Nex Cubed Announces Franklin Templeton as a Founding Partner for HBCU Founder's Program News provided by Share this article Share this article SAN FRANCISCO, April 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nex Cubed, a leader in early-stage innovation and startup acceleration, has announced Franklin Templeton as the second Founding Partner for its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Founder's Program. The global investment firm joins previously announced Founding Partner, With nearly 60% of Nex Cubed's portfolio of companies being led by female and minority founders, it is no secret that diversity and inclusion have been at the heart of its mission since inception. However, with the series of devastating racial injustice events last summer, Nex Cubed doubled down on its diversity and inclusion efforts by launching its HBCU Founder's Program with the goal of inspiring students and recent alumni at HBCUs in their pursuit of entrepreneurship.