500 Startups

500 Startups is a venture capital firm on a mission to discover and back the world’s most talented entrepreneurs.

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Updated: Dec 29, 2025 ·

About

500 Startups is a venture capital firm on a mission to discover and back the world’s most talented entrepreneurs.

Financial History

Total Raised

N/A

Valuation

N/A

Investments Made

Date	Company	Round	Lead Investor(s)	Co-Investor(s)
Oct 1, 2025	CADO Gifting	$5.0M Seed	—	Arzan Venture Capital
Sep 1, 2025	AppZen	$180.0M Series D	—	500 Global, Bloomberg Beta, Hillsven, Insight Partners, PS Investments, Redpoint Ventures, Resolute Ventures, Riverwood Capital, Scale Asia Ventures, SignalFire, Greg Kidd
Sep 1, 2025	VAMA	$2.0M Seed	—	Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, V3 Ventures, Kunal Shah
Jul 1, 2025	Yasmina	$2.0M Seed	—	500 Global, Arzan Venture Capital, Blue Impact, Quona Capital, Asher Siddiqui
Jun 1, 2025	Octane	$5.0M Seed	—	Archetype, Basis Set Ventures, Citi Ventures, Contour Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, Trajectory Ventures, Valar Ventures, Winklevoss Capital, Work-Bench, Arash Ferdowsi, Balaji Srinivasan, Nitay Joffe, Roger Ehrenberg
May 1, 2025	ThriveAI	$1.0M Seed	—	Chloe Sladden, Moxxie Ventures, Red Sea Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, Ribbit Capital, Scribble Ventures, Slow Ventures, Adam D'Angelo, David Marcus, Greg Brockman, Javier Olivan, Jeff Arnold, Mike Krieger
May 1, 2025	Seedflex Technologies	$3.0M Seed	—	468 Capital, Iterative, Lightbank, Pelion Venture Partners, Presight Capital
May 1, 2025	Sylndr	$16.0M Series A	—	500 Global, Accion Venture Lab
May 1, 2025	CrediLinq.Ai	$9.0M Series A	—	1982 Ventures, Airbus Ventures, Dream Ventures VC, MS&AD Ventures, Saxena Capital, Starting Line, VU Venture Partners
Apr 1, 2025	Terminal 3	$8.0M Seed	—	Alumni Ventures, Animoca Brands, AppWorks, Browder Capital, CVentures, Hack VC, Hoxton Ventures, Illuminate Financial Management, Lightbank, NEVA SGR, Octopus Ventures, Polygon, Ulu Ventures, Maroof Ahmed, Yusuf Sherwani
Mar 1, 2025	Elevarm	$4.0M Seed	—	500 Global, Antler, Hack VC, Intudo Ventures
Mar 1, 2025	Featherless.ai	$5.0M Seed	—	Airbus Ventures, CyberAgent Ventures
Jan 1, 2025	iMotorbike	$10.0M Series A	—	Alpha JWC Ventures, Presight Capital, White Star Capital, Dimiter Tschawow, Mato Peric
Oct 1, 2024	Octa	$2.0M Seed	—	500 Global, Blue Impact, Global Founders Capital, Mundi Ventures, Next47, Partech Ventures, Quona Capital, Cristóbal Conde
Oct 1, 2024	rabbit	$1.0M Venture Round	—	Musaab Hakami
May 1, 2024	Notti Pet Food	$510K Seed	—	AgFunder
Mar 1, 2024	Ai Palette	$6.0M Series A	—	500 Global, Jungle Ventures
Mar 1, 2024	Upshift	$150K Seed	—	Better Tomorrow Ventures, Blackhorn Ventures, Climate Capital, Data Point Capital, Fearless Ventures, Independent, NextGen Venture Partners, Third Sphere, Y Combinator, Maia Bittner
Feb 1, 2024	Prefer	$2.0M Seed	—	Kirill Silkin
Dec 1, 2023	Lisan	$2.0M Seed	—	500 Global, Plug & Play Ventures
Dec 1, 2023	Qarbotech	$700K Seed	—	500 Global, Charlie Songhurst
Dec 1, 2023	Blink	$2.0M Seed	—	186 Ventures, Global Founders Capital, One Way Ventures, Shkuri Ventures, Village Global, Y Combinator
Oct 1, 2023	Phasio	$3.0M Seed	—	500 Global, Latin Leap, Fabio Cannavale
Sep 1, 2023	Barakah	$2.0M Seed	—	Plus Venture Capital, Balaji Srinivasan
Jul 1, 2023	Finda	$37.0M Series C	—	Bread and Butter Ventures, Soma Capital, Daren Cotter

Financial History

Total Raised

N/A

Valuation

N/A

Leadership Team

Key people at 500 Startups.

Marcus Ogawa

Mentor

Moo Natavudh Pungcharoenpong

General Partner / Advisor

Arief bin Johan Alimin

EIR & Venture Partner

Mentor at 500 Startups

Pat Naranpat Thitipattakul

Growth Hacker-In-Residence

Advisor, "Geeks on a Plane Asia" 2010 & 2011

Katya Kohen

Mentor, EIR

Brett Fink

Partnerships & Business Development

Mentor and Limited Partner - Product & Technology (CPO / CTO) focus

Managing Partner - Canada

Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Jimmy Zhong

Network Founder

Dave McClure

Founder, Managing Partner

Elizabeth Yin

Partner

Adam Corey

Head of Investor Relations

Founding Partner and CEO

Rui Ma

Partner, Greater China & Head of Global Fundraising

Portfolio Company Founder & Mentor

Partner, FinTech/Insurtech

Justin Chong Yew-Ming

Entrepreneur In Residence

Juan Lopez Salaberry

Partner

George Kellerman

Managing Partner & Fire Chief

Zafer Younis

Partner

Leadership Team

Key people at 500 Startups.

Marcus Ogawa

Mentor

Moo Natavudh Pungcharoenpong

General Partner / Advisor

Arief bin Johan Alimin

EIR & Venture Partner

Mentor at 500 Startups

Pat Naranpat Thitipattakul

Growth Hacker-In-Residence

Advisor, "Geeks on a Plane Asia" 2010 & 2011

Katya Kohen

Mentor, EIR

Brett Fink

Partnerships & Business Development

Mentor and Limited Partner - Product & Technology (CPO / CTO) focus

Managing Partner - Canada

Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Jimmy Zhong

Network Founder

Dave McClure

Founder, Managing Partner

Elizabeth Yin

Partner

Adam Corey

Head of Investor Relations

Founding Partner and CEO

Rui Ma

Partner, Greater China & Head of Global Fundraising

Portfolio Company Founder & Mentor

Partner, FinTech/Insurtech

Justin Chong Yew-Ming

Entrepreneur In Residence

Juan Lopez Salaberry

Partner

George Kellerman

Managing Partner & Fire Chief

Zafer Younis

Partner

Deep Dive

High-Level Overview

500 Global (formerly 500 Startups) is a venture capital firm and startup accelerator with a mission to discover and back the world’s most talented entrepreneurs globally. It focuses on early-stage investments, providing seed funding, mentorship, and growth support to startups across diverse sectors such as fintech, health tech, e-commerce, software, and deep tech. The firm operates a flagship 4-month accelerator program that equips startups with resources to refine product-market fit, scale operations, and secure further investment. With over 2,900 companies invested in across 80+ countries, 500 Global plays a significant role in nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship worldwide[1][2][3][7].

Origin Story

Founded in 2010 by Dave McClure and Christine Tsai, 500 Global began as 500 Startups in Silicon Valley, initially admitting its first cohort of startups in 2011. The firm evolved from a seed accelerator to a global venture capital powerhouse managing $2.3 billion in assets as of 2025. Over time, it expanded its investment focus beyond the accelerator stage to include broader venture funding, emphasizing global reach and diversity. Key partners include Christine Tsai (CEO and Founding Partner) and other managing partners who guide its strategic growth and global expansion[1][2][3][6].

Core Differentiators

Unique Investment Model: Combines seed funding with a hands-on accelerator program that includes mentorship, growth hacking, and fundraising support.
Global Network Strength: Extensive presence in over 80 countries, enabling access to emerging markets and diverse entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Track Record: Over 2,900 investments including notable companies like Canva, Credit Karma, Grab, and Twilio, with multiple successful exits.
Operating Support: Provides startups with structured curricula, industry expert access, and Demo Days to connect with investors and partners.
Commitment to Diversity: Actively invests in underrepresented founders and fosters inclusive startup communities[1][2][3][7].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

500 Global rides the trend of globalization in venture capital, capitalizing on the rise of early-stage investing and the convergence of seed and Series A rounds. Its timing is critical as it taps into emerging markets in Latin America, Africa, and MENA, regions poised for significant startup growth and unicorn creation. The firm influences the ecosystem by democratizing access to capital and expertise, accelerating innovation beyond traditional tech hubs, and shaping the future of global entrepreneurship[4][8].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Looking ahead, 500 Global is expected to deepen its global footprint and expand investment stages beyond seed, adapting to evolving market dynamics and startup needs. Trends such as increased pre-seed funding, focus on sustainability, and technology-driven solutions in emerging markets will shape its journey. As it continues to back diverse founders and frontier markets, 500 Global’s influence in fostering inclusive, global innovation ecosystems is likely to grow, reinforcing its mission to empower the world’s most talented entrepreneurs[4][8].

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Who founded 500 Startups?

500 Startups was founded in 2010 by Jimmy Zhong (Network Founder) and Dave McClure (Founder, Managing Partner) and Armando Biondi (Batch 5 & 7 Founder) and William Kasel (Portfolio Company Founder & Mentor) and Ivan Marandola (Startup Founders).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who founded 500 Startups?

High-Level Overview

Origin Story

Core Differentiators

Unique Investment Model: Combines seed funding with a hands-on accelerator program that includes mentorship, growth hacking, and fundraising support.
Global Network Strength: Extensive presence in over 80 countries, enabling access to emerging markets and diverse entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Track Record: Over 2,900 investments including notable companies like Canva, Credit Karma, Grab, and Twilio, with multiple successful exits.
Operating Support: Provides startups with structured curricula, industry expert access, and Demo Days to connect with investors and partners.
Commitment to Diversity: Actively invests in underrepresented founders and fosters inclusive startup communities[1][2][3][7].