We empower the
bold leaders of
the data economy

OpenOcean - Early-Stage Venture Capital

Founded in 2008, by key persons behind MySQL AB (sold to Sun Microsystems, Inc) and its successor, MariaDB (NYSE: MRDB), OpenOcean is a uniquely qualified pan-European early-stage venture capital investor.

The OpenOcean General Partnership jointly has over 45 years of software investment experience across multiple geographies, investment stages, and investment lifecycles.

Our experience has helped us clearly define our thematic investment approach which focuses on early stage technical companies that drive the surging data-economy.

Our deep knowledge of the underlying software and technology stacks of companies, coupled with our operational and scaling experience, provide us with unique insights and deep expertise for scaling technical start-ups from Europe to global category leadership.

To date, we have launched three flagship early-stage funds, and one opportunity fund.

Our Investment Philosophy

Our investments target early stage companies (typically at the A-round) that harness this data to create products that optimise processes, personalise offerings, and deliver exceptional customer experiences across multiple industries.

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12-08-2022

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News highlights

All news
From AI Surge to Unicorns: The State of Enterprise Automation in 2023

From AI Surge to Unicorns: The State of Enterprise Automation in 2023

...
OpenOcean x Oxford's Saïd Business School: Why We Created O³, Startup Insights Platform

OpenOcean x Oxford's Saïd Business School: Why We Created O³, Startup Insights Platform

...
Where to find alpha in the post-covid era? Macro and market update Q4 2022

Where to find alpha in the post-covid era? Macro and market update Q4 2022

...
IPO: MariaDB lands on the New York Stock Exchange

IPO: MariaDB lands on the New York Stock Exchange

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Launching: State of Quantum 2022 Report

Launching: State of Quantum 2022 Report

...
How MariaDB became the world-leading open-source database company

How MariaDB became the world-leading open-source database company

...
Announcing LoopMe exit: celebrating the next chapter of a real Ad-Venture

Announcing LoopMe exit: celebrating the next chapter of a real Ad-Venture

...
PassFort acquired by Moody’s Corporation

PassFort acquired by Moody’s Corporation

...
The Truecaller IPO: nine years of “instant” success

The Truecaller IPO: nine years of “instant” success

...
October 24, 2023
·
5
min read

From AI Surge to Unicorns: The State of Enterprise Automation in 2023

Our Enterprise Automation Map 2023 offers an extensive overview of the ever-expanding landscape of enterprise automation software, featuring a selection of over 810 enterprise automation companies, boasting valuations exceeding $100M.
September 12, 2023
·
3
min read

OpenOcean x Oxford's Saïd Business School: Why We Created O³, Startup Insights Platform

OpenOcean, in partnership with Oxford's Saïd Business School, has launched O³, an open-access startup insights platform aimed at fostering a data-driven startup ecosystem. Historically, the tech industry has struggled with transparency, leading policymakers, investors, and startups to base decisions on partial information. O³ addresses this gap by providing comprehensive data about startups, their technologies, market strategies, and more. This collaboration of Saïd Business School's research with OpenOcean's know-how offers unmatched insights for evaluating startups and understanding market shifts.
June 28, 2023
·
4
min read

OpenOcean ESG Report 2023: ESG Maturity at an All-Time High

We are now happy to share the results of our 5th annual ESG report with you to unpack the current ESG statistics of our portfolio companies and to establish transparently where and how we must continue to collectively push for greater progress. This year we achieved a 100% response rate and the survey was based on our internally developed ESG Starter Pack.

Latest about us

All external news
External news

From the Ashes of Tech Nation, Rises Tech Nation 2.0 for UK SMEs

“Tech Nation 2.0 will be especially important for deep tech firms in fields like quantum technology. These companies have timelines measured in decades. They rely on targeted incentives and funding from the government to ensure continued progress is made. Furthermore, we need to establish the right procedures to guide visionary founders with innovative software concepts from initial whiteboard sketches all the way to becoming publicly listed companies in Piccadilly Square.”

External news

‘Tech VC funding is and always has been a boys’ club’

For the past number of years, Ekaterina Almasque has dedicated herself to advocating for women in the venture capital industry. She is a co-founder of European Women in VC, an advocacy group she helped set up with a group of women who were equally frustrated with the blocks preventing talented women from breaking into the scene.

External news

OpenOcean reveals 13 new unicorns with 2023 Automation Market Map

European software and deep technology Venture Capital firm OpenOcean has revealed the emergence of thirteen new unicorns (companies with a valuation of $1Bn or more) with the release of its 2023 Automation Market Map. The map aims to enhance the understanding of the enterprise automation software sector with a curated collection of over 810 automation companies, each valued at over $100M, along with the most promising early-stage startups in this area.

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