World labs ai bets $200M on next-gen 3D world models

Autodesk is deepening its push into advanced spatial computing with a major stake in world labs ai, positioning its platform closer to next-generation 3D content creation.

Autodesk invests $200 million in World Labs

World Labs, co-founded by renowned AI scientist Fei-Fei Li, has secured a $200 million investment from design software leader Autodesk. The deal, announced in 2024, will see the two companies explore how World Labs’ AI models for immersive 3D environments can work in tandem with Autodesk’s professional tools.

According to Autodesk, the transaction forms part of a larger funding round for the startup. However, the company did not disclose additional financial details. World Labs emerged from stealth in 2024 with $230 million in initial backing at a $1 billion valuation and is now reportedly negotiating new capital at a $5 billion valuation.

World Labs did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on the new funding and broader round structure. That said, the size of Autodesk’s commitment signals growing institutional confidence in the startup’s core technology and commercialization path.

Strategic focus on 3D content and entertainment

The partnership will initially concentrate on entertainment-driven applications, where generative AI for 3D scenes is rapidly gaining traction. Moreover, Autodesk and World Labs plan to test how AI-generated virtual worlds can connect with existing content creation pipelines used by studios and designers.

World Labs’ first commercial product, a world model called Marble, launched in November 2024. Marble enables users to create editable and downloadable 3D environments, offering a streamlined way to prototype digital worlds that can later be refined in professional software.

Industry observers see Marble as an early illustration of how world models for creators could compress traditional 3D production workflows. However, the long-term impact will depend on how deeply these generative systems can plug into established design and rendering tools used across the entertainment sector.

Why Autodesk is betting on spatial AI

Autodesk remains one of the largest developers of professional 3D CAD applications globally. Its software underpins architectural, engineering, construction, manufacturing, and media production workflows. That legacy around the built environment makes an expansion into advanced spatial AI a logical extension of its product roadmap.

In a statement explaining the rationale for the deal, Autodesk said it has “long helped people think spatially and solve real-world problems”. Moreover, the company emphasized a shared objective with World Labs: building “physical AI” systems that augment human creativity and place more powerful tools in the hands of designers, builders, and creators.

This positioning suggests Autodesk views models like Marble as complementary rather than competitive to its existing portfolio. However, the firm also appears intent on shaping how AI-native 3D generation will interact with the professional-grade workflows that rely on its platforms.

Research-level collaboration and advisory role

As part of the agreement, Autodesk will act as an advisor to World Labs. The companies will collaborate at the research and model level, working on how these AI systems can generate and reason about complex 3D spaces while remaining compatible with established design formats.

This includes exploring tighter alignment between generative world models and Autodesk’s ecosystems. That said, both sides have so far kept technical specifics under wraps, and no concrete product integration roadmap has been made public.

For Autodesk, the move offers an early vantage point on how spatial AI for design might evolve. For World Labs, the link to a dominant 3D software supplier validates that the startup’s technology has clear commercial potential across multiple verticals beyond its initial entertainment focus.

In summary, Autodesk’s $200 million bet on World Labs underscores how fast AI-native 3D world modeling is moving from research into production pipelines. As the collaboration unfolds, the depth of integration with professional tools will determine how transformative these systems become for designers, engineers, and creators worldwide.