In this episode, Erasmus Elsner is talking to Gen Isayama, co-founder and CEO of World Innovation Lab, a Palo Alto and Tokyo based venture firm investing in growth-stage companies and serving as a bridge between startups and Japanese corporations.
00:00 Intro
01:30 World Innovation Lab
04:10 From Japanese lawyer to Silicon Valley VC
09:10 From DCM to WIL
13:55 WIL investment thesis
19:40 Japanese entrepreneurial culture
26:57 Open innovation Models at WIL
31:57 Raising Fund I
37:00 Full spectrum of WIL Activities
42:16 Investment strategy and portfolio construction
48:06 Outlook for WIL III
51:23 Call to action
Sand Hill Road