Building on the $50m Fund I launched in 2021, Fund II’s $100m commitment will continue to concentrate capital in Black-led businesses in Massachusetts and expand its footprint nationally to impactful companies with Black, LatinX and Indigenous founders.
At MassMutual, we’re committed to fueling innovation, creativity, and problem-solving to benefit the economic majority. We believe this begins with creating financial opportunities where historic disparities exist. That’s why we established the MassMutual Catalyst Fund I & II — a $150 million commitment to increasing diversity in, and access to, venture capital.
Fund II will scale nationally and create further impact momentum. We know the mission to increase access to capital to overlooked founders and changing the ratio of who is funded in venture capital is not an easy challenge. That's why the MassMutual Catalyst Fund is expanding our focus and working with like minded partners. We will continue to focus investing in MA companies and selectively invest alongside fund managers with the First Fund Initiative at a national level.
The Catalyst Fund is powering progress in a world where women and people of color only manage 1% of the 70 trillion of capital in the United States. We’re making an impact in Massachusetts where only .4% of funding goes to black founders.*
We’re passionate about being the change and prioritizing companies with social impact built into their DNA. That means that as the business grows, their impact grows too. As we assess businesses, we consider not only financial return, but potential to advance racial equity, reduce the rural-urban divide, and make an economic impact in Massachusetts and beyond.
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We look for strong financial and impact return with an industry preference in the following areas:
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Impact investing requires critical thinking, not checking boxes. We’re committed to building innovative approaches and alternatives in:
Rahkeem Morris, Founder & CEO, HourWork
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