Serena Williams once proclaimed, “My mission after tennis is investing in us! Women, people of color and diversity.” True to her word, she established Serena Ventures in 2014 and publicly announced its mission in April 2019. Focused on early-stage companies, particularly those founded by underrepresented groups, the firm had invested in over 50 startups by 2022. By April 2024, their impactful portfolio grew to over 80 companies, remarkably including 14 unicorns. And now it seems she’s backing up Khloé Kardashian as she steps up with a healthy snack!
Khloé Kardashian, with a net worth of $60 million, is launching Khloud Protein Popcorn on Tuesday, April 29. The snack is seed-oil-free and made from whole-grain corn, featuring a “Khloud Dust” blend of milk protein and seasonings that gives each serving seven grams of protein—more than three times the protein in regular popcorn. It will be available in three flavors: Olive Oil & Sea Salt, Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn, and White Cheddar.
The brand initially aimed to raise $10 million but secured $12 million from investors including K5 Global, Serena Ventures, Shrug Capital, and William Morris Endeavor (WME). Khloé said, “I’m at this stage in my [health] journey for the past few years that I’ve been really trying to up my protein intake. I’m all about muscle definition and being strong and healthy, not just skinny.” And Serena, being a former athlete who has shared her journey with fitness post-retirement, certainly knows this best.
Not to mention, Serena Williams and Khloé Kardashian have been friends for a long time, with reports suggesting their connection spans over two decades. They have been seen together at various events, including Art Basel in Miami and the 40th birthday party for McDonald’s Big Mac back in 2008. Their interactions extend to social media, where they often support each other’s ventures and share compliments.
Khloé has also shown her support by sending gifts from her brand Good American, and Serena has reciprocated with items from her beauty line, WYN Beauty, and now promoted Khloud Protein Popcorn. She recently shared Serena Ventures’ Instagram endorsement of Kardashian’s new snack line to her story. “The news is out! Mark your calendars for April 29 to order at the link below,” the caption read.
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Speaking to People recently, Kardashian shed light on how essential protein intake with “clean” ingredients was for her and what made her introduce her food brand. “Protein-wise, I’m not someone that is going to sit down and have steak and eggs all day long, and I need to consume protein,” she said. “I was going to fitness stores to get protein, grab and go. And they don’t taste very well, in my opinion, and they’re filled with so much filler and artificial stuff. And I really just wanted something, selfishly, that tasted great.”
Certainly seems like something Serena would invest in, right? Through Serena Ventures, Serena has made strategic investments in food-based companies. In May 2019, she participated in a $300 million Series E funding round for Impossible Foods, a company producing plant-based meat alternatives. Then there’s Daily Harvest, a vegan meal delivery service backed by Serena Williams and other celebrities, which raised $43 million in a Series B funding round.
Additionally, Serena teamed up with Kevin Durant in August 2022 to invest in Happy Viking, a plant-based superfood nutrition company founded by her sister Venus Williams, which raised $2 million in a round led by both Venus and Serena. These investments demonstrate Serena’s interest in supporting innovative and health-conscious food companies.
While it seems like Serena is always on the move to reach out and fund new beginnings, it’s not always an easy task for her!
Serena opens up about how she picks her next business to invest in
Last year, she opened up about what sparked her passion for investing in women-led businesses. “I learned that less than 2% of all VC money went to women,” she explained in a TikTok video. “And when I first heard that, I actually thought it was a misquote. I thought, ‘Well, they can’t be real.’ Like, we’re talking about trillions of dollars, and what do you mean less than 2% of that goes to women?…I learned that when I first started investing, I learned that actually was true and that was something that was happening. And so I knew right then and there that one day I wanted to raise a fund or raise money and invest in women.”
Fast forward to April 2025, and Serena is still going strong. In a candid interview with Time Magazine, she shared what it’s really like to be a venture capitalist. She said every investment is a calculated risk—a shot at a win or a quiet setback. With an estimated net worth of $340 million fueling her moves, Serena’s been playing a whole new game, but the stakes are just as high as ever.
So, what’s been the toughest part of this journey? Serena admitted, “The biggest challenge for me in the investing role is just narrowing down who to invest in. because there’s just so many different opportunities and I want to say ‘yes’ to a lot of them because a lot of them are so intriguing and so interesting but, you know, you can’t.” With a portfolio as massive as hers, it’s wild to think she still faces this dilemma.
Serena Ventures, which she co-founded in 2014 with Alison Rapaport Stillman, is all about backing underrepresented founders. The numbers are impressive: 79% of their investments are in these companies—54% women-led, 47% Black-led, and 11% Latino-led. She summed it up: “So I just try to narrow it down, do due diligence to see, ‘is this company going to make it,’ and invest in them.” Now, as she continues to invest in businesses like Khloé Kardashian’s, it’s exciting to see what she’ll champion next.
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