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Just hebdomad after Google said itwould reviewits diversity , fairness , and comprehension programme , the Google for Startups Founders Fund entanglement Thomas Nelson Page is pepper with changes . Most notably Google is now using preceding tense to describe all of its investment trust programme for underrepresented founders .
This is a alteration that took place after December , fit in to the net archives . And the site currently says that there are zero monetary fund programs usable .
Google ’s Startup Founders Fund launched in 2020 to offer pecuniary grants , mentorship , and ware financial backing for startups with underrepresented founder , let in womanhood and those from African and Hispanic origin .
The site say it has give more than $ 50 million in support to more than 600 founders . away from capital , founder received mentorship and merchandise funding , such as cite to Google Cloud .
But the grant landscape — peculiarly regarding program that aim minorities — has changed greatly since 2020 . Some tech founder and investor that TechCrunch speak to wondered what would come about to grant programme , such as Google Startups Founders Fund , amid the fierce political and legal attacks on any program pronounce “ DEI . ”
The program listed as “ preceding ” fund on this land site now admit the Women ’s Founders Fund , Latino Founders Fund , Ukraine Support Fund , Black Founders Fund U.S. , and Black Founders Fund Brazil .
to boot , the land site says “ zero ” grant programs are currently available in any region , although program that train founders on its AI merchandise and U.S. accelerator for startups in certain industries ( energy and climate ) are accept program .
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It ’s unclear which of these programs have formally ended , been suspended , or are being reconstitute in other ways . Google ’s response when necessitate about their status was vague but implied a focus fault forth from underrepresented founders and toward AI startups .
“ We have not yet opened app in the U.S. for Google for Startups Funds in 2025 . Google for Startups is supporting all past cohorts of Founders Funds in our alumni community of interests . In 2025 , we ’ll empower in AI - focused startups in the U.S. and we will share more specifics at a later escort , ” a spokesperson said .
Google backs away from other language
TechCrunch observed other changes in the oral communication of this program ’s web pageboy .
In December the site specificallystated that the grant “ provided more than $ 50 million to support underrepresented founders , ” whereas today , the word “ underrepresented”has been removed .
Anarchived pagefrom January 21 , show Google used to describe the program ’s purpose as “ financial support for underrepresented community of interests ” and “ to help underrepresented and at - risk founder build and turn their concern . ”
Currently , Google says the programprovides “ financial support for innovators , ” and hands - on support “ to help founders build and grow their businesses . ”
Google did not respond to our petition for scuttlebutt about the language change on the internet site .
In the past calendar month , Googleand other tech giants , like Meta and Amazon , started adjusting their DEI phraseology and activeness as the Trump administration redact pressure on the public and secret sphere to roll back such programs . Googleannounced earlier this monthit would no longer have diversity prey andalso absent mentionof DEI in its annual 10 - kibibyte filing .
Reutersreported this weekthat company that have publically outstrip themselves from DEI have done the opposite in secret , revealing the delicate balance business are face today as they seek to avoid DEI legal challenges . At the same time , U.S. Duncan Grant programs targeted toward specific segments of underrepresented communities have been under approach for a while . Fearless Fund famously had to sink a lawsuit over its grant program for Black Women laminitis andshut down the computer program in September . PayPal is alsocurrently being sued forits grant dedication to Black and Hispanic founders over allegations that it discriminate against other races .
