openmoove secures £700,000 backing to scale prop-tech platform and create six jobs in Cardiff

Cardiff-based property technology business openmoove has secured £700,000 in equity investment to scale its platform, grow its team and support the rollout of its service across the UK property sector.

The deal was led by the Development Bank of Wales, which invested £350,000 through the Wales Technology Fund. The investment was matched by £335,000 from early-stage venture firm HAATCH and a group of Welsh angel investors. It marks the second time HAATCH and the Development Bank have invested together.

Founded in 2024 by Ross McKenzie and Cai Gwinnutt, openmoove has developed a B2B platform designed to streamline the workflows of estate agents, conveyancers and mortgage brokers. The platform aims to reduce administration, improve communication and make property transactions easier to manage for all parties involved.

Over the last 18 months, openmoove has been building and refining its product, testing it with early customers and securing commercial interest from major estate agency groups and conveyancers. The latest investment will enable the business to scale its team, accelerate go-to-market activity and roll out the platform more widely.

The funding is expected to create six jobs in Cardiff in the coming months as the business builds a small expert team to support its next phase of growth.

openmoove’s platform integrates with the internal systems already used by property professionals, creating a single source of truth and common communication layer without requiring users to adopt an entirely new interface. The company says its goal is to simplify and improve one of the most stressful and time-consuming parts of the home-moving journey, while helping service providers work more efficiently.

The company is headquartered in Cardiff. Both founders were born and raised in Wales and have built their careers here.

Ross McKenzie brings experience in the property sector, having held senior roles at Purplebricks and Countrywide before founding Cardiff-based estate agency Isla-Alexander, which he later sold to TAUK (The Agency UK) in 2025. Cai Gwinnutt, CTO of openmoove, brings 20 years of experience across startups and engineering, with previous roles including OnExamination, Amplyfi, Cyber Innovation Hub and Tramshed Tech.

Ross McKenzie, Chief Executive of 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.”

Cai Gwinnutt added:

“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.”

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.”

The £20 million Wales Technology Seed Fund II offers equity investments between £100,000 and £350,000 for Welsh tech businesses and those relocating to Wales at proof of concept stage. Since 2017, the Development Bank of Wales has funded more than 300 innovative tech ventures with over £97 million, unlocking a further £210 million in co-investment.