500 Global

The internet is a wild place. Over the last decade, 2.5B people came online. What happens when the next billion internet users come online? We believe that a lot of value may be created. But how? And more importantly, how can you be a part of it? The answers may surprise you. Explore the #RiseReport now. #500strong https://500.co/risereport

Ada Chen Rekhi, Executive Coach, joins Batch 35 as a Coach in Residence, bringing a wealth of experience and invaluable lessons to guide our founders through their entrepreneurial journeys. She understands the challenges founders face and is inspired by the curiosity and creativity of Batch 35. We are thrilled to have her on board to support and mentor this exceptional group. Learn more about the Flagship Accelerator program: https://lnkd.in/g6sHSwS5

🚨Guest speaker announcement! Mike Maples, Jr, co-founding Partner at Floodgate, will be leading a session at #VCUnlocked: Silicon Valley this fall at Stanford University. 🌟 Mike has been a dominant force in the venture capital world, making the Forbes Midas List eight times in the last decade. Recognized as a “Rising Star” by FORTUNE and profiled by Harvard Business School, his contributions to entrepreneurship are legendary. His impressive portfolio includes investments in Twitter, Twitch.tv, Clover Health, Okta, Outreach, and many more. Mike is also the host of the Pattern Breakers podcast and writes a Pattern Breakers Substack where he shares invaluable startup lessons from top performers. This summer, he's releasing his new book, "Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future," which offers groundbreaking insights for entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate leaders. Limited seats remain for the 11th cohort of VC Unlocked: Silicon Valley. Secure your nomination today: https://lnkd.in/gjeErdp9 #VCUnlocked Stanford Center for Professional Development

📢 500글로벌이 중소벤처기업부의 팁스(TIPS) 운영사로 선정되었습니다! 🚀 팁스(TIPS, Tech Incubator Program for Startup)는 중소벤처기업부가 주관하는 민간 주도형 기술창업 지원 프로그램입니다. 민간투자와 정부 R&D를 연계해 고급 기술인력의 창업 활성화를 지원하는 제도입니다. 현재 국내 창업 생태계에서 팁스는 초기 스타트업들의 성장을 위한 핵심 역할을 담당하고 있습니다. 많은 유망 스타트업들이 이 프로그램을 통해 성장 발판을 마련했습니다. 🌍 500글로벌 코리아는 TIPS 프로그램을 통해 혁신적인 기술 기반의 스타트업들이 초기 창업 과정에서 직면하는 어려움을 극복할 수 있도록 보육, 멘토링, 그리고 최대 5억 원(일반형), 15억 원(딥테크형)의 자금 지원을 제공합니다. 또한, 국내외 마케팅 자금 지원도 최대 1억 원까지 매칭하여 지원합니다. 🤝 500글로벌은 글로벌 네트워크와 투자 노하우를 활용하여 국내 스타트업들이 글로벌 시장에서 성장하고 성공할 수 있도록 최선을 다하겠습니다. 📢 500 Global Korea Selected as a TIPS Partner! 🚀 TIPS (Accelerator Investment-Driven Tech Incubator Program for Startup) is designed to identify and nurture the most promising startups with innovative ideas and groundbreaking technologies. In order to support them when entering the global marketplace, it appoints and designates successful venture founders – who are now angel investors and leaders of technological enterprises – as their incubators/accelerators. It then offers seamless service encompassing angel investor networking, incubating, mentoring/professional support and matching R&D funds. #500글로벌 #팁스 #한국스타트업 #글로벌진출 #혁신 #벤처캐피탈 #창업 #TIPS 500 Global 500 Korea Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Republic of Korea

Khailee Ng's Masterclass: The Power of Storytelling and Preparation Khailee Ng, the dynamic Managing Partner of 500 Global, kicked off the Tech in Asia conference with an electrifying keynote presentation that was a masterclass in energy, storytelling, and meticulous preparation. Here's why Energy: From the moment Khailee stepped on stage, he was a whirlwind of energy (making it challenging to get a good photo!). He moved constantly, engaging every corner of the room with his enthusiasm and passion. Storytelling: Khailee’s talk on the rise of Malaysia in the Southeast Asian startup scene was packed with data and insights. But what made it truly special were the personal anecdotes and stories he shared from his extensive experience in the startup world. They were genuine and heartfelt, creating a deep connection with the audience. Preparation: After the talk, I had the chance to chat with Khailee (along with my good friend Zubin Rada Krishnan). He revealed that he spent over 16 hours preparing and rehearsing his slides. This doesn’t even include the research time for the data. He meticulously planned his slides and rehearsed his speech, writing it down word for word to ensure a smooth flow. His preparation paid off, showcasing the hard work behind the scenes that goes into being a polished speaker. Khailee's keynote was a powerful reminder that great presentations are not born overnight. They are the result of hours of preparation, a deep understanding of the audience, and a genuine passion for sharing knowledge. If you are curious about how you can be a better storyteller for the stage, boardroom or meeting room, drop me a DM, and we can have a quick phone call. Willis Wee Maria Li Terence Lee

Last week, Allen Taylor, Managing Partner, Endeavor Catalyst joined us for a live webinar discussing why he believes the best VC returns of the next two decades will come from emerging managers and markets. Throughout the conversation, Allen highlighted the transformative potential of emerging managers in undercapitalized markets. He explored the importance of building trust and supportive ecosystems before deploying capital and discussed the significant opportunities in regions like Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. With 26% of global unicorns coming from these areas, early-stage investments driven by a global perspective hold immense potential for long-term growth. If you missed the live session, register to watch the recording: https://lnkd.in/gdtwzsMm Interested in deepening your VC knowledge base? Nominations for VC Unlocked: Silicon Valley are open for a limited time. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gjeErdp9

From the very beginning of the day, there's been a festive feeling in the air: 500 Global is celebrating its birthday (a bit early so we could bring in team members from around the globe to celebrate 🌏 ). We're sharing this day with the current and previous batches of 500 Global Flagship Accelerator, enjoying delicious food, laughter, a warm atmosphere, the company of wonderful people, and stories from talented guests Tiago Paiva! Happy 14th Birthday to us! 🎉 🎉 with Christine Tsai, Tony Wang, Tim Chae, Paul E. Yoo, Monique Arnold, Rebecca Lundquist, Clayton Bryan, Leonard Lee, Aaron Blumenthal, Samantha Kiel, JT E., Jordan Sawadogo, Iris Sun, Miranda Gahagan, Maryellen Stafford, Niamh O'Donnell, Emily Printz, Hannah Joo, Helen Hyungmin P., and many- many others! #500Global #BD #FlagshipAccelerator #500GlobalTeam

[What Do Early-Stage VCs Look for When Deciding to Invest?] Early-stage investors often get asked what influences their investment decisions. While each VC has unique criteria, I focus on three key areas: Market, Team, and Execution. 💡 Market: Is It a Growing Market? The primary question is whether the market is poised for growth. Investing in a declining industry, no matter how profitable, can be counterproductive. There is a difference between running profitable business and operating in a sector that appeals to VCs. I often ask, "What kind of company do you want to build in the long run?" This helps determine if venture investment aligns with the founder’s vision. If a company is in such a situation, alternative financing might be more suitable than VC investment. Sometimes investment can misalign business direction. VC investments are meaningful when VCs can add value. 💡 Team: Can the Founders Solve Problems Better, Faster, and More Sustainably? Most markets already have multiple companies solving similar problems. The critical factor for VCs is the founding team. Can the team solve the problem better than others? The reasons can vary: industry expertise, serial entrepreneurship experience, or unique insights. The team must have a significant advantage over others tackling the same issue. A good founder should be intellectually smart and adept in social and motivational aspects. Such founders can persuade others to join their vision, and having a network of good people around is the most efficient way to run a company with limited resources. 💡 Execution: Focus and Determination to Solve Customer Problems Companies go through growth cycles, and different founders shine at different stages. As an early-stage VC, I look for founders who can quickly deliver results in early phases. Startups should be leaner than larger companies focusing sharply on identifying core issues and finding solutions that customers are willing to pay for. While execution is a qualitative aspect, it remains crucial. This is why early-stage investors often spend over months following up on founders to understand their problem-solving processes developing. 💡 Investment decisions ultimately reflect the investor's values and beliefs. It boils down to one key point - "Investment decisions reflects investor’s values". I often find that founders I choose to invest in share similar values with me. For me, investing is a way to validate my beliefs about the market, people, and methodologies. In this context, I advise early-stage founders who face numerous rejections not to take them as reflections of business’s potential failure. Rejections may occur because the business doesn't require substantial VC investment or due to mismatch with the investor’s interests or values. For those who genuinely need early-stage VC funding, I recommend finding investors who share similar values, language, and visions. #VC #VentureCapital #Startups #Investments 500 Korea 500 Global

Story of WinCL 윈클 - 500 Global 500 Korea ‘s portco - who is building end-to-end platform for carbon credits has been featured in Asian Economics. 🚀

🚀 500 Korea 가 드디어 TIPS 운영사로 신규 선정되었습니다! Exciting news! 500 Global has been newly selected as a TIPS operator! 🚀 팁스(TIPS, Tech Incubator Program for Startup)는 중소벤처기업부가 주관하는 민간 주도형 기술창업 지원 프로그램입니다. 민간투자와 정부 R&D를 연계해 고급 기술인력의 창업 활성화를 지원하는 제도입니다. 현재 국내 창업 생태계에서 팁스는 초기 스타트업들의 성장을 위한 핵심 역할을 담당하고 있습니다. 많은 유망 스타트업들이 이 프로그램을 통해 성장 발판을 마련했습니다. 이번 500글로벌 한국 운용사의 팁스 컨소시엄에는 500글로벌 미국 본사인 500 Startups Management Company가 해외협력기관으로, ESG의 중요성 확대와 에너지 패러다임 전환에 맞춰 친환경 분야를 집중 육성하는 밸류업 전문 플랫폼 주식회사 이도 등이 국내협력기관으로 참여했습니다. 해당 컨소시엄은 ‘글로벌'에 방점을 찍으면서 500글로벌이 지닌 글로벌 네트워크와 지난 14년간의 초기창업 투자 노하우를 바탕으로, 한국의 유망 스타트업들이 더 넓은 해외 시장으로 진출할 수 있는 기회를 제공할 계획입니다. 팁스 신규 선정 과정을 총괄한 '500글로벌'의 신은혜 심사역은 "이번 팁스 운용사 선정으로 우수한 혁신적인 기술 기반의 스타트업들이 초기창업 과정에서 직면하는 데스밸리를 극복하는 데에 큰 도움이 될 것으로 기대한다”며 “운영사로서 글로벌 네트워크와 투자 노하우를 활용해 국내 스타트업들의 글로벌 진출과 성장을 보다 적극 지원할 계획"이라고 밝혔습니다. TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startup) is a private-led technology startup support program supervised by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. This system boosts startups by linking private investment with government R&D, playing a key role in early-stage startup growth in Korea. Many promising startups have leveraged this program for growth. 500 Global’s Korea TIPS consortium includes the 500 Startups Management Company. This consortium aims to help Korean startups enter the global market using 500 Global's extensive network and investment expertise. Blaire Eunhae Shin, an investment manager at 500 Global in charge of TIPS operator selection process, stated, "We expect that this selection as a TIPS operator will significantly help innovative technology-based startups overcome early-stage challenges. We plan to actively support their global expansion and growth using our global network and investment know-how." Link: https://lnkd.in/gvx5PEWQ #TIPS #팁스 #스타트업