What Does OpenOcean Do?

Total employees20
HeadquartersHelsinki
Founded

OpenOcean VC is a European venture capital firm that specializes in investing in early-stage B2B software companies, typically at the Series A funding round. Known for its operator-led approach, many of its partners have backgrounds as founders and executives in successful software businesses (e.g., MySQL, MariaDB). They focus on what they term 'delicious software' – software that users love and that drives significant business value. Their investment thesis often revolves around data-intensive software, automation, and AI-driven solutions. OpenOcean aims to provide not just capital, but also deep operational expertise and an extensive network to help founders scale their businesses globally.

Where Is OpenOcean's Headquarters?

HQ Function

The Helsinki office serves as the central hub for the firm's operations, including investment decisions, fund management, portfolio support, and strategic direction.

Notable Features:

Situated in a prominent business district, offering proximity to the local tech ecosystem and fostering collaboration.

Work Culture:

Characterized by a data-driven, founder-friendly, and deeply analytical approach. The culture emphasizes collaboration, operational expertise, and a hands-on support model for portfolio companies.

HQ Significance:

The Helsinki headquarters anchors OpenOcean's presence in the Nordics, a region known for strong software engineering talent and innovative startups. It's the primary base for several General Partners.

Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters reflects values of professionalism, innovation, deep industry knowledge, and a commitment to fostering entrepreneurial success in the software sector.

Location:

OpenOcean VC primarily focuses its investments in European B2B software companies. While its physical offices are in Helsinki, London, and Amsterdam, its reach is pan-European for deal sourcing and investment. Furthermore, OpenOcean supports its portfolio companies in their global ambitions, helping them scale into markets such as North America and Asia by leveraging its international network and the experience of its partners.

Street Address:

Eteläranta 12

City:

Helsinki

State/Province:

Uusimaa

Country:

Finland

Where Else Does OpenOcean Operate Around the World?

London, United Kingdom

Address: The Office Group, 2 Stephen Street, London, W1T 1AN, UK (Representative Address)

To actively engage with the UK's dynamic startup ecosystem, connect with local founders, and provide on-the-ground support for portfolio companies expanding into or operating within the UK.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Address: Spaces Herengracht, Herengracht 124-128, 1015 BT Amsterdam, Netherlands (Representative Address)

To tap into the burgeoning Benelux and wider continental European tech scenes, identify promising B2B software startups, and support portfolio companies' European growth strategies.

Buying Intent Signals for OpenOcean

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading OpenOcean? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, OpenOcean' leadership includes:

Patrik Backman - General Partner & Co-Founder
Tom Henriksson - General Partner & Co-Founder
Ralf Wahlsten - General Partner & Co-Founder
Ekaterina Almasque - General Partner
Samuel Pols - Partner
Bernhard Niesner - Venture Partner
George Eassey - Venture Partner

Who's Investing in OpenOcean?

OpenOcean has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

IQM Quantum Computers
Supermetrics
Booksy
MySQL (legacy, foundational to the team's track record)
MariaDB (legacy, foundational to the team's track record)
Nosto
Import.io
Specter

What Leadership Changes Has OpenOcean Seen Recently?

Hire2
Exits0

OpenOcean VC has strengthened its team with new Venture Partners in the last year to enhance its investment capabilities across Europe. For Venture Capital firms, Partner-level appointments are significant.

New Appointments:

Bernhard Niesner, Bernhard Niesner, co-founder of Busuu, joined OpenOcean as a Venture Partner to leverage his entrepreneurial experience in scaling businesses.
George Eassey, George Eassey, with extensive experience in SaaS and enterprise software, appointed as Venture Partner to bolster OpenOcean's investment team.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byOpenOcean?

Discover the tools OpenOcean uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

OpenOcean Email Formats and Examples

OpenOcean VC commonly uses the [first].[last]@openocean.vc email format. Variations like [first_initial][last]@openocean.vc might also be in use, though less common for primary contact.

[first].[last]@openocean.vc

Format

patrik.backman@openocean.vc

Example

90%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About OpenOcean?

ArcticStartupMay 15, 2024

OpenOcean VC leads €5.8M seed round for Specter

Finnish VC OpenOcean has led a €5.8 million seed round for Specter, a B2B SaaS startup. The round also saw participation from LHV pension funds and other existing investors, bringing Specter’s total funding to €8.8 million....more

EU-StartupsSeptember 20, 2023

OpenOcean VC appoints two new Venture Partners to bolster Pan-European investment strategy

Helsinki-based VC OpenOcean has announced the appointment of two new Venture Partners, Bernhard Niesner and George Eassey. These additions aim to strengthen the firm's expertise and reach across Europe....more

TechCrunchJanuary 19, 2022

OpenOcean VC raises €130M fund to back ‘delicious’ B2B software startups

OpenOcean, the European VC that was an early backer of MySQL and MariaDB, has raised its third main fund, totaling €130 million ($150 million at the time), to continue investing in Series A rounds for Europe’s most promising B2B software companies....more

Highperformr's free tools for company research

Explore Employees by Region or Country

See where a company’s workforce is located, by country or region.

View Funding Details

View past and recent funding rounds with amounts and investors.

Understand Revenue Insights

Understand company revenue estimates and financial scale.

Track Active Job Openings

Track active roles and hiring trends to spot growth signals.

Review Product and Offerings

Discover what a company offers—products, platforms, and solutions.

Get SIC or NAICS Codes

Get the company’s official SIC and NAICS classifications.

Analyze Website Traffic Trends

Analyze visitor volume, engagement, and top traffic sources.

Discover Social Profiles and Engagement

Explore LinkedIn, Twitter, and other active social profiles.

Identify Top Competitors

Identify top competitors based on similar business traits.

Research and Discover Companies with Highperformr — Smarter, Faster

Explore companies in depth — from the tech they use to recent funding, hiring trends, and buyer signals — all in one powerful view.

Highperformr AI helps you surface the right accounts and enrich your CRM with verified company and contact insights, so your teams can prioritize and engage faster.

  • Track intent signals to find buyers who are actively in-market
  • Enrich contacts and companies instantly, no need to switch tools
  • Automate workflows to stay ahead of every change
  • Connect your CRM & tools for seamless data sync and activation

Thousands of companies, including OpenOcean, are just a search away.