10 Black startup founders in Europe to watch in 2020 and beyond

The current global conversation around systematic racism against Black communities is long overdue. Across industries and sectors, many are finally examining how they can challenge discrimination, foster greater inclusion in the workplace, and create more opportunities for Black talent.

But that doesn’t mean to say that the Black community hasn’t flourished on its own – on the contrary. Even in the notoriously white European tech sector, Black entrepreneurs have made waves across multiple industries, including beauty, agriculture, tourism and more.

Here are 10 promising Black entrepreneurs across Europe who are challenging the whiteness of the tech industry, developing successful new ventures against the odds, and creating a legacy of Black innovation on the continent.

Nana Addison – Born in Ghana and raised in Germany, the self-titled Afropean and tech entrepreneur Nana Addison has founded not one, but two of her own companies. Addison is the brains behind CURL, the creative agency behind CURL CON; Germany’s hair, beauty, and culture convention which caters to the textures and darker skin tones in the DACH beauty world. She is also building Stylindi, a booking and product shopping platform for the independent hair and beauty community, due to launch later this year.

Gerald Manu – Gerald Manu’s entrepreneurial tendencies started from an early age; he famously built his fashion business Devacci through selling crisps and drinks at school in Croydon, London, generating little more than £10 per day. Forward a few years and Devacci is a fully-fledged wearable tech brand, selling 1000s of his designs per month, with a dedicated team of five employees. You can find Devacci in a dedicated online store, and more recently, in the aisles of TK Maxx, who offered to stock the line.

Emilia Makosa – London-based entrepreneur Makosa has answered the call of Black women struggling with hyperpigmentation, with a complete cosmeceutical skincare collection catering exclusively to Black skin. After a struggle with acne, she founded Emeilleurq, a luxury skincare and lifestyle brand with a total of 13 products, ranging from cleansers, to toners, to spot treatments, and an intensive moisturizer. Officially released online from August 20th, the collection has already received rave reviews from customers during the pre-launch trial phase.

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