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Serena Ventures
Serena Ventures is an early-stage VC firm founded by Serena Williams. The firm backs bold founders reshaping how we live, work, move, and connect.
Serena Ventures
Serena Ventures is an early-stage VC firm founded by Serena Williams. The firm backs bold founders reshaping how we live, work, move, and connect. Its perspective is global, its standard is excellence, and its purpose is to expand access, ownership, and opportunity at scale.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2014
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Washington
Corporate office
Washington, United States
Principals
Serena Williams
Managing Partner
Beth Ferreira
General Partner
Sharla Grass
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Serena Ventures?
Serena Williams serves as Managing Partner. Day-to-day investment operations and diligence are led by General Partner Beth Ferreira and Partner Sharla Grass, both listed on the firm's website. The team includes additional support from a fractional CFO and venture fellow. Final investment committee structure is not publicly detailed, but the firm’s architecture places professional investors alongside the founder-principal.
What investment stages does Serena Ventures target?
The firm targets primarily seed and early-stage companies, though it has capacity for growth-stage follow-ons. The portfolio includes startups like Esusu and Numida at early commercial stages, alongside more established exits. Stage focus is broad within the early-stage spectrum, from pre-revenue seed to Series A.
Which sectors does Serena Ventures actively invest in?
Confirmed positions cluster around fintech, digital health, enterprise software, AI-driven platforms, and consumer products. Specific examples include Esusu (fintech), Midi Health (digital health), Pachama (AI/climate), and Parfait (consumer AI). The portfolio also includes media, education, and supply chain logistics companies.
How does Serena Ventures source its deal flow?
Serena Williams’s prominence as a global athlete and cultural figure generates proprietary access to founders — particularly in consumer and mission-driven sectors — that conventional VC firms do not see. The firm blends this network-driven top-of-funnel with institutional screening by its GP and partner team, creating a sourcing model distinct from both blind-inbound and traditional LP-referred pipelines.
Which portfolio companies has Serena Ventures exited?
Publicly disclosed exits include Bitski (NFT wallet infrastructure, acquired by Phantom), Lolli (bitcoin rewards, acquired by Thesis), Shopping Gives (ecommerce charitable giving, acquired by CPGIO), Wile (women’s wellness, acquired by NamelessCPG), and Zitti (restaurant procurement, acquired by Block). The portfolio lists these as 'exited companies' without disclosing return multiples.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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