Happy Viking is proud to announce a milestone investment round backed by some of the world’s top professional athletes. Financing was led by Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Kevin Durant & Rich Kleiman’s 35V, Peloton Vice President of Fitness Programming and global wellness expert Robin Arzón, professional golfer Michelle Wie West, soccer champion and Medal of Freedom recipient Megan Rapinoe, tennis star Reilly Opelka, and basketball phenoms Isaiah Hartenstein and Collin Sexton.
Joining these athletes are additional investors Mates, Talent Resources Ventures, Parallel, and Oliver Trevena. On top of helping scale brand awareness, the investors’ support will enable the Happy Viking team to further communicate the benefits of plant-based superfoods and expand their existing portfolio with new product innovations.
“Venus is an incredible entrepreneur, and in getting to know her and the team she’s put together behind Happy Viking, it was clear to Kevin Durant and I that the company has set itself up for success. No one understands the health and nutrition space like a professional athlete, and Happy Viking is proof in product form.” –Rich Kleiman, 35V
Tennis champion and leading female entrepreneur, Venus Williams, started Happy Viking after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2011. After exploring plant-based superfood nutrition, Venus discovered positive changes to her mind, body and performance. She then set out to create Happy Viking to help others experience the same benefits.
“When I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, I became obsessed with doing research and exploring superfood ingredients that helped with my recovery. I would experiment with different recipes until I found a combination that tasted great, improved my health and allowed me to get back to tennis. I’ve seen first-hand what the benefits of adopting a plant-based diet has done for my body and performance. With Happy Viking, I want to give everyone the opportunity to be healthy, feel good, and live their dreams. I’m so excited to have these other world-class athletes on board to support our mission!” –Venus Williams, Creator of Happy Viking.
Neel Premkumar, Founder and CEO of Dyla Brands, co-founded Happy Viking with Venus Williams. He and Venus have quickly seen overwhelming support for the brand from thousands of customers, directly connected to the brand’s mission of inspiring better health and nutrition.
