Autodesk Bets $200M on Fei-Fei Li's World Labs to Bring AI 3D Worlds Into Design

Q: What World Labs Builds

World Labs develops world models — AI systems that can generate and reason about immersive, editable 3D environments. Its first product, Marble, lets users create downloadable, editable 3D environments from prompts. The technology goes beyond image generation: these are navigable, interactive spatial models — the kind of environment that could underpin a new generation of design, simulation, and entertainment workflows.

By Jaspal February 18, 2026 Updated: February 18, 2026

A $200M Spatial AI Bet

Autodesk — the company behind AutoCAD, Revit, and Maya — has invested $200 million in World Labs, the spatial AI startup founded by AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li. The investment is part of a larger round also including Andreessen Horowitz, Nvidia, and AMD, with World Labs reportedly in talks to raise at a $5 billion valuation — up from $1 billion when it emerged from stealth in 2024.

What World Labs Builds

World Labs develops world models — AI systems that can generate and reason about immersive, editable 3D environments. Its first product, Marble, lets users create downloadable, editable 3D environments from prompts.

The technology goes beyond image generation: these are navigable, interactive spatial models — the kind of environment that could underpin a new generation of design, simulation, and entertainment workflows.

The Partnership

As part of the deal, Autodesk will serve as a strategic advisor to World Labs, and the two will collaborate at the research and model level. Initial focus: entertainment use cases, with broader design applications to follow.

Why This Matters

Autodesk's core products are used by architects, engineers, filmmakers, and game developers. If World Labs' spatial AI can generate and edit 3D environments as naturally as Midjourney generates images, it fundamentally changes the design workflow — and Autodesk wants to be inside that change, not outside it.

The Bottom Line

Autodesk bet $200M on Fei-Fei Li's World Labs to bring AI 3D worlds into their design tools. World Labs' valuation: $5 billion. The company behind AutoCAD is betting that spatial AI will reshape the design profession — and it wants a seat at the table when it does.