Female Founders Fund by Serena Williams invests in Health-care startup HUED, founded by entrepreneur Kimberly Wilson. 23 Slams winner American tennis star participated in this $ 1.6 million investment with Serena Williams' VC fund Serena Ventures, Black Founders Matter, Gingerbread Capital and angel investor and health-care leader Halle Tecco.
Wilson tells CNBC: "I started this company because of my core belief in the preciousness of Black lives and the desire to protect it. Building a startup as a Black woman in health care is hard, incredibly hard. And, I think that's why this round announcement is particularly special.think that the pandemic, while horrific and tragic, really amplified the disparities that exist within health care that can no longer be ignored.
Serena Williams invests in Health-care startup
Essentially, there are not many companies that focus specifically on health equity and addressing populations that were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and I think our solution was just very attractive to VCs.
Female Founders Fund has been committed to investing in women and minority founders from day one. That is their North Star. So, it already made sense to embark on that journey together. And for Serena, who has personally talked about the issues she has had as a Black woman navigating the health-care system, obviously there was a mutual sense of understanding.
" Anu Duggal, founding partner of Female Founders Fund, said: "We are thrilled to back Kimberly and her vision for HUED in making health care more equitable for millions of Black and Latinx patients. She has built exciting traction with a strong team and we believe the HUED model will have a massive impact on health-care outcomes in this country.
" With a cash prize pool of over $ 90 million, Serena Williams is the highest-earning tennis player in the history of tennis, and among the many economic diversifications the American has, she is also very socially active, for helping minorities and people in need.