SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the second year in a row, global venture capital firm 500 Startups topped PitchBook’s annual ranking of most active global investors by VC deal count with a total of 285 investments in 2019¹, an increase of 31% over 2018. 500 Startups also moved up one spot to rank first in number of VC investor exits, with 41 globally, and 31 in the U.S. alone.

Since its inception 10 years ago, the firm has invested in over 2,400 startups in 77 countries around the world, as it continues to back the most talented entrepreneurs and build thriving startup ecosystems globally.

More than half of 500 Startups’ investments come from outside the U.S. In conjunction with its five global funds, the firm also invests through funds in Southeast Asia, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa. Altogether, 500 Startups has more than $565 million in committed capital.²

Seven of the firm’s 17 unicorns hail from countries such as Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Portugal and Ireland.

With the goal of building comprehensive startup ecosystems worldwide, the firm has also run more than 50 growth and accelerator programs for founders in more than 15 countries, and trained over 100 accelerator managers and over 500 investors globally.

“Our mission is to uplift people and economies through entrepreneurship. By investing in and supporting founders globally, as well as collaborating with key stakeholders, we create vibrant startup ecosystems,” said Christine Tsai, CEO of 500 Startups.

In other PitchBook categories, 500 Startups has the most investments in software (124), consumer goods and recreation (22) and media (25).³

To access the PitchBook 2019 Global League Tables, go to: https://pitchbook.com/news/reports/2019-annual-global-league-tables

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¹ Source: PitchBook Data, Inc., 2019 Annual Global League Tables (https://pitchbook.com/news/reports/2019-annual-global-league-tables), page 12, accessed on February 18, 2020
² Based on internal estimates as at September 30, 2019 and has not been independently verified.
³ Source: PitchBook Data, Inc., 2019 Annual Global League Tables (https://pitchbook.com/news/reports/2019-annual-global-league-tables), page 18, accessed on February 18, 2020

About 500 Startups
500 Startups is a global venture capital firm on a mission to discover and back the world’s most talented entrepreneurs, help them create successful companies at scale, and build thriving global ecosystems. It is the most active venture capital firm in the world.

Since its inception in Silicon Valley, 500 Startups has invested in over 2,400 companies across more than 75 countries around the world. Notable investments in the 500 portfolio include Credit Karma, Twilio, Canva, Grab, Bukalapak, The RealReal, Talkdesk, Knotel, Udemy and Ipsy.

Beyond providing seed capital, 500 supports startups via their Seed Accelerator Programs which emphasize growth marketing, customer acquisition, lean startup practices, and fundraising for seed companies.

Media Contact
Zina Moukheiber
Global Corporate Communications, 500 Startups
zina.moukheiber@500startups.com

NOTES:

UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED, ALL FIGURES ARE BASED ON INTERNAL ESTIMATES AS AT JANUARY 31, 2020 AND HAVE NOT BEEN INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED.

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