UV-curable waterborne polyurethane (WUPU)/silica nanocomposites were prepared using various silica by phase-inversion emulsification method. TEM examinations of nanostructured films indicated that the organic modified nanosilica was well dispersed in the WUPU matrix, while the acid and alkaline silica formed much less compact, or densely aggregated structure. DMA analysis demonstrated that the WUPU/silica nanocomposite films had a broadening of the tan delta peak and shifted to higher temperature. The WUPU/silica nanocomposite films displayed enhanced storage modulus, Shore A hardness, tensile strength without sacrificing high elongation at break compared to that of the pure WUPU film. The resulting nanocomposite films are possibly interesting for the generation of waterborne UV-curable transparent coatings with scratch-resistance.