Thirty Five Ventures

Thirty Five Ventures
Name	Thirty Five Ventures
Type	Private
Industry	Venture capital, Sports management, Entertainment
Founded	2015
Founder	Alexis Ohanian; Serena Williams
Headquarters	New York City, New York
Key people	Alexis Ohanian; Serena Williams; Janet Lee
Products	Early-stage investments, Brand partnerships, Media production

Thirty Five Ventures

Thirty Five Ventures is an American investment and brand-management firm co-founded by Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams that operates at the intersection of venture capital, sports representation, and media production. The firm engages in seed and early-stage investing, strategic partnerships with consumer brands, and production ventures tied to entertainment and sports properties. Thirty Five Ventures has intersected with high-profile entities across technology, fashion, media, and health, attracting attention from investors and media outlets including TechCrunch, Forbes, The New York Times, and Bloomberg News.

History

Thirty Five Ventures was launched after Serena Williams's tennis career elevated her profile through victories at tournaments such as the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open (tennis), and Alexis Ohanian's tenure co-founding Reddit and involvement in startup ecosystems spotlighted founders like Steve Huffman and investors associated with Y Combinator. Early public reports tied the firm's founding to cultural moments including the 2015 US Open and business coverage in Vanity Fair and Wired. The firm's timeline includes partnerships and announcements at industry events such as TechCrunch Disrupt and appearances on stages alongside leaders from Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and representatives from the National Basketball Association during crossover projects. Thirty Five Ventures expanded amid broader shifts in financing that featured firms like Benchmark (venture capital firm) and Kleiner Perkins engaging with athlete-founded ventures. Milestones referenced in media involved collaborations with celebrities who have histories with entities such as Nike, Inc., Estée Lauder Companies, and production deals comparable to those inked by Jay-Z's ventures.

Business Model and Investments

The firm's business model combines venture investing, brand management for athletes and celebrities, and content production anchored in deals similar to those negotiated by CAA and Wasserman Media Group. Investment activity mirrors patterns seen at Founders Fund and Union Square Ventures with an emphasis on consumer technology, wellness startups, and direct-to-consumer brands like those associated with founders of Glossier and Warby Parker. Thirty Five Ventures has engaged in seed rounds alongside syndicates forming with angel investors prominent in communities around Y Combinator, 500 Startups, and institutional limited partners from families tied to Goldman Sachs and BlackRock-adjacent vehicles. The firm structures deals that blend equity stakes, advisory roles, and co-branded marketing arrangements akin to partnerships between Kendall Jenner-backed brands and multinational corporations such as Procter & Gamble.

Notable Founders and Leadership

Co-founder Serena Williams is internationally known for Grand Slam titles at events including the Australian Open and for lifestyle ventures that intersect with fashion collaborations with houses like Nike, Inc. and influencers in circles that include Rihanna and Victoria Beckham. Co-founder Alexis Ohanian is recognized for co-founding Reddit and for public advocacy connected to initiatives that involved figures like Barack Obama and organizations such as Mozilla Foundation. Strategic hires and advisors reported in business press have included executives and board members with backgrounds at firms like Spotify, Netflix, Samsung Electronics, and agencies comparable to Publicis Groupe. Leadership interactions have placed the firm in conversations with investors from Accel Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and executives from legacy media companies such as The Walt Disney Company.

Portfolio Companies and Projects

Portfolio selections emphasize consumer brands, media startups, sports-tech, and healthcare-focused companies with parallels to ventures funded by Sequoia Capital and Benchmark (venture capital firm). Reported investments and partnerships have involved startups occupying categories similar to Away (luggage company), Glossier, The Athletic, and wellness brands with affinities to entrepreneurs behind SoulCycle and ClassPass. The firm's media projects include production initiatives akin to those by Imagine Entertainment and partnerships in documentary and scripted content that mirror deals with HBO and Netflix. Collaborations with athlete-led enterprises recall arrangements undertaken by players associated with LeBron James's production imprint and the investment activities of celebrities like Ashton Kutcher.

Financial Performance and Fundraising

Fundraising activity at Thirty Five Ventures has been discussed alongside capital raises typical of early-stage firms that secure commitments from family offices, celebrity limited partners, and institutional allocators such as endowments linked to universities like Harvard University and Stanford University. Coverage has compared the firm’s approach to aggregation of capital to models used by SoftBank Vision Fund and micro-VCs operating in cohorts similar to 500 Startups. Financial outcomes for portfolio exits are framed relative to benchmarks set by firms achieving liquidity through acquisitions by companies like Amazon (company), Google LLC, and Microsoft, or public listings on exchanges governed by Securities and Exchange Commission-regulated processes.

Corporate Structure and Governance

Thirty Five Ventures operates as a private company with governance practices reflecting standards used by venture firms and talent agencies such as Sequoia Capital, Benchmark (venture capital firm), CAA, and WME. Board-level oversight and advisory relationships have been reported to include individuals with prior board service at corporations and nonprofits comparable to Spotify, Nike, Inc., Estée Lauder Companies, and academic institutions like Columbia University. Compliance and investor relations are managed in ways consistent with reporting expectations set by regulators including the Securities and Exchange Commission and professional norms observed by institutional investors from firms like BlackRock and Vanguard Group.

Category:Venture capital firms Category:Sports management companies Category:Entertainment companies in the United States