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2024 Impact Report

An Impactful Year

The mission of the Kapor Center family of organizations—Kapor Capital, Kapor Foundation, Kapor Center Investments, and SMASH—to create a more equitable and inclusive tech ecosystem has never been more critical. In a year shaped by a polarized political landscape, rising inequality and economic uncertainty, and the acceleration of advances in technology, our organizations stood firm in our commitment to advancing racial and economic justice in the technology sector. 

Through our investments in gap-closing startups and VC firms, tech education and training programs, K-12 and postsecondary institutions, and policy and civic engagement organizations, we have worked to transform the tech sector. We are grateful for the deep collaboration with our extraordinary partners—grantees, investors, entrepreneurs, educators, and scholars—and are inspired by both their impact and their resolve to address the challenges that lie ahead.


Review Highlight

Kapor Capital deployed $7.3M in capital to 17 portfolio companies

Review Highlight

Kapor Foundation distributed $6.3M in grants to expand CS/AI education, support research, and advance equitable tech policy and $1.4M in investments in mission-aligned VC firms.

Review Highlight

Kapor Center Investments deployed $4.5M to mission-aligned start-ups and investment firms

Review Highlight

Over 800 youth exposed to CS programs through SMASH virtual and in-person open innovation labs

Kapor Capital

Kapor Capital has remained committed to investing in early-stage tech startups that close gaps of access for low-income communities and communities of color, bringing better access to healthcare, education, opportunities for upskilling, financial wealth building, and more.

 

 

Spotlights

Kapor Capital Managing Partner Brian Dixon interviewed Former San Francisco 49er quarterback and Founder and CEO of Kapor Capital portfolio company, Lumi, at AfroTech. Learn more

The NBA Foundation announced the fourth All-Star Pitch Competition, which will take place during NBA All-Star 2025 in the San Francisco Bay Area in collaboration with the Golden State Warriors, the Kapor Center, and Kapor Capital. Learn more

The 2024 Kapor Capital Impact Report examines our 2023 investments, the impact of the capital we deployed, and takes a deep dive into the demographic and geographic diversity that underpins our investment thesis. Learn more

Highlights/By The Numbers

$7.3M

Deployed across 17 companies

7

New investments entered the Kapor Capital portfolio

71%

Of the recipients of capital deployed in 2024 are companies with at least one underrepresented founder and one woman founder

15

Curated events by our Platform team, fostering a dynamic ecosystem for innovation, collaboration, and growth for Kapor Capital founders

Kapor Foundation

The Kapor Foundation continued its work to create a more equitable technology ecosystem that addresses longstanding racial inequality, creates economic opportunity, tackles critical societal issues, and reflects the power and perspectives of Black, Latine, and Native communities.

 

Spotlights

At the 2024 Joint CA Summit on Generative AI, we made a transformative $25M joint investment (alongside Omidyar Network and San Francisco Foundation) in responsible, ethical, and equitable AI in education, innovation, and regulation in CA. Learn more

Through our development of the CSforATL coalition, we are expanding access to computer science education for historically underserved students in Metro Atlanta, building pathways to tech careers that uplift communities and advance equity. Learn more

The Latine in Tech report, featured in Newsweek, Axios, and FastCompany, shines a national spotlight on the urgent need to address systemic inequities in the tech ecosystem and enhance Latine representation at all levels. Learn more

HIGHLIGHTS/BY THE NUMBERS

$6.3M

Grants distributed to expand CS/AI education, support research, and advance equitable tech policy

$1.4M

Deployed to mission-aligned start-ups and investment firms

16

Grants awarded to educators implementing Responsible AI in schools/districts and 45 grants awarded to classroom teachers.

14

Fellows funded to advance research and journalism at the intersection of racial equity and tech

SMASH

SMASH has continued its 20+ year commitment to its innovative and impactful programming, which aims to cultivate a diverse pipeline of CS/STEM talent and ensure that students have opportunities to deepen their talents and pursue CS careers.

 

Spotlights

Zuriel Johnson, a SMASH alumnus and Morehouse senior on a full-ride scholarship exemplifies the transformative power of SMASH programs, sharing his expertise as a SMASH Virtual mentor and inspiring the next generation of changemakers in technology. Learn more

The Atlanta and Detroit SMASH Hackathons brought high school students together with mentors to solve real-world challenges, fostering innovation, collaboration, and critical thinking skills that prepare them to lead in a tech-driven future. Learn more

SMASH partnered with Aetna for a professional development workshop, spotlighted on Morehouse’s Instagram, empowering scholars with industry insights and networking opportunities to accelerate their pathways to success in STEM careers. Learn more

HIGHLIGHTS/BY THE NUMBERS

800+

Youth exposed to CS content and careers through SMASH virtual and in-person programs

98%

Of scholars mastered computer science technical skills by the end of SMASH’s summer academy

86%

Of scholars met a computer science professional during the program that have helped shape their future career interests and/or navigate their future career paths

Kapor Center Investments

Throughout 2024, Kapor Center Investments executed a variety of strategies to build the field of “gap-closing” investing, ensuring that the power of investing can be harnessed to create positive social impact and outcomes for all.

 

Spotlights

In partnership with Kapor Capital, Kapor Center Investments supported the conceptualization and launch of NAACP Capital, a $200M fund-of-funds that will invest in fund managers and tech startups that focus on closing gaps facing communities of color.

An innovative AI tool, Central Valley, was created to assess startup companies’ adherence to gap-closing investment criteria, aiming to create efficiency and impact in investing in technologies with potential for social good.

Freada Kapor Klein took the TEDWomen stage to share the profitable gap-closing investment thesis solving real-world problems — and the measurable difference it’s already making. Learn more

HIGHLIGHTS/BY THE NUMBERS

$4.5M

Capital deployed to mission-aligned gap-closing funds

1400+

Underlying portfolio companies

33

Core Gap Closing Fund Families

The Year Ahead

The Kapor Center family of organizations–Kapor Capital, Kapor Foundation, Kapor Center Investments, and SMASH–will continue the critical work to create a more inclusive technology sector for all in 2025. Given the changing political, social, and economic climate, our strategies and approaches will evolve, but we remain committed to impacting more lives, creating systemic change, and ensuring that all can thrive within the technology-driven future.

Download the 2024 Impact Report