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‘Venture Capital Ecosystem Really Needs an Inclusive Player’ – Serena Williams Reveals the Reason Why She Started ‘Serena Ventures’

Published 03/01/2022, 11:13 PM EST

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Serena Williams has dominated women’s tennis for over 20 years. The iconic star caught everyone’s eye when she won her first WTA title in 1999 as a 17-year-old. In the same year, she won her maiden Grand Slam title, defeating the Swiss legend Martina Hingis in the summit clash.

Fast-forward now, the former World Number 1 is one of the most successful athletes the sport has seen. She has been a revelation not just on the court, but off it too. Apart from tennis, Serena is a successful businesswoman and owns several businesses like S by Serena, Serena Williams Jewelry, etc.

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Recently, her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures, received a mammoth inaugural fund. Subsequently, the 40-year-old opened up on the reasons behind starting this firm.

Serena Williams shares the purpose behind her firm Serena Ventures

The venture capital firm raised $111M as an inaugural fund. Further, Serena detailed the motto behind launching this firm, saying, “The reason I started Serena Ventures is because I feel like the venture capital ecosystem really needs an inclusive player, and a player with a platform to make the necessary intact change at scale.”

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Moreover, she added, “So we have that opportunity here, so we are looking at FinTech, we are looking at market places as well. I like to use my brand and Serena to reach that need and fill that void that the market has.” Serena was thrilled as she announced the news of her firm raising a huge fund.

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The 23-time Grand Slam champion had launched Serena Ventures in 2014. The firm’s mission is to give opportunities to founders across an array of industries. Further, Serena Ventures has already invested in more than 30 companies.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Will Smith Shows How King Richard Cast Trained Like Serena and Venus Williams

Coming to tennis, Serena is poised to make a return later this year. Although being out for more than eight months now, she has admitted to being back to light practice. Can the American tennis star make a strong comeback? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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Written by:

Vatsal Shah

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Vatsal Shah is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. With a Bachelor's degree in engineering, he is a die hard fan of tennis and sports in general. He is an ardent follower of Rafael Nadal and is inspired by his never-say-die attitude.
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