Cardiff-based proptech firm Openmove has secured £700,000 in equity funding to expand its platform, grow its team and accelerate its rollout into the UK property sector.
The investment was led by the Development Bank of Wales, which contributed £350,000 through its Wales Technology Fund, with early-stage venture firm HAATCH and a group of Welsh angel investors contributing £335,000.
Founded in 2024 by Ross McKenzie and Cai Gwinnett, Openmove has developed a business-to-business platform designed to streamline workflows for estate agents, conveyancers and mortgage brokers, with the aim of reducing administration and improving communication during property transactions.
The platform integrates with existing systems used by property professionals, providing a shared data and communications layer without requiring users to adopt a new software environment.
The company has spent the last 18 months developing and testing the platform with early users, while garnering interest from estate agency groups and conveyancers. The latest funding will support further product development, and the investment is expected to create six new jobs in Cardiff.
Chief executive McKenzie has extensive experience in the property sector, having held senior roles at Purplebricks and Countrywide before setting up Cardiff-based estate agency Isla-Alexander, which he sold to TAUK in 2025.
Gwinnett, the company’s Chief Technology Officer, has 20 years of experience in startups and engineering, with previous roles including at OnExamination, Amplify, Cyber Innovation Hub, and Tramshed Tech.
McKenzie said: “We are proud to be building OpenMove in Wales. It is a Welsh business, founded by two people who grew up and built their careers here, and we are excited to create jobs in Cardiff as we move into the next phase of growth.”
Gwinnett said: “Our focus has been on creating technology that is compatible with the systems professionals already use, not on forcing them to change behavior or adopt an entirely new way of working.
“We have developed a market-ready product, tested it with early customers and are now in a strong position to accelerate our growth.”