BlackForce Ventures

From Internship to Funded Startup

BlackForce does not just train people — we incubate the next generation of boring businesses and companies. During the unpaid internship phase, successful COHORT students identify real market opportunities and proceed to build real ventures with up to $10,000 in seed funding.

Join COHORT →Apply for Venture Fund For Investors

$10K

Seed Funding per Venture

COHORT

Incubation Pipeline

Revenue

Sustainability Focus

The Pathway

How BlackForce creates ventures.

From classroom to funded company — a structured pathway that turns COHORT students into startup founders.

Step 01

COHORT Training

Join the COHORT programme and choose the Business and Entrepreneurship paths. Over 16 weeks, you build foundational skills in product development, business analysis, AI integration, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship.

Step 01

COHORT Training

Step 02

Unpaid Internship & Ideation

During the unpaid internship phase, you work on real projects and identify real-world problems. This is where venture ideas are born — you see gaps in the market firsthand and develop product concepts alongside your internship deliverables.

Step 02

Unpaid Internship & Ideation

Step 03

Venture Selection & Incubation

Successful students with viable ideas are selected for BlackForce's venture incubation programme, whether the venture is a software product, a farming or agribusiness operation, a logistics business, or a trade-based service. Teams receive infrastructure, mentorship, and access to BlackForce's partner and investor network.

Step 03

Venture Selection & Incubation

Step 04

Build & Launch

Selected ventures are developed into real businesses with real customers. BlackForce provides the infrastructure, mentorship, and business support behind the scenes, and you build something that solves a genuine problem in the market.

Step 04

Build & Launch

Step 05

Fund & Scale

Ventures that demonstrate traction and market fit receive up to $10,000 in seed funding through BlackForce, plus access to investor introductions through the Skill Capitalization network. This is where a student project becomes a real company.

Step 05

Fund & Scale

For Investors

Why invest in BlackForce Ventures.

A structured, de-risked pipeline of AI ventures built by trained founders.

Portfolio Diversification

Invest in a new asset class — student-built AI ventures with real market traction, backed by BlackForce's training and incubation infrastructure.

Early Access

Access deal flow before these ventures reach the open market. BlackForce investors get first look at ventures emerging from each COHORT cycle.

De-Risked Pipeline

Unlike cold startups, BlackForce ventures emerge from a structured programme with validated ideas, trained founders, and existing technical infrastructure.

Explore Investment Opportunities →

Apply for Venture Fund

Have a viable venture idea, whether software, farming, logistics, operations, or a trade-based service? Apply for up to $10,000 in seed funding, technical incubation, and access to BlackForce's investor and employer network.

Open to COHORT graduates, CPD alumni, and exceptional external proposals.

Apply for Venture Fund →

FAQ

Ventures questions.

Ventures are created during the COHORT programme, through the unpaid internship phase, across any track — Business & Entrepreneurship, AI & Information Technology, Operations & Management, or Specialized Trade Skills. Students who demonstrate a strong idea, real execution capability, and traction potential during their internship are selected for incubation support.

During the unpaid internship, COHORT students work on real projects and identify real-world opportunities in their field, whether that's a software product, a farming or agribusiness operation, a logistics business, or a trade-based service. Students with viable ideas are selected for incubation, where they get infrastructure, mentorship, and access to BlackForce's partner network. Ventures that demonstrate traction receive up to $10,000 in seed funding.

BlackForce provides up to $10,000 in initial seed funding per venture. Additional funding may be available through the Skill Capitalization investor network and external introductions. Funding is tied to milestones and traction metrics.

Yes. BlackForce supports founders in retaining meaningful ownership. Specific equity arrangements are discussed individually and are designed to be fair and founder-friendly. BlackForce takes a minority stake in exchange for incubation support and seed funding.

We back real businesses across every track BlackForce trains for, not just software. Past and current ventures span AI and software products, farming and agribusiness, logistics and supply chain operations, industrial and manufacturing operations, and trade-based service businesses. What matters is a validated problem, a founder who has put in the work, and a credible path to real revenue.

The primary pathway is through the COHORT programme and its unpaid internship phase. However, exceptional proposals from Adults CPD graduates or alumni may be considered. Use the Apply for Venture Fund form to submit your proposal.

Investors interested in BlackForce Ventures can explore opportunities through our Finance hub and the For Investors page. The Skill Capitalization Platform also enables investment in the broader talent pipeline that produces these ventures.

Build the next AI company.

Join COHORT, develop your idea during the internship phase, and launch your venture with up to $10,000 in seed funding and full BlackForce incubation support.

Join COHORT →Apply for Venture Fund →For Investors →