International tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams have signed on as the first ambassadors of Shares, the UK’s social and community-based investment app, as they also become shareholders in the startup.
Venus Williams continues, “Shares is an imaginative and entertaining solution that addresses a legitimate need, which is why we wanted to collaborate with Benjamin and the team. When it comes to the businesses we support, we both have a wide range of interests, but there is a recurring theme that lies at the point where passion and purpose converge.
A few months have passed since the $40M Series B fundraising round, which was led by Valar Ventures and the Peter Thiel Fund, was announced. Additionally, Serena’s retirement from professional tennis after 23 Grand Slam singles victories was recently announced, which coincides with the appointment.
The tennis pro also disclosed that she had just started investing actively in early-stage firms.
Serena Williams says, “I was taken away by the vision the first time I heard about Shares. It is uncommon to find businesses that are as committed to removing obstacles to entry and creating inclusive environments in established industries as an investment.”
Serene continued, “Gen Z has an inquisitive outlook on the world and has been much more outspoken about educating themselves and disseminating that knowledge thanks to social media amplification. I think that everyone should have access to the tools, especially women.
Shares were established by Benjamin Chemla, François Ruty, and Harjas Singh with the goal of leveling the playing field for investors and enabling everyone to achieve financial freedom.
Investors can trade on the site, manage their portfolios more effectively, and communicate with friends and family about opportunities.
Social trading, activity feeds and push notifications, group watchlists and activity signals, chats and social push notifications, analyst ratings, and price alerts are all features of the program.
Since its May 2022 launch, Shares has amassed over 150,000 users and grown to become the second-most downloaded app in the “Finance” category on the App Store and the sixth-most downloaded app in the UK.
Venus and Serena are the newest members of our Shares family, says Shares Co-Founder and CEO Benjamin Chemla. “Our main objective is to unite people to make finance more accessible while constantly providing our customers with the greatest product.”
“Venus and Serena have such a unique and inspiring story and amazing values, so we had no hesitation in bringing them in as shareholders and brand ambassadors. We’re confident that Venus and Serena will add dynamic energy to Shares that will drive and inspire us to imagine and build the best offering within the industry,” added Benjamin.
Image: Shares
