Cardiff-based property technology business openmoove has successfully raised £700,000 in equity investment. The newly secured funds will be utilized to scale the company’s B2B platform, accelerate its go-to-market activities, and support the wider rollout of its services across the UK property sector.
The funding deal was led by the Development Bank of Wales, which provided a £350,000 equity investment from its Wales Technology Fund. This was matched by a £335,000 investment from early-stage venture firm HAATCH, alongside contributions from a group of Welsh angel investors. Notably, the deal marks the second time HAATCH and the Development Bank of Wales have co-invested in a venture.
The financial injection is expected to create six new jobs in Cardiff over the coming months as openmoove builds a dedicated, expert team to support its next stage of growth.
Streamlining the home-moving journey
Founded in 2024 by Ross McKenzie and Cai Gwinnutt, openmoove has spent the last 18 months building, refining, and testing its product with early customers. The company has already successfully secured commercial interest from major estate agency groups and conveyancers.
The startup’s B2B platform is specifically designed to streamline workflows for estate agents, conveyancers, and mortgage brokers. By integrating directly with the internal systems already utilized by property professionals, openmoove creates a single source of truth and a common communication layer. Crucially, this is achieved without requiring users to adopt a completely new interface.
This integrated approach aims to reduce administration, improve communication, and make property transactions significantly easier for all involved parties, ultimately simplifying one of the most time-consuming and stressful parts of the home-moving journey.
Foundational expertise and local roots
The founders bring significant industry and technical experience to the platform. CEO Ross McKenzie held senior roles at Purplebricks and Countrywide before founding the Cardiff-based estate agency Isla-Alexander, which he subsequently sold to TAUK in 2025. CTO Cai Gwinnutt brings two decades of experience across startups and engineering, including roles at OnExamination, Amplyfi, and the Cyber Innovation Hub.
“We’ve spent the last 18 months building the product, working closely with estate agents, conveyancers and mortgage brokers, and proving there is real demand for a better way to manage the property transaction process,” stated McKenzie. “This investment gives us the backing to scale up, build our team in Cardiff and start rolling the platform out more widely.”
Gwinnutt emphasized the platform’s user-centric design:
“Our focus has been on creating technology that fits around the systems professionals already use, rather than forcing them to change behaviour or adopt a completely new way of working,” Gwinnutt said. “This funding allows us to keep building with intent — expanding the team, strengthening the platform and taking a product that will improve the way property transactions happen.”
Investor confidence
Mike Rees, investment executive at the Development Bank of Wales, praised the founders’ combination of deep sector knowledge and strong technical expertise.
“They have made significant progress in a short space of time, developing the product, securing early commercial interest and setting out a clear route to growth,” Rees commented. “Our investment from the Wales Technology Fund will help openmoove scale from Cardiff, create new jobs and build on the commercial foundations already in place.”
