In recent times, many celebrities have developed a big interest in the entrepreneurial world. Many celebrities play it safe and invest their money on big successful companies like Microsoft and Amazon. However, there are few who put their faith and money on emerging companies. Here is a list of 4 such celebrities who invested in startups.
Celebrities who have invested in startups
1) Snoop Dogg
Famous American rapper Snoop Dogg is also a venture capitalist who actively invests in startups. An avid marijuana user, Snoop Dogg became a capital venturist in 2015 when he invested in a California based weed startup company called Eaze. The startup claims to deliver medical marijuana to anyone’s doorstep under 10 minutes of placing the order. He has since founded and invested in many such startups including a website called MerryJane that focuses on news about marijuana.
2) Will Smith
This famous American actor and rapper has invested in a startup called BioBeats. The startup aims to beat mental illness with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI.) The startup uses wearable watches identify a pattern of mental health illness among office employees. The actor also recently announced he would invest $ 10,000 on a startup that successfully pitched their business idea onstage to him at the TechCrunch Disrupt Event.
3) Amitabh Bachchan
The veteran actor invested in many startups, most notably in JustDial an Indian company in which he owns a 10% stake and made a gain of 4600 percent. Amitabh Bachchan along with his son Abhishek Bachchan have also invested in a Singapore based startup called Ziddu. The father son duo invested a total of $ 250,000 in the Company. Ziddu is a blockchain research startup which provides cloud storage to others.
4) Priyanka Chopra
Actress and Philanthropist Priyanka Chopra has also turned into an investor. Priyanka invested in a US based dating app called Bumble. Launched in 2014 by Tinder cofounder Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble is a dating app that aims to make women feel safer while using the app. Priyanka will also act as an advisor for the app as the Company is planning to expand to India.
Did we miss mentioning any other celebrity turned venture capitalist? Comment below and let us know.
Meta is developing its first true AR glasses, set to launch in 2027. Before the public release, employees will test the device starting in 2024. The company is also releasing new generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2023 and 2025 with enhanced features like a “viewfinder” display.
Specifications and Features
The AR glasses are expected to feature OLED displays and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, offering sophisticated AR and AI capabilities. They will enable users to interact with virtual objects and project high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world.
Design and Competition
Meta aims for a sleek design, potentially building on its Ray-Ban partnerships. The AR glasses market is competitive, with Apple and Google also investing heavily. Meta seeks to make its AR glasses a game-changer by offering a unique user experience.
Future Plans
In addition to AR glasses, Meta is expanding its VR offerings with new headsets like the Quest 3 and exploring other wearable technologies. The company is focused on reducing costs to make the AR glasses more consumer-friendly by launch.
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service
Nazara Technologies has sold its entire 71.54% stake in Sports Unity Private Limited, the company behind the multiplayer quiz game ‘Qunami’, for INR 7.15 lakh. This divestment, effective March 25, 2025, signifies a strategic shift for Nazara, which had previously acquired a controlling interest in Sports Unity in 2019 for INR 7.5 crore.
The decision to offload the stake comes as Sports Unity has faced financial difficulties, reporting no active business operations and a negative net worth of INR 0.45 crore at the end of FY24. This move aligns with Nazara’s broader strategy to streamline its operations and concentrate on more profitable ventures within the gaming sector.
This sale follows Nazara’s recent divestment of a 94.85% stake in another subsidiary, Open Play, to Moonshine Technologies for INR 104.33 crore. Despite reporting record quarterly revenue of INR 544.7 crore in Q3 FY25, Nazara experienced a 53.5% decline in net profit year-over-year.
Nazara continues to focus on enhancing its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in high-potential gaming platforms while navigating the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.