Number of Portfolio Companies 4
Number of Current Board & Advisor Roles 1
  • Primary Job Title Founder
  • Primary Organization 
    TZONE
  • Investor Type  Investment Partner, Individual/Angel
  • Investor Stage  Seed

Tyra Banks is an actress, author, television personality, supermodel, and founder of TZONE. In the fashion industry, Banks is known for her extensive list of “firsts.” Over the course of her distinguished modeling career, successfully transitioning from high-fashion to commercial, she became the first African-American woman to grace the covers of

GQ and the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. At the height of her success with global supermodel status, Banks made the decision to leave the modeling world and pursue ventures in media and entertainment.

In 2003, Banks established Bankable, the parent company to the Digital, Studios, and Books divisions, creating a multi-faceted company where beauty meets entertainment. She became a pioneer in reality TV as the creator, executive producer, and host of America’s Next Top Model which is viewed in over 170 markets, with 20 international editions. In 2005, Banks became the first woman seen simultaneously on primetime and daytime with the launch of her own talk show, as host and executive producer of the Emmy-winning, “The Tyra Show.” Banks is also the co-executive producer of ABC’s primetime reality series “True Beauty.”

In 2011, Banks announced an exclusive partnership with Demand Media to launch a highly-interactive, beauty-and fashion-focused online platform. She also released her first fiction novel in 2011 titled ModelLand, a fantasy trilogy published by Delacorte Press of Random House, which hit the New York Times bestseller list.

Through all her endeavors, Banks remains committed to her personal mission to empower women and expand the definition of beauty.

Number of Investments 4
Tyra Banks has made 4 investments. Their latest investment was Series C - theSkimm on Mar 16, 2018, when theSkimm raised
$12M
.
Announced Date  
Organization Name  
Lead Investor  
Funding Round  
Money Raised  
Mar 16, 2018
theSkimm
Series C - theSkimm
$12M
Feb 9, 2015
videogram
No
Series A - videogram
$4.1M
Feb 4, 2014
The Muse
Seed Round - The Muse
$1.5M
Nov 24, 2013
ShopTap Industries
No
Series A - ShopTap Industries
$5.5M
Number of Partner Investments 2
Announced Date  
Organization Name  
Investor Name  
Lead Investor  
Funding Round  
Money Raised  
Feb 10, 2015
Locket
Fierce Capital
No
Seed Round - Locket
$3.2M
Aug 15, 2013
Flixel Photos
Fierce Capital
Seed Round - Flixel Photos
$395K
Number of Current Jobs 3
Tyra Banks has 3 current jobs including Founder at Fierce Capital, Founder at Tyra Beauty, and Founder at TZONE.
Number of Current Board & Advisor Roles 1
Tyra Banks is the Investor at Locket.
Tyra Banks studied at Harvard University.
Number of Events 1
Tyra Banks has participated in 1 event, QuickBooks Connect on Nov 15, 2017.
Number of News Articles 284
NewsJul 19, 2021
Los Angeles Business Journal — Tyra Banks Launches Smize Ice Cream Company
NewsJul 6, 2021
NewsMay 25, 2020
Los Angeles Business Journal — LA500 2020: Technology
NewsMay 5, 2020
NewsApr 22, 2020
NewsMar 18, 2020