500 Labs

500 Global, formerly known as 500 Startups, is a venture capital firm and incubator based in Mountain View, California, founded in 2010. The firm specializes in seed investments, primarily focusing on early-stage technology and financial services startups across various sectors, including biotech, e-commerce, fintech, and digital healthcare. 500 Global operates a four-month accelerator program, where it typically invests between $0.05 million and $1 million for a 5 to 10 percent equity stake in companies with at least $100,000 in monthly revenue. The firm targets a global market, with particular emphasis on regions such as the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Since its inception, it has invested in over 2,200 startups and supports the growth of innovation ecosystems through educational programs and partnerships. 500 Global also prioritizes investments in companies led by minority founders, reflecting its commitment to diverse entrepreneurial leadership.

Amjad Ahmad

General Partner

Chandini Ammineni

Partner

André Marcel Bally

Investor Relations Associate

Amal Enan

Partner

Max Fram-Schwartz

Venture Partner

Twwo Pun Jaruthassanakul

Investment Associate

Yolanda Kim

Principal

Matt Lerner

Partner

Jon Li

Director, Investor Relations

Jasmine Liew

Investment Manager

Robert Neivert

Venture Partner

Khailee Ng

Managing Partner

Krating Poonpol Ph.D

Partner

Ruangroj Poonpol

Venture Partner

Natavudh Pungcharoenpong

Partner

Mameaw Sapprasert

Partner

Reena Sharma

Investor Relations Associate

Mike Sigal

Partner, FinTech

Sanjay Singhal

Partner, Canada

Tanya Soman

Venture Partner

Paulina Szyrmer

Head of Global Education

Pat Naranpat Thitipattakul

Investor

Tony Wang

Managing Partner

Paul Yoo

Chief Financial Officer

Past deals in Video Streaming

JusticeText

Seed Round in 2020
JusticeText develops an audiovisual evidence management platform for the justice system and criminal defense attorneys. The company’s platform generates an automated transcription of the uploaded video evidence and produces fairer outcomes in the criminal justice system by expediting the review of crucial audiovisual data, including body camera footage, interrogation videos, and jail calls. It enables public defenders to process and incorporate crucial audio and video evidence in defense of their clients. The company was founded in 2019 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

JusticeText

Seed Round in 2020
JusticeText develops an audiovisual evidence management platform for the justice system and criminal defense attorneys. The company’s platform generates an automated transcription of the uploaded video evidence and produces fairer outcomes in the criminal justice system by expediting the review of crucial audiovisual data, including body camera footage, interrogation videos, and jail calls. It enables public defenders to process and incorporate crucial audio and video evidence in defense of their clients. The company was founded in 2019 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Sendspark

Seed Round in 2020
Sendspark Inc. provides online platform for businesses to record and send personalized videos. The company was founded in 2019 and is based in San Antonio, Texas.

Hearo.Live - Multiplayer TV

Venture Round in 2020
Laugh, talk, and cheer with friends while watching Netflix, Twitch, ESPN, and more in full-screen, like you're on a big couch together. From epic live events to intimate hangouts, Hearo is your virtual couch, classroom, theater or stadium all rolled into one beautiful live audience experience platform.

FitzyTV

Seed Round in 2019
FitzyTV is an internet TV platform designed to help consumers watch and record all their streaming TV channels across multiple services in a single interface. It is currently available for Amazon FireTV, Android TV, Android Mobile, & Chromecast, with more platforms coming soon. It's users can watch and record any internet TV channel with their smartphone or smart TV. They can also add more channels by connecting a cable or satellite provider. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Blue Studios

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Blue Studios is a live-stream and on-demand platform, like Peloton, broadcasting the best and most entertaining STEM classes for kids, whether it be coding, robotics, botany, or microbiology. The company's mission is to teach a billion kids STEM skills.

Hearo.Live - Multiplayer TV

Seed Round in 2019
Laugh, talk, and cheer with friends while watching Netflix, Twitch, ESPN, and more in full-screen, like you're on a big couch together. From epic live events to intimate hangouts, Hearo is your virtual couch, classroom, theater or stadium all rolled into one beautiful live audience experience platform.

VUZ

Seed Round in 2019
360VUZ is a mobile application that specializes in 360-degree live video streaming, providing users with immersive virtual reality experiences. Founded in 2017 and based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the app delivers both live and on-demand 360 video content, focusing on events such as sporting competitions, concerts, and exclusive appearances by influencers. It has gained significant popularity, ranking first in the Entertainment category on app stores and surpassing established platforms. With over four million users, 360VUZ is recognized for its exceptional video quality and innovative technology, holding more than two patents. The company aims to establish a comprehensive ecosystem for video and virtual reality, making such experiences mainstream.

Panya Studios

Seed Round in 2019
Panya Studios is a mixed interactive media platform that changes how the world interacts with live videos. They provide white-label and SDK solutions for the future of interactive shows and experience.

TEXEL

Seed Round in 2018
TEXEL is a company that provides a white label platform designed for immersive video on demand (VOD) and live 360-degree video experiences for content owners, broadcasters, and telecom companies. With a focus on high video quality and enhanced network efficiency, the platform allows users to attend live events, such as concerts, virtually alongside friends in different locations through advanced synchronization technology. Additionally, TEXEL's platform includes features for social interaction and monetization, enabling content providers to better understand audience engagement by analyzing viewer behavior and headset movement. Based in New York and Tel Aviv, TEXEL is led by a team of senior executives with extensive experience in broadcast and digital media technology.

EME Hive

Series A in 2018
EME is a community-based, social live streaming app for finding like-minded friends and partners. Through the power of live streaming technology, users are able to form real-time connections with members of their own communities. By offering a subscription dating service as well as a live streaming platform, EME makes it easy for users to flirt, chat, and date in real-time -- all within the same app.

Panya Studios

Angel Round in 2018
Panya Studios is a mixed interactive media platform that changes how the world interacts with live videos. They provide white-label and SDK solutions for the future of interactive shows and experience.

VUZ

Seed Round in 2017
360VUZ is a mobile application that specializes in 360-degree live video streaming, providing users with immersive virtual reality experiences. Founded in 2017 and based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the app delivers both live and on-demand 360 video content, focusing on events such as sporting competitions, concerts, and exclusive appearances by influencers. It has gained significant popularity, ranking first in the Entertainment category on app stores and surpassing established platforms. With over four million users, 360VUZ is recognized for its exceptional video quality and innovative technology, holding more than two patents. The company aims to establish a comprehensive ecosystem for video and virtual reality, making such experiences mainstream.

Teleport

Seed Round in 2017
Teleport SA is a company based in Lausanne, Switzerland, that operates a platform for interactive online videos, specializing in virtual tours. Founded in 2015, Teleport provides users with an immersive experience by allowing them to access contextual content overlaid on videos, such as text, images, and social media statuses. This unique approach enhances the viewer's understanding of the space being presented, making it particularly beneficial for sectors like real estate, education, and tourism. Teleport's platform aims to transform how visitors engage with different environments by offering a guided, contextualized experience.

FORTË

Seed Round in 2017
FORTË is a tech company (b2b), and a subscription based fitness streaming platform (b2c). They have built hardware and software that they install in a studio so they can seamlessly stream live classes directly to their platform. they are creating a Netflix-style hub of leading boutique fitness studio classes worldwide. Right now a boutique fitness studio is confined to the 30 people or so that can attend their class, but with streaming the entire world can be their audience. In order to connect the remote users to the in-studio participants they will be curating all wearables on the market to create a live leaderboard. Users will be able to track their performance in real-time, monitor their overall and personal achievements on their social, interactive, and fully immersive platform. Each studio is outfitted with multiple cameras. The switching of the cameras is fully automated, as well as the audio. They live stream all day from both coasts, with no one operating the streams successfully daily. MVP : https://www.go90.com/videos/3iPpGlhJgjU

Fan Stream

Seed Round in 2016
Fan Stream instantly connects fans together in live audio conversations to discuss their favorite teams 365 days a year, optimized for live game action. We are giving the voice to you, the FAN, not some talking sports head. Fan Stream puts audio communication at the core of sports community as It DOES NOT make sense to be typing on your phone to tie into chatter and missing game action.

Nice Shopping Inc.

Seed Round in 2016
Nice is reinventing video shopping for mobile users. It offers a crowdsourced video shopping network built for millennials. The company was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in New York.

Cornflix

Seed Round in 2016
Cornflix Pte. Ltd. operates a video streaming platform based in Singapore, which was established in 2016. The platform offers a diverse array of content, including trending and viral videos, as well as entertainment from prominent media brands and personalities such as BBC, CNN, and popular YouTube creators. Cornflix features a wide variety of genres, including news, music, sports, food, beauty, and children's programming, aiming to provide positive and wholesome content that entertains, educates, and inspires its audience. With a subscription model, users can enjoy a TV-like experience, streaming movies, television series, and live sports events.

Pongalo

Seed Round in 2016
Pongalo Inc. is a digital media company that specializes in providing Spanish-language content to Latino audiences in the United States and over 15 countries. Established in 2014 and based in Miami, Florida, with an additional office in Los Angeles, Pongalo operates an over-the-top (OTT) platform and manages a vast library of Latino-focused films and television shows, totaling more than 13,000 hours of content. This includes a diverse range of movies, series, documentaries, and children's programming sourced from both U.S. and Latin American producers, featuring notable titles from major studios. The company also serves as a marketplace for various Latin media brands, such as Pongalo, aimed at women and children, and MooviMex, which focuses on Mexican action and comedy films. Pongalo collaborates with multiple online and offline distributors, ensuring access to its content across various platforms. In August 2016, it rebranded from its original name, Latin Everywhere, and currently operates as a subsidiary of Batanga, Inc.

videogram

Venture Round in 2016
Videogram, formerly known as Cinemacraft, specializes in creating pictorial summaries of videos, allowing users to quickly grasp a video's content without watching it in full. This innovative platform automatically analyzes videos and generates visually appealing keyframes, resembling a comic book layout, which serves as interactive thumbnails for video publishers. By enabling consumers to navigate directly to points of interest within a video, Videogram enhances the browsing experience, particularly on mobile devices, where streaming large files can be challenging due to network congestion. The platform not only facilitates video discovery and engagement but also supports publishers in integrating marketing and social interactions, ultimately making video content more accessible to a wider audience.

Hitsbook

Venture Round in 2016
Hitsbook is specialized and scalable technological solution to make the video content generated by the users profitable.

Maestro

Seed Round in 2016
Maestro is a platform based in San Francisco that empowers broadcasters to create engaging video experiences for their audiences. It offers a white-label solution for enterprise live streamers, enabling them to own, engage, and monetize their viewers effectively. The platform features tools designed to drive audience interaction at critical moments while capturing user data for analytics and marketing purposes. Notable customers include major companies such as Microsoft, PlayStation, and Capcom, highlighting Maestro's capability to serve high-profile clients in the entertainment and gaming industries.

EME Hive

Venture Round in 2015
EME is a community-based, social live streaming app for finding like-minded friends and partners. Through the power of live streaming technology, users are able to form real-time connections with members of their own communities. By offering a subscription dating service as well as a live streaming platform, EME makes it easy for users to flirt, chat, and date in real-time -- all within the same app.

Storygami

Convertible Note in 2015
Storygami is a 500 Startups company backed by Richard Branson and who help Youtubers and brands increase video engagement and monetise content with interactive overlays. The company has built an easy to use SaaS tool that allows users to drag and drop interactive overlays such as articles, image galleries, social media streams, polls and purchase buttons to existing Youtube, Vimeo, Brightcove or Ooyala videos for example. Current clients include Virgin Media, Thomson Reuters, Al Jazeera and Unilever and customers have seen an up to 90% increase in video engagement and 5-10x increase in the effectiveness of call to action buttons within videos.

Sunshine

Seed Round in 2015
Sunshine App enables to instantly and easily share, access and stream content across any device - without cloud storage. No uploading, no downloading; simply streaming content device-to-device on the fly.

YContent

Series A in 2015
YContent is a video distribution platform based in São Paulo, Brazil, focused on the Latin American market. Established in August 2012, the company specializes in finding and distributing high-quality video content to a network of partner sites. It assists premium content producers in reaching large audiences by developing effective distribution windows and monetization strategies across various platforms, including websites and social media. Through its services, YContent aims to enhance the visibility and profitability of video content in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

uTrack TV

Venture Round in 2015
uTrack TV is a video on demand application and platform for live streaming events. The platform provides unique content from across the world specializing in motorsports, sports & entertainment offering both live events and championships as well as documentaries, biographies, and much more both original by uTrack and content produced by others. They specialize in Live broadcast of any event through their Mobile App technology which is compatible with any connected device. uTrack TV bridges the gap between fans and events, creating a higher market value to championships by attracting sponsorship and viewership for a mutual benefit of all entities. The platform live stream the event through their unique transcoding technology to a worldwide audience of their Free app on both Android and iOS.

Zeemi.tv

Seed Round in 2015
Zeemi.tv operates an online live-sharing platform for customers in Indonesia. It allows its users to perform and enjoy live performances. Zeemi.tv was founded on December 1, 2014 and is headquartered in Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia.

videogram

Series A in 2015
Videogram, formerly known as Cinemacraft, specializes in creating pictorial summaries of videos, allowing users to quickly grasp a video's content without watching it in full. This innovative platform automatically analyzes videos and generates visually appealing keyframes, resembling a comic book layout, which serves as interactive thumbnails for video publishers. By enabling consumers to navigate directly to points of interest within a video, Videogram enhances the browsing experience, particularly on mobile devices, where streaming large files can be challenging due to network congestion. The platform not only facilitates video discovery and engagement but also supports publishers in integrating marketing and social interactions, ultimately making video content more accessible to a wider audience.

Wideo

Seed Round in 2014
Wideo Inc. is a company based in Mountain View, California, that offers an online platform for creating animated videos. Founded in 2012, Wideo allows users to create, edit, and share videos for free. The platform provides a range of customizable templates, enabling users to employ various images, backgrounds, and music to produce unique content. This versatility makes it suitable for a variety of applications, including explainer videos, demos, educational content, and animated e-cards. By simplifying the video creation process, Wideo aims to empower individuals and businesses to enhance their online marketing strategies effectively and efficiently.

Traction

Seed Round in 2014
Traction Labs Inc. is a content distribution technology company specializing in live streaming video and advanced digital marketing solutions. Established in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in Los Angeles and New York, the company focuses on facilitating influential connections between brands and engaged audiences. Traction Labs employs proprietary technology to enhance live stream content through various formats, including 360° video and sponsored content, allowing real-time performance adjustments. The platform supports campaign strategy, content creation, global distribution, and measurement, ensuring that creative content reaches audiences effectively across influential social creators and reputable publishers. Serving a clientele that includes several Fortune 100 companies, Traction Labs aims to deepen the impact of marketing campaigns, thereby improving brand visibility and audience growth.

Sightly

Seed Round in 2014
Sightly Enterprises, Inc. operates a local video platform designed to connect consumers with local businesses through personalized video advertising. Founded in 2006 and based in Del Mar, California, the company specializes in mobile and in-stream video marketing solutions that enable businesses to enhance their visibility in an increasingly video-centric marketplace. Sightly's technology allows for dynamic ad personalization and targeted campaigns across various platforms, including YouTube and Google, tailored to meet specific client objectives. Utilizing an advanced segmentation and optimization engine driven by local data, Sightly provides a comprehensive solution for local brand awareness and customer engagement. Its platform facilitates scalable campaign management through features such as automated bidding and refined audience targeting, ensuring cost-effective investment in the most relevant geographic areas. With a focus on maximizing the effectiveness of video advertising, Sightly empowers businesses to engage with both existing and potential customers effectively.

Koemei

Convertible Note in 2013
Koemei SA is a company that specializes in cloud-based services for video search and accessibility. Founded in 2010 and based in Martigny, Switzerland, Koemei offers a conversational speech recognition platform tailored for education, government, and various organizations. This platform allows users to transcribe and index video assets, manage libraries, and publish videos with captions and metadata on platforms like YouTube. Additionally, it supports automatic transcription of conversations, making it easier for groups and individuals to track interactions. Educational institutions can utilize Koemei's services to transcribe lectures and generate searchable metadata, while conference organizers can automatically transcribe speeches for improved accessibility. Businesses can also incorporate automated transcription into meeting recordings for enhanced alignment with audio segments. As of September 2017, Koemei operates as a subsidiary of CREALOGIX Holding AG.

videogram

Seed Round in 2013
Videogram, formerly known as Cinemacraft, specializes in creating pictorial summaries of videos, allowing users to quickly grasp a video's content without watching it in full. This innovative platform automatically analyzes videos and generates visually appealing keyframes, resembling a comic book layout, which serves as interactive thumbnails for video publishers. By enabling consumers to navigate directly to points of interest within a video, Videogram enhances the browsing experience, particularly on mobile devices, where streaming large files can be challenging due to network congestion. The platform not only facilitates video discovery and engagement but also supports publishers in integrating marketing and social interactions, ultimately making video content more accessible to a wider audience.

videogram

Seed Round in 2013
Videogram, formerly known as Cinemacraft, specializes in creating pictorial summaries of videos, allowing users to quickly grasp a video's content without watching it in full. This innovative platform automatically analyzes videos and generates visually appealing keyframes, resembling a comic book layout, which serves as interactive thumbnails for video publishers. By enabling consumers to navigate directly to points of interest within a video, Videogram enhances the browsing experience, particularly on mobile devices, where streaming large files can be challenging due to network congestion. The platform not only facilitates video discovery and engagement but also supports publishers in integrating marketing and social interactions, ultimately making video content more accessible to a wider audience.

YContent

Seed Round in 2013
YContent is a video distribution platform based in São Paulo, Brazil, focused on the Latin American market. Established in August 2012, the company specializes in finding and distributing high-quality video content to a network of partner sites. It assists premium content producers in reaching large audiences by developing effective distribution windows and monetization strategies across various platforms, including websites and social media. Through its services, YContent aims to enhance the visibility and profitability of video content in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Vidcaster

Seed Round in 2013
Vidcaster provides an out-of-the-box solution for implementing and managing video experiences.

Stupeflix

Seed Round in 2012
Stupeflix helps people express themselves through video. Replay (free on the App Store, launched 12/2013) turns everyday photos & rushes into epic videos, instantly, on your iPhone. http://replayapp.com Stupeflix Studio (launched 2010) is a leading web application, used by 3M people & SMBs to easily create beautiful videos. http://studio.stupeflix.com/ Stupeflix API (launched 2008) is the only self-serve developer platform to create video content at scale. 30M videos were created for developers (real estate, classifieds) and brands like RedBull, Sprint, Coke, Amex. http://developer.stupeflix.com Founded in 2008, it is headquartered in Paris, with an office in San Francisco. Stupeflix is a Seedcamp and 500 Startups company.

Switchcam

Seed Round in 2012
Switchcam helps you discover, watch and share videos from events like concerts, political events, conferences and more. Right now we're in beta, so please excuse bugs. Switchcam has received funding from 500 Startups and other great angel investors.

Switchcam

Seed Round in 2011
Switchcam helps you discover, watch and share videos from events like concerts, political events, conferences and more. Right now we're in beta, so please excuse bugs. Switchcam has received funding from 500 Startups and other great angel investors.

Viki

Series B in 2011
Viki is an international video website offering TV shows, movies, and other premium content translated into more than 150 languages by a community of avid fans.

Backyard

Seed Round in 2010
Backyard is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider specializing in video marketing and advertising solutions aimed at connecting local businesses with their customers. The company envisions video as a central component of marketing strategies for local enterprises, harnessing its effectiveness to engage consumers through various channels, including online video, mobile searches, and social media interactions. Originally acquired by PixelFish in April 2011, Backyard was rebranded in March 2012 to focus on empowering local businesses with innovative video marketing tools.