Serena Ventures

Congratulations to the Ours Privacy team on closing their $15M Series A round led by Lightbank and Health Velocity Capital! SV initially backed Ours in 2022 during their Seed round when it was a telehealth couples' therapy platform. As founders Jessica Holton, Adam Putterman and Tyler Zey were building out the product, they became aware of a huge painpoint in the healthcare industry: HIPAA-compliant patient acquisition. When conventional tracking tools were removed to protect patient data, marketing performance became harder to measure and acquisition costs rose sharply. In solving that problem internally, the team uncovered that healthcare organizations lacked modern marketing infrastructure designed with privacy at the core. This journey enabled the team to become intimately aware of the problem they are solving. The founders had the conviction to pivot and make the leap to an entirely new model when the bigger opportunity became clear. SV has worked closely with the team throughout every stage of that journey. Today, Ours Privacy enables compliant growth for health systems, digital health companies, behavioral health providers, and major medical brands. Read more on the raise below:  https://lnkd.in/e86gJ88C

We are excited to announce that Hapiko, creator of Stickerbox, has been acquired by Spin Master! Founders Arun Gupta and Robert J Whitney had an early vision around building child-safe AI that could be both entertaining and educational. Stickerbox was immediately a hit with parents and kids—since its launch, the product sold out thirteen times.   This deal is a prime example of SV working with a founder we have known for years: Beth Ferreira initially met Arun Gupta when he was early in building his prior business, Grailed, which he led to a successful exit. When he teamed up with Robert and set out to build his next company, he came straight to us. At SV, we look for founders with a strong passion for what they are building, coupled with the experience to execute it. Given our longstanding relationship with Arun, we've witnessed his track record of spotting cultural shifts early and turning them into products with real reach, and felt confident in his conviction to build and scale Hapiko. We have been paying close attention to consumer trends through a family lens, and are excited about companies building with parents in mind. We believe AI will be a core part of how the next generation grows up, and it will be important to expose them to the technology in a way that is trustworthy. The Hapiko team is solving this pain point for parents in the age of AI. We are excited to follow Hapiko as they continue to be a trailblazer in kid-safe AI.   https://lnkd.in/eVB-7xP8

Khloud has been featured by Fortune, highlighting its rapid growth as the brand takes over the snack aisle at Target, Walmart, and Starbucks. Khloud has timed the protein wave perfectly, and is now pushing into new territory with the launch of its Plus Collagen Protein Chips. Read the full article below: https://lnkd.in/epU7FmU2

Team TRACE has doubled in size! Gordon Li joined us as our founding engineer, and Yashas Rajanna Naidu is focused on machine learning. They’re both insanely talented builders and we feel very, very lucky to have them building TRACE with us. And we’re hiring again! We're looking for a full-time Social Media Manager to join us in NYC. Spread the word - link in comments!

Serena Williams sat down with the Masters of Scale podcast to discuss our firm's vision and team strength. She walked through our investment philosophy and why representation is a business advantage, not a mission statement. She also spoke about the discipline required to balance venture investing with a full life, all while staying laser-focused on returns for our LPs. And a sneak peek into the upcoming launch of our new fund, Starfire Ventures. Link below: https://lnkd.in/gMnSK5CT cc: Interviewer with Bob Safian, Rapid Response

Khloud has officially popped up in Publix! Whether you're shopping for your weekly grocery haul or stocking up on all your summer snacking favorites, be sure to grab your favorite flavor of Khloud. Stay tuned to @khloudfoods on Instagram and Tiktok to see what's launching next!

We’re excited to welcome Beth Ferreira, Managing Partner at Starfire Ventures, and Emily Melton, Managing Partner at Threshold Ventures, to the Venture Forward Board of Directors. Beth and Emily bring decades of experience as investors, operators, fund managers, board leaders, and company builders. Their leadership will help strengthen Venture Forward’s work to expand access to VC education, mentorship, networks, and capital pathways — while deepening our support for investors and fund managers as they advance in their careers. We’re also grateful to outgoing board members Barry Eggers and Samara Mejia Hernandez for their four years of service and leadership, which helped build the foundation for this next chapter. Welcome to the board, Beth and Emily! https://lnkd.in/dr-ei9Ns

Thank you to Ryan Nece and the entire team at Next Legacy Partners for hosting us at the Next Legacy Bridge Summit in SF last week. Beth Ferreira joined Claire Zau, Cliff Curtis, JaVale McGee moderated by Festus Ezeli to discuss “What’s Your Edge.” It was an incredible event, bringing together an impactful group of investors, elite athletes, entertainers and founders. #BridgeSummit Photo credit Michaela Joy O'Shea

Beth Ferreira will be speaking at the Next Legacy Partners Bridge Summit tomorrow in SF! Learn more below:

Did you catch the newest deal aisle on REBEL? We've officially expanded our unbeatable prices into better-for-you snacks, bringing shoppers even more ways to discover incredible products at how are these real prices! From pantry staples to your favorite snack brands, this launch reflects what REBEL is all about: creating more opportunities for shoppers to find the brands they love at up to 70% off retail. Read the full article below! https://lnkd.in/e5wZSQfs Modern Retail Melissa Daniels