Serena Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm founded by Serena Williams, the professional tennis champion and entrepreneur. Williams began making personal angel investments around 2014, backing companies she encountered through her network and interests. The firm formally launched as an institutional fund in 2022, announcing a $111 million Fund I targeting seed and Series A rounds. Its headquarters are in the United States, with a portfolio spanning consumer technology, health, fintech, and emerging digital assets.
The firm's stated mission is to invest in founders who are frequently overlooked – specifically women, people of color, and entrepreneurs from non-traditional backgrounds. This focus shapes its sourcing strategy: Serena Ventures reports that the majority of its portfolio companies have at least one founder from an underrepresented group. According to Crunchbase, the fund has participated in dozens of deals across its history, with a crypto and blockchain segment that includes approximately eight tracked investments and two in which the firm took a lead position.
Notable investments
Serena Ventures' most-cited portfolio wins come from outside crypto, but they illustrate the firm's pattern of backing high-growth consumer platforms early. Known holdings include:
- Bumble – the dating and social networking app that went public in 2021, one of Williams' earlier and most visible bets
- Daily Harvest – direct-to-consumer frozen food brand, backed at Series A
- Tonal – AI-powered home gym hardware
- MasterClass – online education platform
- Nykaa – Indian beauty and fashion e-commerce platform that listed on the BSE in 2021
Public information about Serena Ventures' specific crypto and blockchain portfolio companies is limited. The firm has not published a dedicated digital assets thesis, and individual deal announcements in this segment have been sparse. The eight crypto-tracked investments in public databases likely reflect participation in broader fintech or Web3 rounds rather than a dedicated blockchain mandate.
Team
Serena Williams serves as founder and managing partner. Alison Rapaport Stillman joined the firm as General Partner and has been the primary operational lead since the institutional fund launch. Stillman previously worked in investment banking and early-stage venture, and has spoken publicly about Serena Ventures' sourcing philosophy in interviews with TechCrunch and other outlets. The broader team is small by design, consistent with the firm's focus on concentrated, high-conviction bets at early stages.
Recent activity
Since the Fund I close in 2022, Serena Ventures has continued deploying capital at seed stage. The firm has participated in follow-on rounds for several core portfolio companies and has expanded its LP base. No Fund II announcement was confirmed as of mid-2025, though the firm has signaled ongoing deal activity. Williams' public profile – including her own transition from active tennis competition after 2022 – has brought additional visibility to the fund's investments and its diversity-first sourcing approach.
Serena Ventures occupies a distinct position in early-stage VC: a celebrity-founded fund with a genuine institutional structure, a clear founder-diversity thesis, and a track record that includes several high-profile exits and IPOs. Its crypto exposure appears selective rather than thematic. Investors and founders seeking more detail on specific digital asset holdings should consult Crunchbase or the firm's official site directly, as granular portfolio disclosure in this segment remains limited.