In March, the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank led to panic among founders of numerous startups. At the time, there were fears that the bank’s collapse may trigger a meltdown of the broader banking sector. Unsurprisingly, startup founders went through a tough phase as accessing funds became difficult for them. However, they found it hard to believe when they got to know about the person who came to their rescue. It was none other than the tennis legend Serena Williams, who retired in 2022 and turned her focus toward her business ventures.

A recent article published by Business Insider details how Williams wasted no time in bringing relief to the panic-stricken investors. It proved that she stayed true to everything she said in the days leading up to her retirement last year.

Serena Williams used all her seed-investment experience and expertise to help startup founders

Williams’ seed-investment journey started a decade back, and now, she’s one of the world’s top female seed-investors. In her exchange with Business Insider over email, Williams said, “I also know what it looks like to be incredibly talented and not given the exposure because of the color of your skin”. She added, “It’s another reason I love investing – to close that gap”.

Her fund and angel investments make for an incredible portfolio, which consists of a whopping 90 companies. 16 companies out of the 90 right now are unicorns whose valuations amount to over $1 billion individually. As a result, when startups started to experience difficulties following the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank, Williams rushed to their help.

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For instance, Williams contacted Juno Medical founder and CEO Akili Hanson. According to Hansen, Williams sent her a text saying, “Hey, I just want to know that you guys are OK”. This incredible gesture from Williams went a long way towards ensuring troubled startup founders that someone was there by their side when it matters most.

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How has Serena Williams stayed true to her words before retiring from tennis?

Ahead of calling time on her trophy-laden tennis career, Williams stated that her evolution would continue outside the sport. At the time, Williams said that she would be devoting her time to her family and venture capital. Judging by her moves prior to and since retirement, it’s fair to say that Williams has stuck to her word.

Williams started her very own venture capital firm in 2014. The firm, called Serena Ventures, raised a mammoth $111 million in funding last year. Following the firm’s fundraising success, Williams shared the reason behind starting the firm. According to Williams, the venture capital ecosystem needed an inclusive player. The firm mainly focuses on supporting businesses led by women and people from minority communities.

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