Tennis pro Serena Williams is investing in Lolli, a rewards app that allows people to earn Bitcoin (BTC) when they shop online.
The crypto startup says it raised $5 million in its pre-Series A funding round with Williams’s investment firm Serena Ventures and her husband Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital fund Seven Seven Six leading the group of investors.
Williams cites the impact of owning Bitcoin in explaining her interest in the platform.
“I’m excited to announce my investment in Lolli, a company on a mission to make Bitcoin more accessible. Earning and owning Bitcoin is a step towards financial inclusivity for all people.”
Night Media, the management company representing YouTube personalities MrBeast. Cody Ko, Casey Neistat, Philip DeFranco and Noel Miller are also participants in the funding round.
Lolli says it makes the flagship cryptocurrency more accessible by offering “cash back” rewards in Bitcoin on purchases at more than 1,000 companies, including Kroger, Best Buy and Nike.
The firm says it has already given more than $3 million in Bitcoin as rewards to users since its launch in 2018.
Lolli also raised $3 million in its seed round last year from investors that include actor Ashton Kutcher and YouTuber Michelle Phan.
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