THREE LEADING black female founders share their story of what it takes to start a company in London, what drives them, and what they have found to support their journey. From making the most of London’s thriving tech and business ecosystem to stepping into personal power and harnessing resilience all three founders have credited London as an outward-looking inclusive city that continues to generate opportunities.

Access to funding, customers, and talent

Every founder is likely to agree that access to funding makes all the difference. It is no secret that this can be extra challenging for black female founders, according to Crunchbase data, approximately 2 per cent of total VC funds each year are received by black founders, and black women entrepreneurs receive less than 1 per cent.

Cynthia V. Davis CBE is co-founder of Diversifying.io, a pioneering career platform connecting organisations with diverse talent. She’s also co-founder and CEO of Diversifying Group, an organisation dedicated to promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity – assisting organisations in broadening their reach to more diverse audiences.

Cynthia shares that she began her recruitment business to help people find jobs, the major challenge she faced at the beginning of her journey was getting access to funding. Not finding enough support initially, Davis decided to fund herself starting with just three thousand pounds to start what has now grown into a multi-million-pound business. Davis credits the Grow London Global programme for opening up access to investors and to legal expertise and helping the company to prepare to expand internationally.

In addition to finding investors, access to customers and talent is key to building a successful business. Chantelle Bell, co-founder of Syrona Health, a digital health care platform focused on supporting people with typically underserved conditions, is keenly aware of this, and shares how London has been instrumental in providing access to these not only in the UK but further available in sometimes hard to crack markets like the U.S. and Europe.

Sharpening mindset and building an ecosystem focused on growth

According to Angie Madara, co-founder of Athena X, London embodies both diversity and innovation, providing fertile ground for her ambitious endeavours. In terms of her approach, she emphasises taking bold steps and actively seeking a supportive network to facilitate her leaps of progress.

Davis puts her success as a Black female founder down to resilience, choosing to always persevere and back herself, anchoring herself in her worth and in the knowledge that the business she is building is having an impact and making a difference.

She acknowledges the abundant opportunities in London for innovative thinkers starting out, crediting the city with helping her discover her purpose as an individual and a leader. She strives to embody the mantra of being the change she wants to see.

For those who are innately business-minded, London has created a platform to step up on. For example, Chantelle Bell, a budding entrepreneur in her teenage years has turned her keen interest in healthcare and a desire to make an impact into founding her own business to support those with underserved health issues.

Role models are crucial to supporting those with a vision to make a change, for Chantelle her inspiration has been her mum who encouraged her to go out there and make it happen. 

London offers a conducive environment for those with a business mindset to thrive. Take, for instance, Chantelle Bell, who, after nurturing a keen interest in healthcare since her teenage years, transformed her passion into a business aimed at addressing underserved health issues. Inspired by her mother, who urged her to pursue her goals, Chantelle is a prime example of how role models play a pivotal role in supporting those with a vision for positive change.

Driven towards purpose

Championing others is a crucial aspect of the founder’s journey. Madara at Athena X is driven by the belief that there is an entrepreneur in every woman and is on a mission to empower women to flex their innovative muscles in the tech space.

Madara’s drive for success is not only motivated by her own journey but also by her role as a trailblazer. She consistently looks out for emerging talent and is passionate about supporting her daughter and other women, encouraging them to achieve what she once thought was impossible.  

Giving back is important to Chantelle Bell, who self-motivates by helping others. This is evident in her dedication to mentoring women and black founders through a variety of programmes in Silicon Valley and the UK.

She also highlights the importance of understanding that having a connection to people who have been through it before is invaluable to finding the way forward in building a company.

London is a city where game changing ideas, innovators and companies can thrive, fostering impactful and inclusive growth. It is not only one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world but also home to some of the best talent, and its strengths as a thriving, diverse business and tech ecosystem are evident in the innovative founders and companies it produces and attracts.

Find out more about how Grow London Global works with founders across London, and how you can kick-start your international growth journey today.