About 500 Global
500 Global (formerly 500 Startups) is a global venture capital firm headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with over $2.3 billion in assets under management and investments in 2,900+ companies across 80+ countries.
The firm has been active in Southeast Asia since 2012 and has backed more than 340 companies in the region. It runs a dedicated Manila-based vehicle, 500 Philippines Fund (2019 vintage), and Martin Cu, a former Ninja Van Philippines country head, joined as Partner in 2023 to lead Philippine coverage for the firm's flagship Southeast Asia fund.
500 Global's managing partner Vishal Harnal has publicly named the Philippines an "inflection point" market within the firm's regional strategy.
Investment Thesis
500 Global invests in pre-seed, seed, and Series A startups through its Southeast Asia vehicle, 500 SEA III (closed at $143M in 2023), which targets first checks of $250,000-$500,000 across Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. Sector approach is broadly generalist rather than restricted to a single vertical, consistent with the firm's global early-stage model.
In the Philippines specifically, the firm has backed founders across fintech, logistics/SME finance, messaging infrastructure, and consumer tech, with Manila-based partner coverage dedicated to sourcing and supporting local deals.
Portfolio Companies
First Circle, engageSPARK, ChefOnDemand, Partyphile, PawnHero, Printivo