Zoo Labs: FUND
Forecasted
Zoo Labs: FUND supports culturally rooted Bay Area artist teams building music-centered businesses, funding their launch and growth to advance cultural expression, economic empowerment, and community benefit.
Funder: Center for Cultural Innovation
Due Dates (Anticipated): August 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $5,000, $15,000, $25,000, or $50,000; $225,000 total available in the 2026 round
Summary: Zoo Labs: FUND supports culturally rooted Bay Area artist teams building music-centered businesses that benefit their communities.
Key Information: All team members must reside full-time in one of nine eligible Bay Area counties.
Description
Zoo Labs: FUND provides unrestricted grants, mentorship, and educational resources to Bay Area entrepreneurs launching or growing music-centered businesses. Administered in partnership with the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), the program supports ventures that advance cultural expression, economic empowerment, and community benefit. Music must be the business’s key feature, whether as a product, program, service, or artistic and cultural practice.
The FUND prioritizes culturally rooted artists whose work draws on their heritage, traditions, and community experiences, particularly those facing structural barriers to accessing capital. Its goals include preserving cultural expression, fostering innovation, generating jobs, and creating stable economic opportunities that counter displacement. Support can seed a launch, propel growth, strengthen sustainability, or develop the untapped potential of an established business.
