Tennis superstar Serena Williams has joined a $10 million investment round in Esusu, a fintech startup that helps renters build their credit score.
Williams, through her Serena Ventures fund, was joined by Motley Fool Ventures, which led the round, along with The Equity Alliance, Predictive VC, and notably angel investors. Previous seed round investors Concrete Rose Capital, Impact America Fund, Global Impact Fund, Next Play Ventures, and Zeal Capital Partners also participated, bringing Esusu’s total funding raised to $14 million to date.
Over 45 million Americans do not have credit scores. Esusu's rent reporting capabilities solve for this by capturing and reporting rental payments to the largest credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Esusu also provides zero-interest Housing Stability Fund to help renters facing financial hardship avoid eviction.
“Esusu is really focused on credit building and creating pathways to financial inclusion for not only working families but for individuals as well,” says Williams. “Their services also make rent reporting seamless - finally giving renters credit for what often is their largest expense every month. Last year, of course, was the Covid-19 pandemic. It created an unemployment and housing crisis that left many renters struggling to make their rental payments on time, and they were often facing eviction. We saw Esusu respond immediately with rent relief efforts - creating zero-interest housing stability loans to address this problem head-on.”