William Robertson, investor at Ki Tua Fund, is one of our top 50 Rising Stars in corporate venturing for 2026.
One of the founding members of Ki Tua Fund, the corporate VC arm of New Zealand-based dairy co-operative Fonterra, William Robertson played a key role in shaping its vision and strategy before the unit was officially launched. He was part of the early investing team, helping structure Ki Tua’s investment process and leading much of the financial due diligence.
Robertson built his career at Fonterra in roles spanning sales, commodity forecasting and internal auditing, before transitioning into CVC. He was initially part of the CVC team in Auckland, before moving to San Francisco in August 2024 to spearhead Ki Tua’s expansion in the US.
He describes the process of setting up the fund as a “fascinating journey”, helping him understand the role the unit needed to play in the parent company.
“We have an analogy of building the plane as we fly it. So, constantly evolving, constantly changing and that has been natural as the fund evolves. But the fundamental purpose has not changed.”
“Every startup is working to solve a problem in a way that makes the world a better place. And it is your job as an investor to support this team with their vision.”
Robertson has led deep-dives into the strategic value of animal genetics and mastitis, liaising with internal and external experts to help shape Ki Tua’s views. The results have helped the wider team to screen startups in these key areas.
He has also leveraged his experience in internal auditing to support an audit of Ki Tua’s operations. His findings have strengthened the unit’s operations and helped reassure Fonterra of Ki Tua’s robust processes and risk management.
Robertson credits the passionate and talented people he works and interacts with as the highlight of his job.
“You will never meet a founder who is trying to do a bad thing. Every startup is working to solve a problem in a way that makes the world a better place. And it is your job as an investor to support this team with their vision. It makes for an incredibly purposeful career.”
The Rising Stars are early-career corporate venture professionals who are making an outstanding contribution to their teams and the industry.
See the full list of Rising Stars 2026 here.
