Blacktag is a new interactive digital platform showcasing work by Black creatives with the aim of uplifting Black voices and connecting emerging talent with brands. The site will serve as a centralised space that audiences and advertisers can go to to discover originally-produced and user-generated work by a global roster of Black creatives.

Founded by Akin Adebowale, a multidisciplinary artist who has worked with Drake and Kanye West, and Ousman Sahko, a filmmaker and Google Creative Lab alum, Blacktag has already secured a $3.75 million seed round led by venture capital firms Connect Ventures and New Enterprise Associates (NEA). The money will go towards growing a large pool of creative collaborators and establishing brand partnerships as Blacktag prepares to launch its initial MVP platform early next year.

“We’ve created Blacktag at such an important cultural moment. A Black renaissance and economic awakening has been ignited and Blacktag is adding fuel to the fire,” Sahko, who also serves as Blacktag’s president and CCO, said in a statement. “We’re not only creating opportunities for artists and creators to monetize their work that is the foundation of our culture, but also creating a place for every fan who has ever scrolled through traditional platforms looking for people who look like them and content that truly resonates, only to come up empty.”