Pre-seed & seed VC, US
500 Global
Venture capital firm · San Francisco · Founded 2010
Quick read
500 Global is a pre-seed and seed-stage venture capital firm founded in 2010, headquartered in San Francisco, CA. It manages $2.4 billion in AUM and has backed 5,000+ founders across 3,000+ companies in 80+ countries, including 35+ unicorns. The firm combines direct investing with government and institutional partnerships to build startup ecosystems in emerging markets globally.
Key facts
- Founded
- 2010
- Founders
- Dave McClure, Christine Tsai
- Employees
- 50-200
- Sectors
- generalist
- Website
- 500.co
Investment thesis
500 Global writes small early-stage checks at pre-seed and seed across sectors and geographies, running accelerator programs and partnering with governments and institutions in markets where capital access is limited — betting on volume and global network effects to generate outsized returns.
Recent activity
- Jun 2026leadership500 Global appointed Sung Woo Ahn as Partner to lead its Seoul office, expanding its Korea-to-global corridor including the Changgong Silicon Valley Program with the Industrial Bank of Korea. afp.com
- Mar 2026leadership500 Global hired a former IFC Chief Investment Officer to expand its global investment platform, bringing in deep emerging-market private capital experience spanning technology, venture funds, and infrastructure. businesswire.com
- Jan 2026leadership500 Global promoted Mei Chel Tan to Global Managing Partner, reflecting growing demand for ecosystem development and AI readiness programs across emerging markets. venturecapitaljournal.com
- Jan 2026product500 Global and Creators HQ announced the Creators Ventures Accelerator program had supported creator-led startups with a combined valuation exceeding $130 million, culminating at the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai. finance.yahoo.com
- Dec 2025press500 Global committed to supporting Morocco's Startup VB Initiative under the Digital Morocco 2030 national strategy. tracxn.com
- Dec 2025press500 Global and ITIDA marked three years of startup impact in Egypt under their joint program. tracxn.com
- Aug 2025press500 Global partnered with UNDP to support entrepreneurship and innovation programs. cbinsights.com
Key people
Named individuals at the firm. We don't expose direct email or phone — use their LinkedIn for outreach.
- Christine Tsai · Co-Founder & CEO
- Courtney Powell · COO
- Mei Chel Tan · Global Managing Partner
- Sung Woo Ahn · Partner, Seoul
Sources
Other VCs in United States
- Sequoia Capital · Generalist VC, Menlo Park·
- Andreessen Horowitz · Generalist VC, Menlo Park·
- Benchmark Capital · Early-stage VC, San Francisco·
- Founders Fund · Contrarian VC, San Francisco·
- Khosla Ventures · Multi-stage VC, Menlo Park·
- Greylock Partners · Early-stage VC, Menlo Park
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Frequently asked
What is 500 Global?+
500 Global is a pre-seed and seed-stage venture capital firm founded in 2010, headquartered in San Francisco, CA. It manages $2.
Where is 500 Global headquartered?+
500 Global is headquartered in San Francisco, United States.
When was 500 Global founded?+
500 Global was founded in 2010 by Dave McClure, Christine Tsai.
What sectors does 500 Global invest in?+
500 Global focuses on generalist. They primarily invest in these sectors.
Who is the CEO of 500 Global?+
Christine Tsai is the CEO of 500 Global.
How do I prepare for a meeting with 500 Global?+
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