Serena william’s venture capital firm serves up 14 unicorn winners

Serena Williams, a name synonymous with tennis excellence, has been making strides in a different court: venture capital. With her firm Serena Ventures, Williams has invested in startups for over a decade, focusing on empowering women and people of color in the entrepreneurial world[.

The Catalyst for Change

A startling realization sparked Williams’ venture into investing. “I learned that less than 2% of all VC money went to women,” she shared in a TikTok video. “When I first heard that, I actually thought it was a misquote. […] But I learned that when I first started investing, I learned that that actually was true.”

This disparity hit close to home for Williams. “I’m a black woman and say, my name isn’t Serena Williams […] That means I would get, I have less than, well, not even less than 2%. I have a fraction of a chance to get money if I wanted to start a company.”

@serena My mission after tennis is investing in us! Women, people of color and diversity. But it did not start after tennis. It started during. I just do it full time now. Here is how I started. #foryou #fyp #makeup #business #investing #venturecapital #serenawilliams #serenaventures #momsoftiktok ♬ original sound – Serenawilliams

Investing in Diversity

Determined to make a difference, Williams launched Serena Ventures in 2014. The firm has since invested in over 80 companies, with a notable 53% having women founders and 47% having Black founders.

“My portfolio kind of leans more towards women and people of color, obviously, ’cause that’s what I want to focus on. But when people are talking about diversity, that really means everyone having a seat at the table, everyone kind of having an opportunity to win.”

Unicorn Success Stories

Serena Ventures has helped 14 companies reach unicorn status, meaning they have achieved a valuation of $1 billion or more. Some of these notable investments include:

• MasterClass: An online education platform featuring expert-led classes[.
• Impossible Foods: A plant-based meat alternative company.
• Noom: A subscription-based app for tracking nutrition and exercise.
• Wave: A $1.7 billion fintech company bringing mobile payments to Africa.

Williams was an early believer in MasterClass, recalling, “I remember finding that company with like eight people in a small room in a garage in San Francisco, and I just fell in love with what they were doing and what they were building.”

The Importance of Opportunity

Growing up in Compton, Williams witnessed the entrepreneurial spirit born out of necessity. “We were all entrepreneurs. You had to be to survive. Like we weren’t always afforded the same opportunities that other people were afforded and other people had/”.

This experience fuels her commitment to supporting diverse founders. “A lot of times when you do invest in these companies, you know, a lot of these companies tend to do just as well, or if not better, because it’s a woman, or it’s led by a person of color.”

Looking Ahead

Serena’s impact on the venture capital landscape continues to grow. Recently raising $111 million in outside funding, Serena Ventures is poised to further its mission of creating a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Serena Williams’ journey in venture capital showcases the power of leveraging success to create opportunities for others. By investing in diverse founders and challenging the status quo, she is not only building successful companies but also paving the way for a more equitable future in the startup world.