Serena Williams
Founder, Serena Ventures
Tennis champion turned early-stage investor backing founders with diverse points of view.
Serena Williams founded Serena Ventures to back early-stage companies across consumer, health, fintech and enterprise software, leaning on a personal brand and network built over a tennis career rather than a prior investing or operating track record in technology.
The fund backs founders with diverse points of view broadly rather than a narrow sector thesis, and Williams has spoken publicly about wanting the fund to open doors for founders who would not otherwise get a meeting on Sand Hill Road.
Where the lesson stops
A celebrity-backed fund’s sourcing advantage — access to deals that come through a famous name — does not transfer to an individual investor without that same name, which is worth remembering before pattern-matching this approach onto your own angel investing.
Built a venture portfolio entirely outside a prior technology or finance career.
Sources
Facts here reflect public reporting at time of writing — roles and fund affiliations change; verify current details directly with Serena Ventures.