Founded in 2020, Black Ops Ventures LLC leads seed-stage investments in Black-led tech companies. They are not only all black-led and managed but are also in tech themselves. Partners James Norman, Heather Hiles, and Sean Green know first-hand what it takes to raise funding as entrepreneurs. James Norman is the founder of Pilotly, a market research platform built for creative content, while Heather Hiles founded Pathbrite, a web-based tool that makes it easy for students to create digital portfolios, before selling it to Cengage Learning in 2015. Sean Green Founded ARTERNAL, a software company that offers a complete solution for gallery, advisory, and auction house operations.
Through their combined experience and relationships with other respected individuals in the tech industry, Black Ops VC closed on a $13 million fund led by Bank of America and Northwestern Mutual.
“We are part of this community of Black founders, with better access to deal flow than other venture investors, regardless of their cultural background,”
James Norman
Fewer than 420 Black founders have ever been backed by venture capital, while more than 8,000 founders receive venture funding every year according to theblackfounderlist.com.
Black Ops VC are professionals who understand the plight that black tech entrepreneurs go through to gain funding while scaling their business. Find Black Ops Ventures on Twitter, Linkedin, and blackopsvc.com.
