World Innovation Lab
Venture capitalPalo Alto · Growth–Late Stage · 27 people tracked
Also known as WIL, LLC
Investment thesis
WiL invests in growth-stage companies that aspire to scale and enter new markets, serving as a bridge between startups and corporations. It leverages its network of corporate and government limited partners in Japan and Asia to help portfolio companies expand globally, with a particular focus on Japan. The team draws on cross-cultural experience as investors, founders, company builders, and corporate leaders. WiL also invests in select venture capital firms and co-invests in their portfolio companies to help accelerate their global growth.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 27 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 14 of 16 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×9Enterprise Software ×9SaaS ×9Developer Tools ×4Future of Work ×3Logistics & Supply Chain ×2Crypto & Web3 ×1Cybersecurity ×1
HQs:United States×12China×1United Kingdom×1
Investments · 16 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathAsana is a collaborative work management platform that helps teams align work to goals, coordinate tasks, and automate processes using AI-powered workflows.
Enterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkMarketing TechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Tim Wan(Executive Officer)Colin le Duc(Director)Dustin Moskovitz(Executive Officer, Director)Matthew Cohler(Director)Adam D'Angelo(Director)Eve Saltman(Executive Officer)
Aisera develops agentic AI systems for enterprises that proactively anticipate needs and solve repetitive tasks, freeing teams to focus on strategic decisions and complex problem-solving.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSanta Clara, US
Abhi Maheshwari(Chief Executive Officer)Jared Lucas(Chief People Officer)inDejan Deklich(Chief Development Officer)Rahul Guha(VP of Product Management)inUtkarsh Contractor(Field Chief Technology Officer)inBen Lu(Chief Financial Officer)in
Workstream provides technology and services for the global deskless economy, serving the 2.7 billion workers and business owners in this segment.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkHR TechSaaS
Desmond Lim(Founder & CEO)
Cresta provides a unified platform combining human and AI agents to automate and augment customer service interactions for enterprise contact centers.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSales TechPalo Alto, US
Sebastian Thrun(Co-founder)Tim Shi(Co-founder)inZayd Enam(Co-founder)Ping Wu(CEO)in
BoardDouglas Leone(Director)
Board seatRob Theis· per SEC Form D · $125M raise · filed Jan 2025
Algolia provides an API platform that enables developers to integrate search and discovery functionality into websites and mobile applications, serving thousands of companies across e-commerce, media, and SaaS.
Developer ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSan Francisco, US
Nicolas Dessaigne(Founder/Board Member)inJulien Lemoine(Founder/CTO)in
BoardPhilippe Botteri(Director)
Auth0 is an authentication and authorization platform that secures applications, AI agents, and internal tools by providing identity management, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and fine-grained access control capabilities.
CybersecurityDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareBellevue, US
Monica Enand(Director)Carlos Eugenio Pace(Executive Officer, Director)Sunil Nagaraj(Director)Jonathan I. Gelsey(Executive Officer, Director)Peter van Hardenberg(Director)Karan Mehandru(Director)
ClearMotion develops active suspension systems for automotive vehicles.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareMobility & TransportationChangshu, CN
Zack AndersonShak AvadhanyChristian Steinmann(CEO)
Reno, US
Varun Jain(Director)Matthew Sweeny(Executive Officer, Director)Jess Hayden(Executive Officer)Mark Siegal(Director)Sabbi Haider(Executive Officer, Director)
HappyRobot provides a platform for deploying autonomous AI agents across complex enterprise operations.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSSan Francisco, US
Pablo Palafox(Founder)inLuis Paarup(Founder)inJavier Palafox(Founder)in
Pipedream is a developer platform for building and deploying AI agents and automating API-connected workflows.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsSan Francisco, US
Rad AI develops generative AI models and automation solutions specifically designed for radiology and healthcare workflows.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechMedical DevicesSan Francisco, US
Dr. Jeff Chang(Co-founder)inDoktor Gurson(Co-founder)in
BoardStuart Peterson(Director)Bruce Armstrong(Director)
A browser extension or command bar interface for the Arc browser that enables users to search and navigate browser history, manage open tabs, and access productivity tools like ChatGPT integration and system utilities.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSLondon, GB
Thomas Mann(Founder)inPetr Nikolaev(Founder)in
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does World Innovation Lab invest at?
- World Innovation Lab invests at the Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What sectors does World Innovation Lab focus on?
- World Innovation Lab focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Climate Tech, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Developer Tools, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Healthtech, InsurTech, SaaS.
- Where is World Innovation Lab located?
- World Innovation Lab is headquartered in Palo Alto, US.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamStanford Seminar - Gen Isayama of World Innovation Lab
Stanford Online · Gen Isayama
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