500 Global’s Southeast Asia Partners Martin Cu, Saemin Ahn, and Shahril Ibrahim
Silicon Valley-based VC firm 500 Global has announced the appointments of Saemin Ahn, Shahril Ibrahim, and Martin Cu as Partners in Southeast Asia.
The trio will lead 500 Global’s growth initiatives across the region, supporting and nurturing startups at every stage of their growth.
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Over the past decade, 500 Global has backed over 340 companies across Southeast Asia. Its portfolio companies include Grab, Bukalapak, Carsome, Carousell, FinAccel, and eFishery.
Ahn has a decade of experience in growth investing. He was the Founding Managing Partner at Rakuten Ventures, leading investments in over 25 technology companies, including GoTo Group, Carousell, Epic, and Coda Payments. He previously held management roles at Google in Korea and Singapore.
Ibrahim was Director of Investments and Head of Khazanah Americas, a sovereign wealth fund of Malaysia. He established Khazanah Nasional’s presence in the US, deploying investments in enterprise technology and deep technology, focusing on AI, ML, and robotics. He was also a board member at global fusion energy company General Fusion and on the advisory committee of growth equity VC firm March Capital.
Cu was previously the Philippines Country Head of Ninja Van. He grew the Ninja Van team in the Philippines from 0 to over 5,000 employees and built a nationwide network serving 97 per cent of the country.
“Saemin, Shahril and Martin add significant investment and operational expertise to support the growth ambitions of our entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia,” said Vishal Harnal, Managing Partner at 500 Global. “We will continue to add top talent and winning skill sets to our team in this strategically important region and build on our track record of success.”
500 Global is a venture capital firm with US$2.7 billion in assets under management. It focuses on markets where technology, innovation, and capital can unlock long-term value and drive economic growth.
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The VC firm has backed over 5,000 founders representing over 2,700 companies operating in 81 countries. It has invested in 49 companies valued at over US$1 billion and 150+ companies valued at over US$100 million (including private, public, and exited companies).
Its 180+ team members are located in 27 countries and bring experience as entrepreneurs, investors, and operators from some of the world’s leading technology companies.
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