500 Japan Partners Launch Coral Capital
Christine Tsai
Founding Partner and CEO
PUBLISHED
2019.03.05
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In 2010, 500 invested in our first Japanese company, Gengo. Since then, we’ve gone on to invest in over 57 Japanese companies to date, including Whill, Paidy, TokyoOtakuMode, FlyData, and SmartHR. 3 years ago, we launched 500 Japan as our first Japan-focused fund, with partners James Riney and Yohei Sawayama leading the charge.
Today, James and Yohei have announced their new adventures with the launch of their fund, Coral Capital. We are incredibly grateful and proud of their impact on growing 500’s brand in Japan, as well as on the Japanese ecosystem for early-stage companies and VC. We are excited about their new endeavor and look forward to collaborating with them on investments, learnings and many other synergies. James and Yohei will continue to support 500 Japan and the portfolio, and will always remain part of the 500 family.
In addition to investing in Japanese companies, 500 has been active in Japan through partnerships like the City of Kobe. Since we launched the partnership in 2016, we have led numerous accelerator programs in partnership with the City of Kobe and helped to contribute to the development of entrepreneurship and innovation in Kobe. 500 will continue to be active in Japan on all fronts – investing in companies, bringing mentorship and education to founders in Japan, and deepening collaboration with partners for future funds and future programs.
Congratulations to James and Yohei on Coral Capital, and we look forward to continuing to fly the 500 flag high in Japan!
Christine Tsai
Founding Partner and CEO
Christine Tsai co-founded 500 Global in 2010, and led the firm’s growth over the past decade from a startup accelerator to a multi-stage venture capital firm with $2.4B in assets under management, and more than 2,700 investments in 81 countries. 500 Global regularly ranks as one of the most active venture capital firms in the world, according to PitchBook, with a top number of exits. The firm’s diversified portfolio includes 49 companies valued at more than $1B, such as Talkdesk, Canva, Grab, GitLab, and Intercom. Private Equity International has named Christine one of 10 Women of Influence in venture capital. She currently serves on the venture capital committee of the Association of Asian American Investment Managers, the Global Tech VC Council of the Global Private Capital Association, and is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. Christine is also an honoree of Gold House’s 2021 A100 List, recognizing the most impactful Asian and Pacific Islander leaders across business and technology, entertainment, advocacy and politics, lifestyle, and sports. Prior to founding 500 Global, she held product marketing and operating roles at Google, including monetization and developer products such as Google AdSense, Google Analytics, YouTube APIs and syndication, and Google Developer Platform Tools. Christine holds a B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California at Berkeley.
