Naomi Osaka’s media company, Hana Kuma, has gained a significant new investment from The Players Fund, an athlete-led venture capital firm.
This marks another milestone for Osaka’s growing enterprise, which continues to attract high-profile investors and collaborators.
Hana Kuma was launched in June 2022 by Osaka and her business partner, Stuart Duguid, in collaboration with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Co., which provides financing, operations, and production support.
In April 2023, the company successfully closed a $5 million funding round, bolstering its team and programming while creating a more robust business plan. This move was part of a spin-off to grant Hana Kuma greater independence.
“We really want to see her build her own version of SpringHill,” Carter said at the time. “We’ve worked really hard to get SpringHill where it is, but now we want to help others to do the same, and to do it differently in their own way and voice.”
The recent investment from The Players Fund aims to create new partnerships and explore content-creation opportunities. This investment follows contributions from SpringHill, Nike, Epic Games, and Fenway Sports Group.
“We are thrilled to welcome The Players Fund as an investor in Hana Kuma,” Osaka stated. “Their extensive network of elite athletes from all backgrounds aligns perfectly with our mission to uplift diverse voices and perspectives through innovative storytelling.”
Fergus Bell, managing partner at The Players Fund, praised the vision behind Hana Kuma.
“What Naomi, Stuart, and the team at SpringHill are building with Hana Kuma will be the framework for diverse storytelling for years to come,” Bell said. “We have waited a long time for a female athlete-led content platform and believe that with The Players Fund’s global network, we can truly accelerate the Hana Kuma roadmap alongside partners such as Epic Games, Fenway Sports Group, Nike, and LeBron James.”
This new investment underscores the growing influence and potential of Hana Kuma in the media industry, particularly in championing diverse voices and perspectives through innovative content creation.
