Willem Van Lancker

Willem Van Lancker is a Partner at Terrain, a seed-stage investment firm he co-founded with Eric Stromberg. At Terrain, he focuses on investing in early-stage technology startups and collaborates closely with founders to help them build their companies. His approach emphasizes working deeply with select companies during their foundational year, providing both strategic and hands-on support across various aspects including product, design, and strategy.13

Professional Background

Before joining Terrain, Van Lancker held significant roles in various organizations:

• Head of Incubations at Thrive Capital: He was involved in nurturing startups like Cadence, The Browser Company, and others.
• Co-founder of Oyster: This company was later acquired by Google.
• Design Lead at Google Maps: He contributed to the design and user experience of this widely used application.
• Experience at IDEO and Apple: He worked in communication design and was part of the Human Interface Group at Apple, focusing on user interface design.123

Education

Willem Van Lancker studied at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Brown University, which equipped him with a strong foundation in design and technology.1

Overall, Van Lancker's career reflects a blend of investment acumen and design expertise, positioning him as a key player in the startup ecosystem.