Draft:Foundervine

Submission declined on 20 May 2025 by ToadetteEdit (talk).

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Declined by ToadetteEdit 7 days ago. Last edited by Joanita2025 5 days ago. Reviewer: Inform author.

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Submission declined on 20 May 2025 by GoldRomean (talk).

This submission is not adequately supported by reliable sources. Reliable sources are required so that information can be verified. If you need help with referencing, please see Referencing for beginners and Citing sources.

Declined by GoldRomean 7 days ago.

Comment: Please properly format your citations. + Google Drive is not a reliable source. GoldRomean (talk) 15:46, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. Joanita2025 (talk) 15:36, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

Foundervine

Foundervine is a social enterprise founded in 2018 in the United Kingdom. It works to address social and economic inequalities in entrepreneurship by supporting early-stage founders from underrepresented backgrounds. The organisation provides access to accelerators, incubators, mentorship, investment-readiness programmes, and ecosystem events across the UK, Ghana, and the United States.^[1]

In 2025, Foundervine was recognised by the Financial Times as one of the top 20 startup hubs in the United Kingdom and among the top 100 in Europe.^[2]

History

Foundervine was launched in 2018 in London. Its first programme, Startup 54, was a 54-hour innovation sprint designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs develop and pitch business ideas.^[3]

Since its founding, Foundervine has developed partnerships with Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, PayPal, and Sainsbury’s, as well as government bodies and philanthropic organisations. In 2022, the organisation launched the Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP) with the Ghana Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, Nesta Challenges, DreamOval Foundation and others, engaging over 20,000 students in STEM and entrepreneurship education.^[4]

Programmes and services

Foundervine delivers structured programmes targeting early-stage ventures led by individuals from underrepresented communities. These programmes aim to address common barriers including underfunding, limited access to professional networks, and digital skills gaps.

Notable programmes include:

Startup 54 – A hackathon-style entrepreneurship weekend focused on ideation, team building, and pitching.^[5]
Barclays Black Founder Accelerator – A 12-week accelerator supported by Barclays Eagle Labs, designed to scale Black-led digital businesses.^[6]
Immerse with Lloyds Bank – A business education initiative created in response to Lloyds’ "Black. British. In Business & Proud" report.^[7]
Thrive with Sainsbury’s – A retail incubator for Black-led food and drink brands, run in partnership with Sainsbury’s and Mission Ventures.^[8]
Wray Forward – A creative entrepreneurship programme launched in collaboration with Wray & Nephew to support underrepresented founders.^[9]
Futures in Tech – A skills development and entrepreneurship programme for Black women and non-binary founders, supported by Amazon Web Services.^[10]
Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP) – A national education initiative in Ghana to develop STEM and entrepreneurial skills.^[11]

Leadership

Foundervine was co-founded by Izzy Obeng and Cecil Adjalo. Izzy serves as the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer. She was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list for Social Impact in 2022,^[12] and is a trustee of Mission 44. She also sits on the advisory committee for the Growth Impact Fund. In 2025, Obeng was awarded an MBE for services to UK digital entrepreneurship.^[13]^[14]

References

External links

Submitted via Articles for Creation. This draft has been revised for encyclopaedic tone and includes third-party citations in line with notability guidelines

[1] "About Us". Foundervine.

[2] ttps://rankings.ft.com/incubator-accelerator-programmes-europe

[3] "Startup 54". Foundervine.

[4] ttps://www.myjoyonline.com/dreamoval-foundation-set-to-launch-ghana-science-and-tech-explorer-prize-gstep-challenge/

[5] "Startup 54". Foundervine.

[6] ttps://labs.uk.barclays/what-we-offer/our-programmes/barclays-black-founder-accelerator/

[7] ttps://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/media/press-releases/2022/lloyds-banking-group/new-member-appointed-black-business-advisory-committee.html

[8] ttps://www.grocerygazette.co.uk/2023/03/29/thrive-sainsburys-black-brands/

[9] ttps://vergemagazine.co.uk/wray-nephew-launches-the-wray-forward-powerbook-spotlighting-outstanding-uk-black-entrepreneurs/

[10] "Futures in Tech". Foundervine.

[11] ttps://www.myjoyonline.com/dreamoval-foundation-set-to-launch-ghana-science-and-tech-explorer-prize-gstep-challenge/

[12] ttps://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2022/europe/social-impact/

[13] ttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/new-year-honours-list-2025-in-full-b2671713.html

[14] ttps://www.pulse.com.gh/articles/business/breaking-news-foundervine-ceo-izzy-obeng-awarded-mbe-in-kings-honours-list-2025010616323981809

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