Serena Williams raised a $111 million venture fund a year ago. Now she’s the No. 4 female seed investor

• Serena Williams has quickly vaulted to the top ranks of early-stage investors.
• Founders close to her have said Williams uses her network and status to open doors for them.
• Read: The Seed 100: The best early-stage investors of 2023 and Seed 30: The best women early-stage investors of 2023.

It was still dark outside when Wemimo Abbey, a cofounder of the fintech startup Esusu, woke up to a text about the business from one of its investors, Serena Williams.