openmoove lands £700k pre-seed to streamline transactions with a single communication layer
This article covers openmoove, a Cardiff proptech startup that has raised £700,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by the Development Bank of Wales to scale its B2B platform, expand its team and support a wider rollout across the UK property sector. The funding will support product development, go-to-market activity and the creation of six jobs in Cardiff, and is intended to streamline transactions for estate agents, conveyancers and mortgage brokers.
openmoove, a Cardiff proptech startup, has raised £700,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by the Development Bank of Wales to scale its B2B platform, expand its team and support a wider rollout across the UK property sector. The round combines a £350,000 equity investment from the Wales Technology Fund, managed by the Development Bank of Wales, with £335,000 from HAATCH and a group of Welsh angel investors.
Why it matters
The UK property transaction process remains fragmented, involving multiple parties and legacy systems. openmoove’s platform aims to reduce administrative friction between estate agents, conveyancers and mortgage brokers by creating a single communication layer that integrates with existing tools. The fresh capital will fund product development, go-to-market activity and the creation of six jobs in Cardiff, underscoring the role of regional investment in building local tech employment.
Inside the product
openmoove has spent 18 months developing and testing its product with early customers. The platform is designed to sit alongside the internal systems property professionals already use, rather than force a wholesale change in workflows. That approach is intended to lower friction for adoption while delivering a single source of truth across the transaction lifecycle — from initial offer through to completion — and to address common pain points around communication and paperwork.
Who are the investors?
The lead investor is the Wales Technology Fund, managed by the Development Bank of Wales, which provided £350,000. That was matched by £335,000 from HAATCH, an early-stage venture firm, together with a syndicate of Welsh angel investors. The announcement notes this is the second co-investment between HAATCH and the Development Bank of Wales.
The Wales Technology Seed Fund II, part of the Development Bank’s offer, targets proof-of-concept Welsh tech businesses and those relocating to Wales, providing equity investments between £100,000 and £350,000. Since 2017 the Development Bank of Wales says it has funded more than 300 tech ventures with over £97 million invested, leveraging a further £210 million in co-investment.
In the announcement, Mike Rees, Investment Executive at the Development Bank of Wales, said:
Ross and Cai have combined deep sector knowledge with strong technical expertise to build a compelling platform in a large and important market. 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.
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. It is also encouraging to be investing alongside HAATCH again, demonstrating the value of co-investment in supporting ambitious Welsh businesses with high-growth potential.
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Founder perspective
The business was founded in 2024 by Ross McKenzie and Cai Gwinnutt and is headquartered in Cardiff. McKenzie has senior property-sector experience including roles at Purplebricks and Countrywide and founded local estate agency Isla-Alexander, which was sold to TAUK (The Agency UK) in 2025. Gwinnutt, the company’s CTO, has around 20 years’ experience in startups and engineering with roles at OnExamination, Amplyfi, Cyber Innovation Hub and Tramshed Tech.
In the announcement, Ross McKenzie, Chief Executive at openmoove, said:
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. This investment gives us the backing to scale up, build our team in Cardiff and start rolling the platform out more widely.
We’re proud to be building openmoove in Wales. This is a Welsh business, founded by two people who have grown up and built their careers here, and we’re excited to be creating jobs in Cardiff as we move into the next phase of growth.
In the announcement, Cai Gwinnutt, CTO at openmoove, said:
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. We’ve developed a market-ready product, tested it with early customers and are now in a strong position to accelerate our growth.
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.
The bigger picture
openmoove’s raise underlines sustained interest in tools that digitise and de-risk parts of the property market. For regional ecosystems such as Wales, the deal is also a reminder that targeted funds and co-investment can help startups move from product validation to commercial roll-out while creating local jobs.
The transaction sits within a broader UK push to modernise property workflows and reflects continued appetite among investors for early-stage proptech solutions that can integrate with incumbent systems rather than replace them.
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