"TxO provided founders with access to tech networks, a 16-week-long training program, and a $175,000 investment through a donor-advised fund managed by the nonprofit Tides Foundation. The program went on to support more than 60 companies (like the media brand Brown Girl Magazine, food tech Myles Comfort Foods, and the maternity tech Villie). TxO garnered some criticism when it launched because it's technically structured as more of a nonprofit, rather than a traditional investment fund."
"The announcement of the fund came during the wave of support that underrepresented founders received in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. The fund launched with $2.2 million in initial commitments, TechCrunch previously reported, with a16z co-founder Ben Horowitz and his wife, Felicia, matching up to an additional $5 million. TxO provided founders with access to tech networks, a 16-week-long training program, and a $175,000 investment through a donor-advised fund managed by the nonprofit Tides Foundation."
"Still, founders who participated in the program and spoke to TechCrunch said it provided them with invaluable support and opportunities to which they otherwise would not have access. Last year, TxO expanded to launch a grant program, providing $50,000 to three tech nonprofits that support underserved founders. TxO announced its - as of now - last cohort of the program in early March 2025. Founders who partook in the program received an email on October 16 from Kofi Ampadu, the partner at a16z who led TxO, announcing the program would pause."
Andreessen Horowitz launched Talent x Opportunity (TxO) in 2020 to support founders without access to traditional venture networks, particularly women and minorities. The fund began with $2.2 million in initial commitments, with a16z co-founder Ben Horowitz and his wife, Felicia, matching up to $5 million. TxO delivered a 16-week training program, access to tech networks, and a $175,000 investment via a donor-advised fund managed by the Tides Foundation. The program supported more than 60 companies and later added a grant program providing $50,000 to three tech nonprofits. The program announced its last cohort in March 2025 and was paused by an October 16 email from partner Kofi Ampadu.
Read at TechCrunch
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