Gen Isayama

Gen has extensive experience in venture capital, finance, and entrepreneurship. Passionate about unlocking people’s entrepreneurship and creativity, he founded WiL to form a new innovation engine. He currently oversees WiL’s global investment strategy as well as business creation and corporate innovation practices. Before he co-founded WiL, Gen was Partner at DCM Ventures, specializing in online media, mobile, and consumer services. He also led strategy and operations across multiple disciplines, including corporate finance and market risk management while with the Industrial Bank of Japan. He co-founded his first company, a web design firm, as a student at Tokyo University. Gen is a technology columnist for the Nikkei’s digital edition, Nikkei Industrial Newspaper, and the Toyo Keizai Online. He is also a member of various Japanese government committees including Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to promote entrepreneurship nationwide. Gen holds a BA from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Outside of work, Gen is an avid educator and enjoys teaching and sports. He also became a zealous golfer as he started teaching all his four children to play. Latest Building Bridges in New Ways Vator News ‘Meet the VC’ with Gen Isayama Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Discussion with Gen Isayama Hunting for unicorns: Japan startups see hope on horizon Mind the Bridge Interview with Gen Isayama Why Japan SHOULD Matter to US Startups and VCs Mercari points the way for Japanese tech startups Matching Big Companies with Entrepreneurs