Serena Williams’ new business move puts the next trillion-dollar company in focus

Serena Williams is no longer treating business as a side project. The tennis legend has turned her investment operation into a serious force in venture capital, recently rebranding Serena Ventures as Starfire Ventures. The firm now has 16 unicorns in its portfolio, while Williams says its ambition extends far beyond the next billion-dollar company. Her focus is finding overlooked founders, backing businesses with major potential and building a firm that can outlast her own name. At the same time, Williams is balancing investing with motherhood and a selective return to professional tennis.Serena Williams explains Starfire Ventures’ new directionThe rebrand from Serena Ventures to Starfire Ventures marks a deliberate change in how Williams sees the business. She said the original name worked, but she wanted the firm to become something larger than its founder.“We’ve just rebranded ourselves. . . . I felt like Serena Ventures is great, but I wanted it to be bigger than me. There are so many amazing people on the team, and there’s so much that we do. I felt like when you put a name on something, it can limit what you do. I want it to live on. I want this to be something that people look at years and years from now . . .”Williams says her approach to investing is driven mostly by a clear philosophy, with instinct also playing a role. Her firm has backed 16 companies that have reached unicorn status, giving the former world No. 1 a growing track record outside sport.She also pushes back against the idea that investing in women and underrepresented founders is simply a social exercise.“We invest in everyone. We invest in people who look like you. We invest in people who look like me. It’s just that we do see a lot of women and a lot of underrepresented founders because they know that we’ll hear their story. And we don’t invest in all of them. . . . We are only investing in winners. If we don’t feel the company is going to return our fund, we’re not going to invest in them. That’s just how we look at it.”Serena Williams is thinking beyond billion-dollar businessesWilliams sees an investment gap as an opportunity. She believes some founders are overlooked because investors do not always recognise their potential early enough.Her long-term goal is clear. “We’re thinking about the next billion-dollar company, the next trillion-dollar company, and how to be on those cap tables as well.”That ambition sits alongside a very structured personal life. Williams said she spends about 90% of her professional time with Starfire Ventures when she is not focused on her children.Her return to tennis is also carefully managed. Rather than pursuing another Grand Slam run, she has chosen a limited schedule that fits around her family and business commitments.“I’m not going back out there to win Grand Slams. I have a full-time job. But this is what I’m willing to do, and this is how I’m willing to show up.”For Williams, the next phase is not about choosing between tennis, business and family. It is about setting firm boundaries and deciding exactly where her time matters most.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.