Serena Williams is furthering her stake in the sports world.

Team Ownership

As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Williams has a minority stake in the women’s soccer team Angel City FC; the Los Angeles Golf Club, a team under Tiger Woods’ tech-infused golf league, TGL; and the WNBA’s Toronto expansion team, the Toronto Tempo. Most recently, Serena Ventures — Williams’ venture capital firm that backs bold founders — has been listed among the investors in Unrivaled’s oversubscribed Series B investment round.

Unrivaled

Unrivaled is a 3-on-3 basketball league founded in 2023 by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. It set a new precedent in women’s sports with the highest salaries, with players earning at least six figures, per Front Office Sports. Unrivaled athletes reportedly earned $220,000 last season, compared to an average of $66,000 to $150,000 in the WNBA. Unrivaled also intends to raise its salary cap next season, which is expected to scale from 36 players to 42.

Unrivaled granted the athletes from its inaugural league an equity stake. Players who signed on for the season included Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kayla McBride, Angel Reese, and Chelsea Gray, among others.

“Everybody got equity coming into this league, that’s the most important thing… I know five years from now this thing is gonna be bigger than ever,” Reese, from Unrivaled’s Rose BC team, said during a January virtual press conference.

What’s more, Unrivaled’s numbers validate its success. According to information shared with AFROTECH™ and a news release, during the league’s inaugural season, which concluded in March 2025, Unrivaled reached 11.9 million total viewers, generated 589 million social media impressions, surpassed seven figures in ticket sales, and landed more than 20 corporate partners including Samsung Galaxy, TNT Sports, Sephora U.S., Wayfair, Under Armour, and Ally Financial.

Oversubscribed Series B Round

It has also closed two investment rounds. In 2024, it closed a $28 million Series A round. Fast-forward to 2025, and Unrivaled’s oversubscribed Series B investment round led by Bessemer Venture Partners brings its total valuation to $340 million. Additional investors include Williams’ Serena Ventures, Warner Bros. Discovery, Alex Morgan’s Trybe Ventures, Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner, and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young.

“We’re continuing to align with partners who elevate our league and accelerate our strategic growth. With Bessemer Venture Partners leading this round, Unrivaled is in an unprecedented position for a new sports league,” said Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell in a news release. “Bessemer’s world-class leadership, combined with the collective influence of our entire investor group, amplifies our mission and pushes the industry forward. This rise in Unrivaled’s valuation reflects investor confidence and proves that athlete-driven models can thrive at the highest levels of business.”

Caty Rea, vice president at Bessemer Venture  Partners, commented:

“At Bessemer, we’ve had the privilege of backing many category-defining companies, and we believe Unrivaled is building the next great sports league. What impressed us most is the league’s outstanding business performance — achieving both rapid growth and impressive unit economics in its first year of operations — alongside its focus on both athlete advocacy and extraordinary fan engagement. We’re thrilled to partner with Unrivaled to take the league to the next level.”