500 Global

The internet is a wild place. Over the last decade, 2.5B people came online. What happens when the next billion internet users come online? We believe that a lot of value may be created. But how? And more importantly, how can you be a part of it? The answers may surprise you. Explore the #RiseReport now. #500strong https://500.co/risereport

Wrapping Up 2024: 18 Days to Go 🚀 We started this year OCTA with a goal: Make collecting payments faster and easier for businesses. Here’s where we landed: - $2.25M raised 💰 - 14 people building and shipping - $86M+ in invoices synced - $11M in payments processed - Payments made 41% faster ⚡ - DSO cut by 54% 📉 We joined the Sanabil Investments Accelerator (500 Global, Batch 7). We earned SOC 2, PCI, and ISO27001 compliance 🔒. 7,074 commits and counting. Deployed over 2,000 updates. And we’re not done yet. To everyone who’s supported us: thank you. 🙌 To the team who made this possible: you’re amazing. 💪 2025, we’re ready. 🚀 #OCTA #YearInReview #StartupJourney #Fintech #AccountsReceivable

RavenRiskAi was proud to be amongst 8 companies to present at Western Angels’ Demo Day on December 5th. The venue: the always awe-inspiring Art Gallery of Ontario.  The Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship hosted the event, successfully advancing their mission to foster entrepreneurship from and in Western's ecosystem and across Canada. They certainly met and exceeded that mission (it is likely performance review time, so just doing my part!), by assembling an inspiring group of founders and a terrific group of investors. The energy amongst the participants was palpable, and it didn't take long for founders and teammates to root for and cheer their peers on as they took the stage!  I was proud to be included; those 4 years at UWO are finally starting to pay off! I addressed two key trends: the continued shift of credit assets from public to private markets, and how emerging AI technologies can now help transform credit investing and corporate lending. At RavenRiskAi, we are in the vanguard of combining advanced AI and machine learning with our deep financial expertise to deliver real-time credit assessment solutions for our customers. A huge thank you to Western, the Morrissette Institute, Eric Morse, Kiran Bains, John MacDonald, Sarah Buck and many more who pulled out all the stops.  I also arrived during the night of Toronto's first snow storm of the year; the streets were beautiful (which of course gave way to the inevitable slush) although the traffic wasn't! A great day. Morrissette Entrepreneurship RavenRiskAi Kiran Bains 500 Global Samin Atique

Last Thursday, we wrapped up 500 Global in Eurasia Batch 7 Demo Day, and I couldn’t be prouder of the founders and teams. This cohort brought together 13 startups from 10 countries ( 🇬🇪Georgia, 🇰🇿Kazakhstan, 🇸🇮Slovenia, 🇪🇪Estonia, 🇦🇿Azerbaijan, 🇷🇸Serbia, 🇺🇿Uzbekistan and more) tackling diverse sectors like AI, B2B SaaS, HRTech, FinTech, Aviation and Web3. Shoutout to Batch #7 500 Eurasia founders: Valdis Sprogis Ivan Ivanka (Markster), Omar Nuruzade (@NexusLab), Umid Akhmedov, PhD (Tezbor.uz), Laura Taganova (Aldente AI), Ivan Ilin (iki.ai), Adel El Mawla (Workplaced), Aira Mongush (Algebras AI) , Sandro Bolkvadze Demetre Mildiani (Widgera), Ilia Kraev (&Volume), Alex Zverev (Mentica), Shohrukh Bekmirzaev (Unitlab), Chris Cherniakov (Telemetree), Denis V. (DDD Invoices). It was also inspiring to host alumni Alexander Tsintsadze (Kovzy) and Iako Jikia (Helio.AI), who returned to share their growth journey after graduating from our program. Pleasure to have with us Konrad Howard (Booksy), and Aastha Yadav (Bolt) who shared how startups from emerging markets can scale globaly during the panel moderated by Lucy Adams from Tech.eu. Thank you for joining us! 💙 Now, application for Batch #8 is opened! If you are an ambitious founder with global expansion in agenda - let's talk! 🚀

Every entrepreneur should know how to simplify their business model. There’s a reason so many entrepreneurs fail to scale: they get lost in the weeds of product development, marketing, and fundraising without focusing on what truly matters. The Business Model Canvas helps you focus on the key areas that drive growth. Here’s how: 📦 1️⃣ Clarify Your Value Proposition 🔑 What problem are you solving for your customers?  · Focus on the specific pain you're addressing and why it matters.  · Answer this: Why would your customer choose your product over competitors? 👥 2️⃣ Streamline Customer Segments 💡 Who is your ideal customer?  · Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Focus on the high-value segments that benefit the most from your solution.  · Use the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule): Focus on the 20% of customers who bring 80% of the value. 📢 3️⃣ Map Out Your Channels 🌍 How will you reach your customers?  · Digital channels, sales teams, partnerships—define the channels that fit your customers’ behavior and preferences.  · Prioritize the most effective ones and use them to drive conversions. 🤝 4️⃣ Define Customer Relationships 💬 What kind of relationship do you need with your customers?  · Personalized support, self-service, or automated help?  · Ensure you’re offering the right type of engagement for your audience. 💰 5️⃣ Understand Your Revenue Streams 💡 How does your business make money?  · Define your revenue models: subscription-based, transaction-based, freemium, etc.  · Be clear about the pricing strategy that aligns with your value proposition and customer willingness to pay. 💡 Tip: 500 Global, most B2B SaaS startups we work with use subscription models, ensuring steady recurring revenue as they scale. 🏗️ 6️⃣ Identify Key Resources 🛠️ What resources do you need to deliver your value?  · These could include people, technology, funding, or partnerships.  · List the essential resources that drive your business and help you stay competitive. 👉 Example: For Manna CEA, we relied on our relationship with local organic farms, a robust logistics network, and technology to manage e-commerce and customer orders. By using the Business Model Canvas, you can visualize all the moving parts of your startup. It helps you identify gaps, align your strategy, and make informed decisions. Plus, it’s dynamic—you can adjust it as your startup evolves. 💡 Pro Tip: Regularly revisit your canvas as you gather more insights or pivot your business. It’s a living document that can guide you through growth and changes. ____ · Enjoyed this? ♻️ Repost and follow me for more insights on startups, scaling, and business growth. · Join my newsletter for more content by me - https://lnkd.in/gK67Fw_u · Subscribe to my Youtube channel, Insight Marathon - https://lnkd.in/gWtnwKv7

What a phenomenal week in #AbuDhabi! Genuine excitement for the increasing number of entrepreneurs, asset managers and philanthropists launching strategies out of Abu Dhabi during #AbuDhabiFinanceWeek with ADGM. Thank you Hub71 and Atlantic Council for facilitating our panels and spotlighting the importance of entrepreneurship for economic development. 🙏 🇦🇪 500 Global #entrepreneurship #vc #founders #investment #mena #startups 500 MENA #uae Chris Hughes Abeer Abu Omar May Nasrallah Madiha Sattar

Such a pleasure to have had this wonderful moment with my dear friend Hassanein Hiridjee ♥️

Had an amazing couple of days at Sanabil Startup Unlocked in Riyadh! The bootcamp was a constant flow of energy and creativity—ideas flying, connections being made, and a real sense of excitement in the air. Surrounded by passionate founders and the amazing vibe from the 500 Global team! We’ve come a long way—from starting as a freelancing platform to pivoting to content-as-a-service, and now we’re onto something even more exciting. The big realization over these past days? Once you understand who your ideal customer is, you can start experimenting with different ways to truly add value and grow. We spent over an hour brainstorming fresh ideas for what’s next, and I’m really excited about the direction we’re heading with The WordWave 🚀 Big thanks to the mentors for all their support and guidance Graham Kennedy Christian Cruz Nicholas Ho Ee Ling Lim Can’t wait to see where this journey takes us next!Dima Matar, MBA, CPA

With 2025 just round the corner, timely and in-depth conversations were had at the AI Innovation Summit, organized by The Economist Group. Vishal Harnal (Managing Partner, 500 Global) shared his insights on investment trends that are expected to drive the market in the new year, and how AI will influence startups and economies. A few of the key points shared: ✨ The terroir of every market produces unique AI innovation and investment opportunities, and isn’t evenly distributed. The talent density and type, the availability of downstream capital, and more informs what we invest in around the world. This applies to early-, mid- and late-stage investing. ✨ AI allows founders to build new technology and businesses faster, cheaper, and better. Whether you’re in Bhutan or Silicon Valley, this levels the playing field for economies that may have been left behind by previous technological revolutions. The opportunity to build and invest grows exponentially. ✨ SE Asia is already playing a large role in the global AI landscape. Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand have committed significant capital towards AI infrastructure to build and develop their own sovereign AI capabilities. The panel also featured:  - Peng T. Ong (Managing Partner, Monk’s Hill Ventures) - Nigel Lee (Country General Manager, Lenovo Singapore) - Toshie Takahashi (Professor, Waseda University) Huge thanks to Bilge Arslan and the Economist Impact team for hosting and having us! #AI #technology #venturecapital #startups #southeastasia #innovation #investments