Serena William’s Fund Has Invested In 14 Companies

Serena Williams’ legacy extends far beyond her greatness on the tennis court. Following her retirement in September 2022, Williams focused more of her attention on the investment arena. With over a decade of investment experience, she took a pivotal step in 2014 by establishing Serena Ventures, a venture capital fund specifically designed to champion women and underrepresented founders, according to its LinkedIn profile.

She invests in a lot of companies, early companies. She has actually been investing for over 14 years and just been an entrepreneur while she was playing tennis. She emphasizes the importance of making a to plan B while she was doing her plan A.

The VC endeavor resulted from Williams discovering the evident absence of venture capital directed toward certain demographics, which prompted her to become a vessel for change. As noted on its website, the company’s portfolio comprises 79% underrepresented founders, 54% women founders, 47% Black founders, and 11% Latino founders.

She learned that less than 2% of all VC money went to women, when Williams found this out she I first heard that, I actually thought it was a misquote. I thought, ‘Well, thought that this had to be a mistake and she immediately knew that one day she wanted to raise a fund or raise money and invest in women. She wanted to invest in diversity particularly black women. Williams was determined and has since invested in more than 85 companies. She previously reported her investment portfolio includes healthcare startup HUED and Parfait, an artificial intelligence-powered platform specializing in customizable wig products, both led by Black women. Williams notes she also invested in Masterclass, an edtech startup, which was valued at $2.75 billion in 2021. She remembers 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.

Beyond Masterclass, Williams has also provided financial backing for plant-based meat substitute company Impossible Foods, subscription-based weight-loss app Noom, and Karat, which helps companies hire top engineering talent.

What’s more, Williams estimates that 14 of her portfolio companies have gone on to reach unicorn status. Detailed by Fortune, the term refers to a privately held startup company with a valuation of $1 billion or more.

Companies that can reach such a status are considered innovative or disruptive and are expected to grow quickly. Per the outlet, some unicorns have been rideshare company Uber, vacation property company Airbnb, and social media platform Pinterest, to name a few.

For the 14 companies Williams has invested in, it is a huge milestone, and with this monetary support, they will have the chance to expand their reach and accomplish more long-term goals.