BEA Venture Fund Research
Investment Thesis
BEA Venture Fund is an impact-oriented venture fund based in Washington, DC. It grew out of the Black Economic Alliance Foundation's Entrepreneurs Fund, which the Foundation launched in May 2021 as a $50 million evergreen vehicle anchored by Wells Fargo. The firm's stated position is that there is both a moral imperative and a financial interest in backing founders who have not historically had access to opportunity and capital. It frames its work as a way to move the wealth gap, and it organizes investing around four pillars: financial inclusion, inclusive climate, health and wellness, and narrative change.
Stage Focus
The fund invests at seed+ and Series A. Its homepage title says seed+ to Series A, and third-party profiles mention occasional Series B. It is not a pre-seed fund; the portfolio companies are operating businesses with revenue and customers.
Check Size
The fund invests between $1 million and $3 million per company, according to its What We Do page. Third-party profiles (Superscout, PitchBook) repeat that range and cite a $50 million target fund size. The fund size is a target taken from press and aggregator pages, so it is not set as AUM in the profile.
Lead Tendency
The site does not say whether the fund leads or follows. With $1M to $3M checks into seed+ and Series A rounds, it likely takes a meaningful minority position and may co-lead. Lead tendency is left as unknown.
Recent Activity
The portfolio page lists nine companies, with logos uploaded between September 2025 and April 2026. The most recent additions are Butter (December 2025) and Alcove (April 2026). PitchBook shows the latest investment as Summer, dated 8 January 2026. The fund appears to be actively deploying.
Portfolio Highlights
The portfolio spans the four pillars:
- Unrivaled: professional 3-on-3 women's basketball league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier (narrative change).
- Culina Health: virtual one-on-one nutrition care with registered dietitians (health and wellness).
- Mae Health: maternal health platform for expectant and postpartum mothers (health and wellness).
- ChargerHelp: on-demand repair and maintenance dispatch for EV charging stations (inclusive climate).
- Alcove: software and advisory for carbon compliance, life cycle assessment and carbon credits (inclusive climate).
- Summer: student loan workplace benefit (financial inclusion).
- Gridwise: assistant app for delivery and rideshare drivers (financial inclusion).
- Ryse Market: fintech letting landlords use rental income for everyday expenses (financial inclusion).
- Butter: AI-native tax planning and preparation for professionals earning $200K to $400K (financial inclusion).
No exits are listed on the site.
Team
- Melissa Bradley, General Partner. Founder and General Partner of BEA Venture Fund I, founder of 1863 Ventures, advisor to Reign Ventures and New Voices, co-founder of Ureeka (acquired 2022), former co-chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Professor of Practice at Georgetown University.
- Evelysse Vargas, Partner. Founder and Managing Partner of 718 Venture Capital, investor at Zeal Capital Partners and Leeds Illuminate, former Head of Manager Selection at NYCBERS, former BlackRock analyst.
- Maeva Kazandjian, Investment Associate. Kapor Summer Fellow, MBA fellow at Collide Capital, Wharton MBA, former Goldman Sachs alternative investments associate.
The board includes Tia Breakley (Blue Meridian Partners), David Ibnale (Advance Venture Partners), Charles Phillips (Recognize and Black Economic Alliance co-chair) and Kneeland Youngblood (Pharos Capital).
Decision Process
The site does not describe the process. A small partnership of a GP, a Partner and an associate, with a governing board, suggests partnership decisions. Inbound goes through a company intake form on the site.
Founder Preferences
Founders who have not historically had access to capital, with emphasis on Black-founded and Black-led businesses given the fund's origin. Companies should fit one of the four pillars and show early traction.
Geographic Focus
No stated geographic limit. The fund is headquartered in Washington, DC, and its portfolio companies are US-based.