Before announcing her retirement as a professional tennis player in September 2022, Serena Williams had since immersed herself in the world of investing.
Drawing on more than a decade of experience, she created Serena Ventures in 2014, a venture capital fund dedicated to supporting women and underrepresented founders.
However, the 42-year-old Ohio-born tennis legend recently made a stunning revelation about his business.
Serena Williams on closing the investment gap
In a recent TikTok video, she expressed her motivation behind Serena Ventures, highlighting the severe underrepresentation of certain demographics in venture capital funding.
With a portfolio comprised of 79% underrepresented founders, including 54% female founders and 47% Black founders, Serena Williams says she is actively working to address this disparity.
« I invest in a lot of companies, in early companies, and I’ve always done that… It’s very important for me to do a plan B while I was doing my plan A “, Williams emphasized in his video.
Serena Williams says she has invested in 14 companies that have achieved unicorn status
The star’s dedication appears to have paid off, as 14 companies in his portfolio have reached unicorn status, each valued at over $1 billion (over 600 billion FCFA).
« I have invested, in my personal portfolio, in over 85 companies (maybe), and I also have about 14 unicorns “, she proudly announced on TikTok.
According to Fortune’s definition, a unicorn is a private startup valued at $1 billion or more.
These companies are typically referred to as “innovative” or “disruptive” and are expected to grow rapidly.
According to a report from AFROTECH, Serena Williams’ investment portfolio includes healthcare startup HUED and Perfect, an artificial intelligence-based platform specializing in customizable wig products, both run by Black women.
Williams also detailed his investment in MasterClass, an edtech startup, valued at $2.75 billion in 2021, according to CNBC.
« I remember finding this company with about eight people in a small room in a garage in San Francisco.
And I fell in love with what they were doing and what they were building “, she explained on TikTok.
Beyond MasterClass, Serena Williams has also provided financial support to plant-based meat substitute company Impossible Foods, subscription weight loss app Noom, and Karat, which helps companies hire best engineers.
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2024-04-10 08:30:20
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