Back in 2010, 500 Global (then known as 500 Startups) was one of the first firms to create an accelerator program and shape how venture capital fostered early-stage startup innovation. 500 Global’s four month long program was hosted in Silicon Valley and helped founders take their companies to the next level.
Over a decade later, 500 Global continues to offer founders the opportunity for a seed investment ($150,000), as well as access to full programming that’s focused on startup growth and scaling. The Program is hosted at our headquarters in Palo Alto, California.
Being a 500 Global company will validate your business, and our network will help you connect with investors when the time is right. 500 Startup’s standard accelerator deal is a $150,000 investment in return for a 6% stake. We charge $37,500 to participate, but the fees can be deducted from our investment.
Community
Starting a company is solitary and challenging. Working with other people going through the same challenges makes a huge difference. Founders who’ve gone through our program tell us that the 500 community is extremely valuable.
Advice
Starting a company is solitary. Working with your peers going through the same challenges makes a huge difference.
Curriculum
500 brings in a wide variety of experts focused on marketing, culture, startup accounting, product design, sales, finance, and more. Think a Startup MBA on steroids.
Hands-on Support
We’ll work together on your business and product strategy, growth metrics and investor pitches.
Network
You’ll have access to 1,000+ founders, 200+ mentors and our own staff. Thanks to our massive network, startups build relationships and partnerships that wouldn’t be possible at their size without 500. Need an intro to a customer? Early access to a new platform feature? API access blocked? Stuck at the border? We have connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can apply for our flagship accelerator 365 days a year on a rolling admissions basis at https://flagship.aplica.500.co.
Yes. The investment is structured as a convertible security. Companies receive an investment of $150,000 for around 6% of their company (subject to dilution at the time of conversion of our convertible security).
The convertible security has certain special rights for 500 Startups, including the right to make a follow-on investment of an additional $500,000 or 20% of your next priced round of $1,000,000 or more, whichever is lower, which expires after the conversion of our convertible security.
Yes – We charge $37,500 per company to participate, but these fees can be deducted from our investment amount, so you don’t have to pay out of pocket. As mentioned above, our gross investment is $150,000. Once program fees are deducted, you would receive $112,500. These program fees help to cover basic costs of running the Seed Accelerator, paying outside speakers and should be viewed like tuition.
Mentorship: One of the biggest benefits of going through the 500 Startups Seed Program is having access to knowledgeable mentors. You will have access to the 500 team, seasoned entrepreneurs, experienced investors, and individuals with considerable expertise in their field to give feedback and offer guidance. We also host numerous talks and fireside chats. Speakers include top domain experts on important topics such as distribution, design, data, fundraising, and more.
Help with Distribution: We have in-house distribution experts that will help you GROW, GROW, GROW. Whether it’s trigger emails, event-based analytics, SEO, paid ads, or creative growth tactics, we’ll help you get your business where it needs to be.
Fundraising: Our Seed Accelerator staff is made up of experts with years of experience in fundraising and pitching. You will learn how to run an effective fundraising process, how and when to talk to investors, and how to effectively tell your story.
Access to the 500 Family: The 500 Startups network consists of over 5,000 company founders and over 200 mentors. They come from diverse backgrounds, areas of expertise, and locations. You’ll connect to a growing list of engineers, designers, marketers, and founders from all around the world.
Brand and PR: 500 Startups is ranked as one of the top seed programs worldwide and one of the most active seed stage investors in the universe. The 500 brand draws an impressive group of people, ranging from investors, strategic corporates, platform partners, press, and even the occasional celebrity. In addition, we run events and conferences throughout the year that are consistently sold out. All of this means great exposure and visibility for your company.
FUN: The 500 culture is best described in one hashtag: #500STRONG. This means collaboration and support, creativity, taking risks, embracing failure, transparency, and moving quickly. We want you to push yourself past your comfort zone and take your company to the next level. You will work hard, but have fun in the process.
500 Startups has a global reach. On average 30-40% of a batch is international, and many US-based companies are from outside the Bay Area.
500 invests in a diverse range of companies in the tech industry, from marketplaces to SaaS, from media to AI.
Examples include Talkdesk, 9GAG, Havenly, ManyChat, Mejuri, Le Tote, Mayvenn, Neighborly, RapidAPI, RealtyShares, Shippo, and many more.
We receive thousands of applications for each batch and we review each one individually. We try to respond to everyone with a yes or no, but it could take up to a few weeks to get a response.
Yes, definitely! There is no downside to applying more than once. Many of our most successful founders were not accepted on their first try, but chose to keep making progress on their business, reapply to the program, and were ultimately accepted.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
THIS PROGRAM IS OPERATED BY 500 STARTUPS INCUBATOR, L.L.C (TOGETHER WITH ITS AFFILIATES, “500 GLOBAL”). ALL CONTENT PROVIDED IN THIS WEBPAGE IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATIONAL OR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. 500 GLOBAL MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS AS TO THE ACCURACY OF INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS WEBPAGE. WHILE 500 GLOBAL HAS TAKEN REASONABLE STEPS TO ENSURE THAT THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS WEBPAGE IS ACCURATE AND UP-TO-DATE, NO LIABILITY CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR ANY ERROR OR OMISSIONS. NOTHING IN THE CONTENT ON THIS WEBSITE OR DELIVERED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM SHALL CONSTITUTE OR IS INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL, TAX OR INVESTMENT ADVICE BY 500 GLOBAL (INCLUDING INVESTMENT ADVICE AS DEFINED IN THE U.S. INVESTMENT ADVISERS ACT OF 1940). FURTHER, NO CONTENT OR INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS WEBSITE IS OR IS INTENDED AS AN OFFER TO PROVIDE ANY INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICE OR FINANCIAL ADVICE BY 500 GLOBAL. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANYTHING HEREIN BE CONSTRUED AS FUND MARKETING MATERIALS BY PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS CONSIDERING AN INVESTMENT INTO ANY 500 GLOBAL INVESTMENT FUND. THIS WEBPAGE IS UPDATED AS OF MAY 2023. APPLYING TO THE PROGRAM DOES NOT GUARANTEE AN INVESTMENT FROM 500 GLOBAL, OR ITS RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES.