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Founder Fawn Weaver’s Uncle Nearest is on the brink of reaching unicorn status, Fortune reports. As AFROTECH previously mentioned, Weaver leads the Black-owned whiskey company created in 2016 to commemorate Nathan “Nearest” Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. The company has made significant strides in the spirits industry and is currently available in over 30,000 stores, bars, hotels, and restaurants in 12 countries, per Fortune. The company also boasts a 432-acre distillery located in Shelbyville, TN, which attracted 200,000 visitors in 2023, and has expanded to include an estate in Cognac, France, which encompasses “over 100 acres with Charente River frontage and a unique island.” A part of the company’s continued success has been its ability to secure funding from individual support. Weaver previously mentioned to AFROTECH that the company has raised $225 million that way, its total since launching. “I’ve never sent a pitch deck,” Weaver...
The African startup economy is growing faster than the global economy. Last year, various African startups celebrated wins displayed in dollar signs. There was a slew of high-performing investment rounds which included uLesson ($15M), Metro Africa Xpress Inc. ($31M), and MFS Africa ($100M). We could certainly go on but those numbers are proof that African startups are growing at a rate we have not seen before. According to a LinkedIn posting by Founders Factory Africa’s Accelerator Lead Nicole Dunn, it was said that African startups raised $1 million every two hours in 2021 with a total of $4.9 billion invested in African startups. Now more than ever, investments are soaring in Africa. Here is why.