access to funding opportunities and connections with investors and mentors.

The six-month program will support the development of Black, South Asian, Latinx, and Arab-founded companies.

“Libra exists to address the systemic disparities in the entrepreneurial landscape, and the founders’ awareness of these challenges only fuels their determination to succeed,” said Chantelle Young, Libra programs lead.

Meet Some Of The Program’s Cohort

Bakkali – Ishan Wijewardana and Issam Abu-Aisheh

Bakkali was launched in 2023 to help all ethnic communities in the UK feel at home again, one meal at a time.

They ensure users can access niche pantry foods, hard-to-find vegetables, and delicious halal meat, all with next-day delivery across London.

Their app is available on the Play Store and App Store.

Deep Loop – Sade A and Akin Akinwale

Deep Loop is a SaaS for market research that collects video feedback and uses machine learning and industry knowledge to understand the gaps between linguistic and non-linguistic cues.

They do so to analyze video feedback faster, cheaper, and less prone to ambiguity.

Brarista – Bella Trang Ngo and Prashant A.

Brarista empowers women by changing how they shop for bras with their AI-enabled bra expert.

It allows women to fit themselves and shop for the right bra using any mobile camera.

Brarista won the Women in Innovation Award and is now committed to pushing the industry forward with its cutting-edge technology.

Ecolens – Noma Nkala and India Dearlove

Ecolens is an AI-powered B2B platform, a user-friendly central hub for sustainability and cost data in construction.

It simplifies data collection on project sites and supplier engagement, efficiently calculating sustainability metrics through primary data, digital questionnaires, API integrations, and verified sources.

Travel Creators – Chanti Loraine-Grews and Janine Salame 

Travel Creators is a marketplace focused on the peer-to-peer Travel Creator economy for travel agents, travel advisors, and entrepreneurs.

The duo has created a space that gives travelers a unique and unforgettable experience. It allows them to travel their way by creating customizable, on-demand multi-day travel with the help