In the midst of global development initiatives, Homi Kharas and Wolfgang Fengler, both seasoned World Bank alumni, discerned a glaring gap: the scarcity of trustworthy data on developing nations. Their response was the inception of World Data Lab (WDL) — a commitment to democratize data, making it universally interpretable and actionable.

Wolfgang's pioneering project, Population.io, caught the world's attention, leading him to share his insights on a global stage through a TED talk. This success positioned WDL at the forefront of translating complex global datasets into insights understandable to all.

From two simple tables in a co-working space in Austria, WDL unveiled its seminal project: the World Poverty Clock. This tool not only tracked poverty but used data to challenge the prevailing narrative, asking, "Are people genuinely growing poorer?”

This was only the beginning. Successive tools rolled out over the years, focusing on diverse global challenges: hunger, water scarcity, migration, skills, and more.

With a foundation in understanding global poverty distributions, WDL recognized the potential to model broader spending behaviors. Market Pro (now World Data Pro) was developed, catering to commercial users by offering forecasts on population trends and purchasing powers. Leveraging Homi's expertise, WDL took a deep dive into understanding and defining the global consumer class.

The same year, recognizing the global nature of its work, WDL opened its US office.

Africa, a continent rich in potential yet underserved in data infrastructure, became WDL’s next focus. Establishing an office in Kenya, WDL was not only addressing a critical data gap but also empowering the continent with homegrown talent – African data scientists driving projects based on African insights.

This year also marked a significant evolution in the WDL journey. From measuring pre-existing indicators, they took a leap into crafting their own. The Internet Poverty Index was born.

Today, WDL stands as a beacon in the global data landscape. With a new expansive office, a team of more than 50 dedicated professionals, and bolstered by a Series A investment from esteemed partners like Sparring Capital Partners, CHI Impact Capital, and Catagonia, WDL is poised for even greater achievements.