Jul 30, 2019 On Our Blog

500Kobe Accelerator Program is back, now with a Focused Track on Health

500 Startups and Kobe City are thrilled to announce our 4th consecutive accelerator program, which will commence on November 4th, 2019.  This year’s program will continue to support startups across all industries and sectors, but will include a special focus on startups within the health space.  For the past three years, 500 Startups and Kobe City have together supported the growth of startups from around the world, including Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Africa, United States, and more. This year, we will be accepting up to 20 startups.  The program will be led by the 500 Startups team and hand-selected mentors from our global network. They will work closely with each startup to accelerate their development through best operational practices, …

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Jul 29, 2019 On Our Blog

Announcing Courtney Powell as COO of 500 Startups

500 has seen incredible growth over the past 9 years, yet our goal has always stayed constant: back the world’s most talented founders. Everything we do is centered around bringing incredible ideas and entrepreneurial ecosystems to life through inspiring individuals around the world. It’s this principle that has led us to invest in over 2,200 companies, and in one of the most global and diverse teams in VC. Earlier this year, I reflected on 500’s accomplishments and expressed that the 500 of the future is just getting started. With that, I am thrilled to announce that Courtney Powell has joined 500 as our COO. In this role, Courtney will help in continuing to scale 500 globally and explore new opportunities …

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Jul 22, 2019 On Our Blog

Snacking on Growth in Miami

Breaking Down the Business of Startup Growth: Did you know that each day we provide a snack to founders? The Snack daily newsletter provides tips for startup growth-hacking that are fun and easy to digest. Founders sign up to learn some cool new things, help their startups grow, and to have a quick laugh. Here are a couple of examples: The Snack // July 4, 2019 Don’t send email from a no-reply send address…! You’re missing out on a chance to get user replies to train inbox prioritization & opens! Also a reply helps with customer insights, can be a potential conversion gateway, and is arguably the ultimate activation / engagement metric! The Snack // July 1, 2019 When asking …

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Jul 22, 2019 On Our Blog

Meet the Startups of Batch 25

At 500, it’s our mission to back the world’s most talented entrepreneurs, whether they’re on the other side of the globe or in our own backyard. The latest San Francisco accelerator batch was no exception. Over the past three months, companies from 12 countries participated in our flagship program, building their companies and preparing for Demo Day on August 22nd. Competition was fierce, and these companies represent the top 2% of applicants for our accelerator.  We’re thrilled to see that diversity is in no short supply with the group: 33% of companies are women-led, 40% of founders self-identify as Black or Latinx, and sectors represented range from FinTech, to Digital Health, to EdTech, to E-Commerce, and beyond. Meet the Batch …

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Jul 9, 2019 On Our Blog

500 Startups & Misk Innovation to Launch Second Batch of the Misk 500 Accelerator Program

Applications are now open for Batch 2 of the Misk 500 Accelerator Program 500 Startups and Misk Innovation will host the second batch of its accelerator program based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to fuel startups throughout the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region.  Batch 2 of the Misk 500 Accelerator Program will bring experts from Silicon Valley and beyond to educate 15-20 early-stage startups from MENA. The program will consist of 14 weeks of mentorship and workshops that will have an emphasis on growth hacking techniques, product design, and fundraising. In addition to the educational component of the program, participants will have a unique opportunity to make long-lasting connections with investors and corporate partners from the region.  Following the …

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