Backed by Data, Built for the Community

• After you’ve placed an online order, do you start wondering within the next few days, or even next few minutes, where’s your order and when will it arrive? Before 500-backed e-commerce logistics startup Parcel Perform came into the scene, there wasn’t really an effective way for customers to track their ecommerce orders.
• Today, we’d like to introduce you to Parcel Perform’s other half, Parcel Monitor. Started by a group of e-commerce logistics enthusiasts at the startup in 2016, it was a free parcel tracking platform. Fast forward to 2022, Parcel Monitor Community has expanded to track e-commerce orders across 850+ carriers globally. The company also shared that millions of users worldwide rely on it to not only obtain e-commerce delivery information, but also data and resources for informed decision-making.
• “Parcel Monitor’s strategic rebranding represents its growth milestones and reflects the platform’s evolution in recent years. We believe in the power of community, knowledge, and data-driven decision-making and have aspired ourselves to empower industry stakeholders with the confidence to better capitalize on the boundless opportunities in this rapid growth market,” said Dana von der Heide, Founder & CCO at Parcel Perform.
• The company said the refreshed Parcel Monitor is built on a scalable and robust technology platform, and through the use of data and collaboration, the team aims to create an open, collaborative space for all in the e-commerce logistics industry.
• Read more on Parcel Monitor.

Catching up with Christine Tsai

• The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) recently caught up with Christine Tsai, CEO and Founding Partner of 500 Global, and here are 3 key insights shared.
• On the current VC landscape. While the U.S. and Asia have recorded declines in venture funding in Q1 2022 compared to Q1 2021, that is not the case in Europe and Latin America so far. In the Middle East and Africa, while the ecosystems are relatively smaller, venture funding still registered strong growth during the same period. 
• What’s ahead for 500 Global? We began in Silicon Valley 12 years ago, but our investment thesis and overall mission has been global from Day 1. We invest in regions with different levels of startup ecosystem maturity, and we’re seeing this play out with current market and economic conditions. As venture capital continues to globalize and the percentage of unicorns from outside the U.S. increases further, we’re continuing to build out our global fund and regional fund strategies in both emerging and mature startup ecosystems around the world. 
• Southeast Asia has seen tremendous growth since 2012 when we made our first investment in the region. Today, our SEA portfolio includes more than 240 companies, with seven unicorns, as well as three IPOs. 
• Read the full interview on NVCA.

Scooting off to new job opportunities

• Sometimes all you need to get ahead in life is a little support in the right direction, and 500-backed e-scooter operator Neuron Mobility and Aborigional not-for-profit organization Killara Foundation, is doing just that in Melbourne.
• Neuron will be providing 50 unlimited, free Neuron rides to increase employment opportunities and outcomes for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The e-scooter passes will allow participants to have sustainable, convenient, and free transport that is easily accessible, to get to job interviews, workplaces and mentorship sessions.
• Richard Hannah, Head of ANZ, Neuron Mobility said: “As a company, we are already investing in meaningful partnerships that provide employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and we look forward to helping Killara’s program participants find and maintain employment. We hope by giving them access to Neuron e-scooters they will be able to easily travel to prospective job interviews and places of work.”
• Read the full story here.