OpenOcean

2024 has been the year of AI. Every boardroom, roadmap and conference has been buzzing with it. But with so much hype, how do we separate signal from noise? In the first part of our Scaling AI series, OpenOcean's General Partner Ekaterina Almasque reflects on the past 12 months and shares her outlook for the year ahead. She explores where the investment is flowing, why most AI models aren’t making it to production and the risks enterprises face in this AI arms race. AI is set to disrupt industries faster and more deeply than the Cloud did, but are we missing the bigger picture? This is just the beginning of our four-part series on the opportunities and challenges of AI in 2025 and beyond. Link to the blog in the comments.

Developers need analytics tools that work for them, not against them. We’re excited to share a new “Why we invested” blog post by our Partner Sam H. on OpenOcean’s latest investment in Embeddable, who just announced their €6 million seed round. We led the round, alongside Four Rivers and TechStars. Embeddable fits seamlessly with our mission to back data tools that empower developers and software engineers to transform enterprises into software-first businesses. Their headless analytics platform addresses a critical need, making them an ideal partner for shaping the future of software development. Developers deserve smarter, more efficient tools, and we’re excited to support Embeddable as they push the industry forward. Read more about Embeddable and our investment in the blog—link in comments.

Exciting news 🚀 We are proud to announce our new investment in Embeddable, leading their €6 million oversubscribed seed round alongside Four Rivers and TechStars! London-based Embeddable is transforming embedded analytics for developers and product teams. Existing tools are often clunky, slow and resource-intensive, but Embeddable’s headless architecture offers a fresh alternative. It enables developers to create bespoke, fast and scalable analytics dashboards that integrate seamlessly into any application. The platform also empowers non-technical users with no-code features, allowing them to customise analytics without constantly relying on engineering teams. This combination of flexibility and efficiency is clearly resonating with the market. In a short time, Embeddable has signed contracts with 36 companies, drawn over 800 beta applicants and is adding $100,000 in new monthly contracts. Their rapid progress highlights the growing demand for tools that meet developers’ needs while offering powerful, user-friendly solutions for end-users. Founders Tom Gardiner and Harry Marshall bring years of expertise in business intelligence and a bold vision for the future of embedded analytics. Their approach aligns perfectly with OpenOcean’s focus on investing in data tools that empower developers and enable innovation. We are excited to support Embeddable as they continue to reshape how analytics are built and delivered. This is just the start of an exciting journey.

Exciting news from the OpenOcean portfolio: Strong Network has been acquired by Citrix! Strong Network is an award-winning Swiss cybersecurity startup that leverages software containers to solve the IT efficiency and security problems of running a distributed code development team. Founded in 2020, their hybrid cloud platform helps global organisations manage external developers, prevent source code and data leaks, automate DevOps, as well as provide real-time monitoring metrics. OpenOcean, alongside Wingman Ventures, led the €5.1M seed round, supporting the team in scaling their solutions for the modern, hybrid workforce. Congratulations to the Strong Network team on this significant milestone!

VC events don’t always have to stay in the conference room. A big thank you to Aalto Private Equity Club for hosting the Discovering Venture Capital event! It was a pleasure to participate alongside Wave Ventures, Lifeline Ventures and Inven. Tony Nysten did an excellent job representing OpenOcean on stage, while Mirva Laatunen connected with participants on the padel court.

Exciting to see OpenOcean’s portfolio company Authologic featured in Forbes! The e-ID market is gaining momentum, and we’re proud to see how Authologic is taking the lead in redefining identity verification with their unified platform. Authologic is tackling a critical challenge: simplifying online identity verification by unifying multiple e-ID systems into one easy-to-use platform for businesses. OpenOcean led Authologic’s $8.2 million Series A funding round in October 2024. As Tony Nysten, Partner at OpenOcean, said, digital interactions are becoming even more central to commerce, governance, and everyday life, and thus the need for secure identity verification will only grow, particularly against the backdrop of AI-driven frauds. We've always believed that Authologic's approach paves the way for safer, more seamless online interaction and we're proud to continue supporting them in setting new standards and taking over the e-ID market industry. Link to the full Forbes article in the comments.

“The landscape of AI-enabled services is ripe with opportunity, and the potential for innovation has never been greater.” What makes these AI-native businesses so impactful? Which industries are being disrupted the fastest, and why? In our latest blog, OpenOcean’s Investment Associate Cyrus Hessabi dives into how AI is transforming traditional industries by automating repetitive tasks, streamlining operations, and creating scalable, high-margin service models. Link to the blog in comments.

Exciting news from the OpenOcean portfolio! Our portfolio company Leadoo Marketing Technologies, a marketing technology and conversion platform, has been acquired by SALESmanago . Founded in 2018, Leadoo helps businesses turn website visitors into leads and customers with their unique approach to conversion optimisation, redefining how companies engage with their audiences online. OpenOcean recognised Leadoo’s potential early on, investing already in 2019 as a part of their first funding round. We congratulate the entire Leadoo team and everyone involved in this milestone achievement! We’re proud to have been part of your journey and look forward to seeing what’s next.

What a Slush! ♣️ On Tuesday, we kicked off the Slush week with OpenOcean’s Legendary Poker Tournament, hosted with HV Capital! A big thank you to the over 500 attendees who made the evening unforgettable—not to mention the final round that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. Congratulations to the Poker Champion 2024, Fredrik Nars, for claiming the coveted title! 💡On Thursday, we had the privilege of co-hosting the inaugural Slush Founders’ Dinner with Luminar Ventures. Many thanks to all the talented founders who attended! 

What a night! On Slush Day 0, we hosted our annual Legendary Slush Poker Tournament in collaboration with HV Capital and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The competition was fierce, but one winner claimed the Poker Champion 2024 title. Huge congratulations to Fredrik Nars 👑 📸 by Petri Mast