Openspace

The best feedback we can get is from our founders—and we’re glad that Billy Kurniawan, Founder and CEO of Jiwa Group (Kopi Janji Jiwa & Jiwa Toast) recognizes the added value Openspace brings to the table. At Openspace, our role extends far beyond capital deployment; it’s about offering strategic guidance and hands-on support to navigate business complexities. We ride the growth cycle side-by-side with our portfolio companies and we are actively involved across multiple business functions, turning challenges into opportunities. We're committed to making our team available where and when our portfolio companies need assistance. #activeintelligence #venturecapital #funding #janjijiwa #southeastasia

𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱!  This is a rare chance to delve into the world of Southeast Asian venture capital and learn about tech investing. For 10 years, Openspace has invited interns to join our team for a highly collaborative, well-supported, and enjoyable experience. We recruit selectively to ensure each Intern is able to get directly involved with our day-to-day work and make a meaningful contribution. We offer internships across various parts of the business, including Investments, ESG & Legal, Data Science, Operations, and special research projects. If you feel like you would be a good fit for Openspace, please apply via our Careers page here: https://lnkd.in/g3e_3hAn Do you know someone who’d make a great intern? Tag them below and share this opportunity! #activeintelligence #venturecapital #internship #hiring

We’re happy to share that we’ve been certified as a Great Place To Work for the fourth consecutive year since 2021! This recognition is especially meaningful because it is built on the feedback from our team. We deeply value their voices and it inspires us to continue creating a workplace that is open, inclusive, and supportive—a place where everyone feels heard and empowered to thrive and contribute their best. Thank you to our incredible team for making this possible! We're welcoming new talent to our team soon. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming opportunities to join us and experience what makes Openspace a truly great place to work. Great Place To Work® Singapore #activeintelligence #GreatPlaceToWork

Early-stage funding has driven an average of 85% of climate tech equity deals in Southeast Asia in recent years. The sector is seeing growing interest from investors, however, mid-stage funding remains limited and leaves a funding gap as these startups mature. In this SuperReturn feature, Shane Chesson, Jaclyn Seow, and Claudia Zeisberger of INSEAD unpack the dynamics of climate tech investing in Southeast Asia. They highlight how venture capitalists, regulatory support, and close partnerships with corporate actors play a crucial role in bridging this gap and ensuring that emerging climate innovations are sustained and supported in the region. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gHxy4yVE #activeintelligence #climateteh #investment

Honored to share that our investment in Fano (Fano Labs) has been recognized as the Best Venture Capital Deal in Southeast Asia/APAC at the FinanceAsia Achievement Award 2024. Fano is driving innovation in Language AI, specializing in Speech Recognition and Natural Language Processing technologies tailored for multilingual environments. Openspace led Fano's Series B round earlier this year, supporting their mission to transform how industries interact in diverse linguistic contexts. We’re excited to continue supporting and being part of Fano's journey as they continue to grow and solidify their position as an industry leader. See the list of the winners here: https://lnkd.in/gkpun4Vw #activeintelligence

Thank you to all our LPs and ecosystem partners who attended our Annual General Meeting in Singapore last week. As a firm, it was a great opportunity to not only reaffirm our conviction in Southeast Asia but to also outline the strategic recalibrations we are undertaking as we continue to deploy steadily and build our portfolio and firm during this unique window. The final close of OSV IV and the renaming of our mid-stage fund to Openspace Growth (formerly OSV+) point towards our ambition to embed our track record in early-stage tech-centric investing while further building out our breadth of coverage and toolkit into PE style growth. During the session, our team also shared updates on the latest OSV IV deployments. This included Envisso, a merchant risk SaaS platform, and Rukita, an Indonesian prop-tech solving the country’s housing gap. Other investments to date include LXA Group and Every Half Coffee Roasters. Openspace Growth (OGI) has also remained on pace, with recent investments including Fano (Fano Labs), an AI performance language SaaS platform focused on compliance, and Ampd Energy, an energy storage systems provider helping electrify power in heavy industries. We are excited by the significant potential inherent in this multi-stage and regional portfolio mix. We believe we have the right team and the right funds at the right sizes to deliver on our strategy. For any further questions, please reach out to ir@openspace.vc

We’re excited to kick off our Annual General Meeting on our 10th anniversary this year. It’s incredible to look back on a decade of investing in Southeast Asia and of being invested in by our incredible partners who believe in our mission of making an impact. The day started with opening remarks from our partners, who shared what a decade of growth and transformation has taught us. Under this year’s theme, Zoning In, we remain sharp and intentional and set our sights on the focused, high-impact work that will define us in the next decade and more. We’re energized by the collective investment and dedication of everyone involved in our journey as we gather for today’s AGM. We would like to thank everyone who has been part of our journey so far. Here’s to those who have been with us over the past decade, and to the purposeful growth that lies ahead. #activeintelligence

Despite notable progress, female-founded or female-led startups still represent only a small fraction of the startup landscape and continue to receive limited private capital funding. In 2023, startups with at least one female founder in Southeast Asia raised just 18.3% of the total capital and the numbers are even more stark elsewhere. Clearly the funding gap for female founders is an issue we can't afford to ignore. Founders Forum Group's 100 Women Founders to Watch report seeks to help close this funding gap by spotlighting female-founded startups to gain more visibility and sharing actionable insights from women investors committed to addressing this disparity. How can we narrow the gap? As Jessica Huang Pouleur emphasizes: 💡 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 Jess notes that role models matter. When more women are in leadership positions, it creates a virtuous cycle that encourages and inspires other women to be founders. This visibility will help aspiring female founders envision themselves in leadership positions and find allies ready to support them. 💡 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 Building networks with female investors and founders early on is key. The community of female founders and investors is tight-knit and supportive—there’s generally a strong desire among women to help each other succeed. Warm introductions, advice, and shared experiences can make all the difference. Building this support cycle is a necessary step toward creating a more equitable startup ecosystem and closing the gap will take collective effort. If you're a female founder in Southeast Asia seeking to raise capital, reach out to our Partner, Jessica Huang Pouleur, and other female investment professionals on our team Ayu T. (Indonesia), Tania Shanny Lestari (Indonesia), Nichapat Ark (Thailand), Trang (Amy) Vi (Vietnam), Amy Zhao, CAIA (web3), Pareen Chaudhari (Singapore). If you’re also looking for mentorship, networking, or access to expert insights, stay tuned for our OpenHours program—a platform that offers female professionals the chance to connect directly with professionals in VC ecosystem, gain mentorship, and discuss challenges in a supportive environment. To read more on this and other insights, access the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eaN_D6Jb #activeintelligence

We're excited to announce that Openspace has co-led, and is the largest investor in, an oversubscribed $27.3 million Series B funding round in Ampd Energy along with Kibo Invest. Ampd Energy is a Singapore-based manufacturer of advanced energy storage systems (ESS) that are designed to replace diesel generators in sectors with intermittent but high energy demands. Its flagship products, Enertainer™ and Ampd Silo™ battery, have the capacity to reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%, help improve on-site air quality by removing harmful pollutants from the air, and lower noise pollution, creating a cleaner and safer environment. This funding will be used to further its mission of decarbonizing high-emission industries by expanding into new verticals and regions including the Middle East, Europe, the United States, and Southeast Asia. Click here to read more: https://lnkd.in/gi9JN-AS #activeintelligence #seriesB #fundraising #venturecapital

Congratulations to Fano (Fano Labs) for winning the Emerging Enterprise Award 2024, jointly organized by The Business Times and OCBC. Among over 650 contenders, Fano stood out as one of three winners recognized for their innovation, growth, and global scalability alongside Kskin Management and Pancare Medical. Since launching in 2021, Fano has addressed key challenges in multilingual environments with advanced performance language AI solutions. This year, they expanded their APAC footprint with a Singapore office and new Taiwan operations with a local team and an ASR model now supporting Taiwanese Mandarin, Hokkien, and English. In line with its international growth and the need to appeal to a global customer base, Fano recently completed a brand transformation, led by Fano’s core team and our Director of Brand Impact, Freddie Luchterhand-Dare. The new brand is rooted in how Fano unlocks performance with critical accuracy. Congratulations again to the Fano team on their journey and achievements! Click here to read more: https://lnkd.in/g6Fk7iRp #activeintelligence