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

I’m grateful to have had an engaging lunch meeting with Chrissy Hu, the director of the Malaysian Venture Capital firm 500 Global at the Asia School of Business with my MBA cohort last week. One point that was raised really stuck with me: the fear among VCs of a worst-case scenario in AI development—where a few mega-companies end up controlling all the power and markets because they’re the only ones with the resources to build and master their own AI systems. It’s a scary thought. But maybe I’m still naively holding onto some optimism. I’d like to believe that the Davids of the world—the smaller, scrappier players—can still find ways to challenge the Goliaths. (In the meantime perhaps we shouldn’t discount going into traditional businesses) #MBA #AsiaSchoolofBusiness #VentureCapital #VC #Malaysia #AI

Caught up with my friend Leonard Lee, who runs 500 Global's US accelerator. One thing we talked about was YC's centralized fund structure vs. 500’s decentralized structure, and how this impacts their ability to invest internationally. I’d noticed YC was doing a ton of international investing (e.g. LATAM & India) in ~2020, but seems to have declined a lot since. Leonard told me that both YC & 500 were funding tons of International companies, but many of these investments were not very good. Not because the founders or their ideas weren’t great, but because the markets just weren’t big enough. However, since each 500 fund can determine its own deal structure, they can stay active in international markets, since each fund can “right-size” their deal for their market, so the fund economics still work out. --- 1️⃣ imho YC is still the GOAT, but I think it’s smart that 500 has a slightly different strategy and doesn't play the exact same game as YC 2️⃣ picture is of us having a quick lunch at Quill's office -- if you want a free lunch and a live demo of Quill, DM me! 3️⃣ most importantly though, Leonard just had his third child! Congrats, wishing you and your family the best! 

What a fruitful and exciting week it’s been at Web Summit 2024 for our team! 🌟 Thank you Web Summit for this! (Recap + shoutouts below) but first, our team Pedro Santos Vieira and Yileen Koh are over at Slush in Helsinki this week, hosting an investor O/H session. More details to come soon but we’d love to connect you on Slush grounds! This year’s Web Summit was a great chance to showcase our progress and engage with a global tech audience. ⚪ 500 Global Partner - Pedro Santos Vieira, shared his thoughts at Web Summit on the panel: Venture Capital in Europe. From emerging opportunities to challenges faced by founders, the discussion sparked important conversations about the future of investment in the region. Pedro’s insights explored how Europe’s unique ecosystems are fueling innovation and creating new growth opportunities, especially in underrepresented regions. ⚪ As part of the 500 Global Accelerator Program in Eurasia, we were thrilled to support eight incredible portfolio companies during their immersion trip and showcase their innovations to a global audience.  📣 Huge shoutout to the startups that took the stage at our Portfolio Showcase: Beep, Awork, Kings International, Helio.AI, VideoPoint | Shoppable video for DTC sales, Katalist, Widgera, Algebras AI. Building game-changing solutions in FinTech, MarTech, AI, and beyond. We’re proud to back their growth as part of our mission to uplift startups across Eurasia. A heartfelt thank you to GITA•StartUP in Georgia and Bank of Georgia for your partnership and unwavering support in helping us showcase the best of Georgian and Eurasian innovation. Together, we’re creating new opportunities for startups in the region. Showcase evening was followed by Tech & Tonic with Intercom & 500 Eurasia, where ecosystem friends gathered in a relaxed atmosphere to connect over a glass of Georgian wine. 🍷 Attendance was at its peak as we nearly took over the streets of Lisbon! ⚪ Global Investment Trends Panel at VNTR Global Investor Summit 2024 VNTR Capital A big highlight of our time at #VNTRSummit was seeing Pedro Santos Vieira, share his insights on the panel, “Global Investment Trends.” From navigating shifting macroeconomic dynamics to identifying opportunities in emerging markets, Pedro brought sharp insights and real-world examples of how 500 Global continues to back transformative startups across Eurasia and beyond. 🚀 How was your Web Summit experience this year? Drop a comment or connect with us - we’d love to hear your thoughts! Stay tuned as we continue supporting thriving ecosystems across the EECCA region and beyond. 🌟 500 Global #WebSummit #VNTRSummit Roberto Perez Giorgi Razmadze Irakli Vekua Iako Jikia Kostas Zhukov Andraz Zvonar Sandro Bolkvadze Aira Mongush Elene Gogiashvili Oksana Vodonos Mariam Keratishvili

🌲 Reflections from the 500 Global Founder’s Retreat in Woodside, CA 🌲 Over the last two days, I attended an incredible retreat hosted by 500 Global in Woodside, CA. The setting, surrounded by tall trees and quiet natural surroundings, provided an ideal space for focused self-reflection, learning, and connection. Here are some highlights: 1. "Start Up Yourself" Coaching with Miroo Kim We explored several impactful ideas, including: - Mindful listening, helping us understand the value of being fully present. - Identifying our core values and personal/professional aspirations. - Envisioning the future we want, both personally and professionally. - Building a sustainable startup: 1) Timing 2) Team 3) Product Idea 4) Business Model 5) Funding - Creating a learning organization: 1) Psychological safety 2) Team accountability 3) Clear strategy and planning 2. Pitch Contest Listening to talented teams pitch their ideas and receiving feedback from a panel of Silicon Valley experts was invaluable. We even participated in a hypothetical investment exercise, where we each allocated $500k to our top five teams. It was a fun, insightful way to learn what makes a pitch stand out. 3. "Building Emotional Resilience" & "Mental Wellness Workshop" with Jenny Huang Jenny's workshops explored the connection between gut health, resilience, and mental wellness—topics closely aligned with my company’s focus on mental health and our TaVNS device for sleep disorders. 👉 Oceansbio Inc. Key takeaways included: - The importance of gut health for mental resilience. - Breathing techniques, like box breathing, to strengthen mental and physical health. 💡 Key Takeaways from the Retreat 1. Prioritize self-awareness: What do I value? Where am I headed? Taking time to reflect on these questions is essential. 2. Build healthy habits: Small practices like mindful breathing, staying hydrated, and eating well can have a huge impact on resilience. Thank you, 500 Global, for this transformative experience, and to the incredible founders I had the chance to meet and connect with. ✨ Peter Shin Blaire Eunhae Shin Sean K.

Yersain "Zayn" Makazhanov, CEO and founder, leads a team of highly skilled data scientists that were in the front of revealing hidden patterns in human behavior. With Kenes AI, the team is on the mission to make complex data science techniques accessible for retailers to understand their customers deeper and act faster than ever before. Learn more about how Kenes AI is creating a new category called "customer science": https://kenes.ai/

Last week, we hosted a fireside chat with the president and co-founder of Remote, Marcelo Lebre, at our 500 Global office in Palo Alto! Srishti Jain Kawatra, from our investment team at 500 Global, sat down with Marcelo to discuss his experiences as a product-focused leader, navigating rapid product-market fit while balancing innovation and operational efficiency in managing over 2,000 remote teams worldwide. Thank you, Marcelo, for sharing your inspiring journey with our startups! Reaffirming our commitment to empower and invest in the world’s potential, we’re thrilled to announce a partnership between 500 Global and Remote to help founders access the talent, tools, and resources they need to build and scale in any market across the globe 🌏 🎁 Bonus for 500 Global Startups: Gain access to exclusive perks and discounts to supercharge your global hiring journey with Remote. Learn more about Remote: https://bit.ly/4entC4d

Had the privilege of hosting two incredible ecosystem builders from Mexico here in San Antonio: René Lomelí Ojeda from 500 Global who helped build one of the first and most active VC funds in Latin America based out of Mexico City, and Fernando Huerta from Seals AI a driving force behind the thriving startup ecosystem in Monterrey, also known as “Cabrito Valley.” Gracias por la visita y espero vengan muchas más!

Artificial intelligence is aiming to disrupt a 100-year-old industry. Finding ways to attract consumers to buy packaged goods stretches back to the 1920s when American psychologist Daniel Starch created the world’s first market research study. Today, the global market research industry is worth an estimated $87.7 billion and is expected to grow by another $15 billion in the next four years, with artificial intelligence’s rise one of the major contributing factors. One company hoping to lead that disruption is Ai Palette. Using more than 61 billion data points from 24 countries, Ai Palette’s platform – running for the past four years - generates new concepts for brands based on identified trends, transforming traditional market research in the process. Somsubhra GanChoudhuri, co-founder and CEO Ai Palette, said AI can take up much of the brain power usually done by people. “For example, a company wants to launch a new juice in a market like Thailand, our platform will tell them what kind of juice they should launch, along with how they should position it, so that it is successful in the market,” he told CNBC’s “CNBC Tech: The Edge.” “And we do that using the power of artificial intelligence by analyzing the big data around food to identify what are the latest trends out there,” he added. Read more: https://cnb.cx/4hQz1mS With thanks also to 500 Global Global Managing Partner Vishal Harnal and Symrise AG VP Global Sensory & Consumer Insights Conor Delahunty.