500 Global Scout Program

500 Global (formerly 500 Startups) is one of the world's most prolific early-stage venture capital firms, founded in 2010. The scout program is part of 500 Global's strategy to maintain a geographically distributed deal flow network. Scouts operate on a part-time basis, sourcing pre-seed and seed-stage startups from their local ecosystems and referring them into 500 Global's investment pipeline. The program leverages the firm's presence across 77 countries to identify founders that traditional VCs might miss.

The scout program aims to identify and support pre-seed and seed-stage startups that may be overlooked by traditional Silicon Valley-centric VCs. By leveraging a global network of scouts, 500 Global seeks to tap into diverse ecosystems and uncover innovative founders.

Designed for Founders, Operators. The program is remote. Participation is generally part time.

Scouts are typically operators, founders, and ecosystem builders embedded in startup communities globally.

The scout program operates primarily on an invitation and network referral basis. No formal public application process has been disclosed.

Participants gain visibility into 500 Global's deal flow and investment process, along with access to a vast network of portfolio companies.

The program is ongoing with a rolling application process and no fixed cohorts.

500 Global's portfolio includes 33 unicorns and over 120 companies valued at $100 million or more, including notable names like Grab, Bukalapak, and Canva.