Serena Williams’ Venture Capital Firm Leads $3M Investment In Fashion Startup, ‘Trace’
Source: Black Enterprise · Oct 27, 2026
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The Money Angle
Business relevance
9/10
- 01Serena Ventures led Trace’s $3 million seed round, with Shakti VC also participating. The funding supports the newly launched fashion rental and resale marketplace.
- 02Trace lets shoppers line up rental or resale interest before buying clothing, potentially offsetting purchase costs through shared use and secondhand sales.
- 03Buyers pay a 10% service fee plus $3 for protection; renters pay a 10% service fee plus a protection fee of $5 to $12.
- 04Sellers pay no resale commission but owe a 15% commission on rentals, giving Trace revenue from transaction fees.
- 05The deal expands Serena Williams’ venture portfolio. She cited Trace’s market potential, business model and founding team as reasons for investing.
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Who's involved
Serena WilliamsSerena VenturesTraceShakti VCKatie PflegerElla RubinEtsyWalmart
This Money Angle is an AI-assisted summary of reporting by Black Enterprise. Figures come only from the source article. Not financial advice.