The Williams sisters, who dominated tennis for decades, are now tag-teaming the tech industry.
On Thursday, tennis champion and entrepreneur Venus Williams announced her plant-based meal substitute startup Happy Viking raked in $2 million in a star-studded round that received participation from her sister and 23 Grand Slam title holder Serena Williams.
Other big-name participants in the round include Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures, Peloton’s VP of fitness programming Robin Arzón and professional golfer Michelle Wie West.
Happy Viking produces 100 percent plant-based meal shakes that, according to the company, can operate as a meal substitute.
“Venus is an incredible entrepreneur, and in getting to know her and the team she’s put together behind Happy Viking, it was clear to Kevin Durant and I that the company has set itself up for success,” Kleiman, Thirty Five Ventures co-founder, said in a statement. “No one understands the health and nutrition space like a professional athlete, and Happy Viking is proof in product form.”
While Happy Viking did not disclose how it will use its new capital, the company did provide further insight into Venus Williams’ decision to focus on plant-based products.
“When I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, I became obsessed with doing research and exploring superfood ingredients that helped with my recovery. I would experiment with different recipes until I found a combination that tasted great, improved my health and allowed me to get back to tennis,” Venus Williams, creator and co-founder of Happy Viking, said in a statement. “I’ve seen first-hand what the benefits of adopting a plant-based diet has done for my body and performance. With Happy Viking, I want to give everyone the opportunity to be healthy, feel good and live their dreams.”
Co-founded by Neel Premkumar, Happy Viking joins Serena Venture’s growing portfolio of startups, including Los Angeles-based animation studio Invisible Universe and Seattle-based job interview preparation startup Karat. Both startups raked in funds from the firm earlier this year.
News of Happy Viking’s fresh raise comes just one week after Serena Williams announced her retirement from tennis to focus on further developing her venture capital firm Serena Ventures. Happy Viking isn’t the only NYC-based company that Serena Williams has invested in either. Earlier this year, she led an undisclosed seven-figure investment for New York-based sports marketing startup OpenSponsorship.
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