I am excited to announce that World Innovation Lab (WiL) has raised over $1 billion across several funds — our third growth fund, fund of funds, and corporate VC funds we manage on behalf of our limited partners. Including our latest raise, we have secured over $1.9 billion in committed capital since launching our firm in January 2014. We are grateful to our LPs and founders for their continued partnership and for believing in our mission.
I founded WiL with hopes of bridging the innovation gap between the United States and Japan. U.S. startups struggled with entering Japan, one of the world’s leading enterprise and consumer markets, while large Japanese corporations wrestled with digital transformation and accessing Silicon Valley’s innovation ecosystem. While not an easy task, bridging the two seemed like a win-win. About a decade later, this most recent capital raise, our largest to date, is a testament to how our work not only matters, but also is increasingly impactful.
Our mission of helping entrepreneurs expand to markets throughout the globe, while helping LPs accelerate digital transformation remains consistent. However, we have learned during the past two years that sustainable businesses cannot exist without a stable and healthy society. For that reason, we are expanding our focus to also include companies tackling major societal challenges such as health, climate change, and sustainability.
We are also finding new ways to deliver value to founders and LPs by diversifying our investment channels. Our fund of funds vehicle, WiL Strategic Partners, will provide a flow of capital to founders beyond the focus of our existing sectors and stages, while also empowering our LPs to diversify their investments. Simultaneously, by helping our LPs manage CVCs, we will marry WiL’s financial and operational expertise with LPs’ deep domain expertise — enabling greater synergies for founders and LPs.
I am grateful to our founders and LPs who continue to place their trust in us, as well as to our growing WiL team, who continue to live and breathe our mission of bridging startups and corporations globally. The road ahead occasionally could be bumpy, but clearing those hurdles will only strengthen our commitment to LPs and founders. I look forward to charting new paths with all of you.
-Gen