WiL Fund II by World Innovation Lab

wilab.com

VCMatch tracks WiL Fund II by World Innovation Lab as an investor focused on AI/ML, Enterprise SaaS, and Fintech companies, Growth and Late Stage rounds, and United States, Japan, and Asia markets. Upload your deck to compare your startup against the full private matching profile.

Check Size

Not specified

Stages

Growth, Late Stage

Focus Areas

AI/ML, Enterprise SaaS, Fintech

Geography

United States, Japan, and Asia

Investment Thesis

WiL positions itself as a bridge between startups and corporations to accelerate growth-stage technology companies entering new markets (particularly Japan), leveraging a corporate and government LP network and hands-on platform support. The firm explicitly combines financial investment with operational and go-to-market assistance (including managing CVCs and a fund-of-funds vehicle) and has recently broadened its remit to include companies addressing major societal challenges: “Our mission of helping entrepreneurs expand to markets throughout the globe…” and “we are expanding our focus to also include companies tackling major societal challenges such as health, climate change, and sustainability.”

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Investment Focus

Who should take a closer look

WiL Fund II by World Innovation Lab is most relevant for founders raising Growth and Late Stage rounds in AI/ML, Enterprise SaaS, Fintech, and Insurtech, especially across United States, Japan, and Asia.

Focus statement

WiL invests in growth-stage technology companies that aspire to scale and enter new markets, with a particular focus on Japan and APAC. Sector focus includes "Artificial Intelligence, B2B SaaS, fintech, insurtech, automation and productivity, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, developer tools, health tech and sustainability."

Value Add

Bi-national footprint and LP base: "World Innovation Lab (WiL) is a US- & Japan-based fund, with capital from leading global corporations and government entities in Japan and Asia."
Platform-driven market expansion into Japan: they provide "market expansion support into Japan to US startups, and vice versa," including "design-thinking workshops, hosting of expats in WiL’s Silicon Valley office and establishment of joint ventures and spin-offs."
Deep corporate access and go-to-market facilitation: WiL leverages its LP network to make "customer introductions" and develop distribution channels, acting as a connector between startups and lighthouse corporate customers.
Multiple investment channels: direct growth-stage investing, a fund-of-funds vehicle ("WiL Strategic Partners") and CVC management for LPs to "marry WiL’s financial and operational expertise with LPs’ deep domain expertise."
Co-investing and VC-to-VC support: they "invest in exceptional venture capital firms and help their portfolio companies accelerate global growth through co-investing in select portfolio companies."
Cross-cultural operating team: team described as "startup founders, company builders, and corporate leaders who understand global growth," enabling practical support for international expansion.