AI81Works launches Venture Studio to help tech founders raise, scale and lead
October 24, 2026
Munich, Germany, October 24, 2026 – AI81Works LLC, an executive search and strategy advisory firm in Data and AI, today announced the launch of AI81 Venture Studio. The new practice pairs early- and growth-stage founders with seasoned operators to prepare for capital raises, open commercial doors and build the leadership teams investors back. The Studio will be led by Janak Joshi, former Chief Digital Officer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Why a Venture Studio
Breakthrough technology rarely fails for lack of science. It stalls when the fundraise arrives before the story, the first enterprise customers or the leadership bench is ready. Across its advisory work, AI81Works hears the same request from founders in AI, semiconductors, energy and health tech. They want experienced operators who have sat on the buyer’s side of the table and in the boardroom.
What the Studio Offers
Capital readiness: stress-testing fundraising strategy, investor narrative and data room ahead of seed, Series A and bridge rounds.
Board and advisor matchmaking: placing former CEOs and CXOs from the AI81Works network as door-opening advisors.
Commercial acceleration: go-to-market design and warm introductions to enterprise, utility and public-sector buyers in Europe and the US.
Leadership build-out: securing the first CTO, CRO or Head of AI as the company scales.
Leadership Quotes
“Most founders I meet don’t need another pitch-deck template,” said Janak Joshi, Managing Partner of AI81 Venture Studio. “They need someone who has bought technology at scale, sat on investment committees and knows which door to knock on first. The Studio puts that experience on the founder’s side of the table.”
Joshi brings experience as CIO of CVS Caremark, CTO of LifeImage and Global Head of Real-World Evidence Product at Deloitte. He also serves on the boards of MassVentures and Brandeis University.
“We named AI81Works after a simple truth: technology only works when people adopt it,” said Carl-Johan Nakamura, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of AI81Works LLC. “The Studio applies that to startups. Great technology needs the right capital, customers and leaders around it, and Janak is the right person to build that bridge.”
Together, AI81 Venture Studio and the wider AI81Works network will help founders turn deep technology into durable companies across North America, Europe and beyond.
Media Contact
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:
Liliana Trinkle
Email: ltrinkle@ai81works.com
Phone: +1-781-650-6800