Global venture capital firm 500 Startups appointed Courtney Powell as Chief Operations Officer (COO).
A 500 Startups “Batch 4” founder as CEO of PublikDemand, Powell most recently served as Head of Corporate Development at Keller Williams, an American technology and international real estate franchise.
Powell will lead day-to-day operations and drive initiatives to scale 500 Startups’ global business. She will also lead the VC firm’s expansion into new business lines and regional markets.
The firm credits Powell’s expertise with franchise models and her first-hand experience as a 500 founder as key factors in her hiring.
In her previous role at Keller Williams, a large real estate franchise, she established the company’s first corporate innovation program. Additionally, Powell acted as a liaison for Keller Capital, helping the investment arm acquire real-estate-focused technology companies.
She has also sat on the SXSW advisory board since 2017.
500 Startups is one of the world’s most active VC firms, having invested in over 2,200 companies across its 21 global funds. Its 100+ team members are located in 20 locations around the world in support of the 500 Startups global portfolio of investments spanning more than 75 countries.
Notable portfolio companies include: Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), Credit Karma, SendGrid (acquired by Twilio), Grab, GitLab (acquired by Microsoft), Bukalapak, Canva, Udemy, TalkDesk, The Real Real, Intercom, Ipsy, MakerBot (acquired by SSYS), Wildfire (acquired by Google), and Viki (acquired by Rakuten).
FinSMEs
29/07/2019