Black History Month: Celebrating Inspiring Black Founders at Virgin StartUp

Championing Black Founders and the Future of Inclusive Entrepreneurship 

Every October, Black History Month offers us a chance to pause, reflect, and celebrate. For us, it’s a moment not just to look back at the enormous contributions Black communities have made to our culture, society, and economy - but to also look forward and ask: how do we make sure the future of entrepreneurship in the UK is truly inclusive and open to everyone? 

At Virgin StartUp, we meet founders every day who are driven by ideas, passion, and determination. But the reality is that not everyone has an equal chance to turn that determination into opportunity. 

That’s why Black History Month is so important - it reminds us of the power of celebrating Black founders, while also recognising the barriers that still exist. 

Celebrating Black Founders in Our Community 

We’re proud to have supported thousands of incredible Black founders at Virgin StartUp.  

Founders like Khalia Ismain, founder of Jamii - a platform and loyalty card that makes it easier to discover and shop with Black-owned businesses. Since launch, Jamii has generated over £500,000 for Black founders - an amazing example of how one idea can ripple out to benefit an entire community. 

Or Tahlia Grey, who founded Sheer Chemistry to create tights designed specifically for women of colour - celebrating all shades of brown, and filling a gap the mainstream fashion industry had ignored for far too long. 

Or Selma Nicholls, founder of Looks Like Me. Selma’s journey began with a deeply personal moment, when her daughter Riley-Ann questioned her own identity because she rarely saw children who looked like her represented on billboards, in theatre, film, magazines, or advertising. Determined to create the change she wanted her daughter - and countless others - to see, Selma launched Looks Like Me, a casting agency committed to putting representation at the heart of content creation. Today, her work is helping reshape how brands such as Disney, Dove, Tesco and more think about visibility, identity, and belonging 

These founders inspire us, not just because of their businesses, but because of what they represent: creativity, resilience, and the power to make change. 

Recognising the Barriers 

Of course, celebration on its own isn’t enough. Barriers remain for Black founders looking to start and scale businesses. 

A report from the British Business Bank found that once a business has launched, Black business owners report worse outcomes. The figures are sobering: the median turnover for Black African entrepreneurs is just £17,000, compared to £35,000 for White entrepreneurs. And only half of Black and minority ethnic founders meet their non-financial business aims too, compared to nearly 70% of White entrepreneurs. 

These statistics underline what we already know: talent and ideas are everywhere, but opportunity isn’t. That’s something we all have a responsibility to change. 

What We’re Doing at Virgin StartUp 

At Virgin StartUp, we want to play our part in helping to level the playing field when it comes to starting and scaling up.  Our Empower100 accelerator is designed specifically to support underrepresented founders - including Black founders and the global majority more broadly - to unlock growth and investment potential in their businesses.  To date over 150 founders have completed the free, 8-week accelerator programme, with over £10m having been raised post programme. 

Further, through our Start Up Loans programme 9.6% of people supported and funded are Black founders, with almost £5 million having been distributed since May 2019. 

Looking Ahead 

Black History Month is both a celebration and a call to action. It’s a chance to champion the Black founders who are shaping the future of business in the UK, but also a reminder that there’s more that we can all do. 

At Virgin StartUp, we’ll keep backing founders from all backgrounds, breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship, and helping great ideas become thriving businesses. Because when more people get the chance to succeed, we all benefit. 

This Black History Month, we encourage everyone in our community to celebrate, support, and invest in Black-owned businesses. Whether that’s by choosing to buy from a black owned business (check out Jamii if you’re looking to discover a new business or brand) or simply amplifying a story - small actions can make a big difference. 

Now more than ever, we all need businesses to be at their absolute best, and the future of business is brighter when it’s more diverse.

Let’s make sure that future is open to everyone. 

Written by Andy Fishburn, Virgin StartUp