Organization · Venture Studio
Open Core Ventures
Open Core Ventures (OCV) is a venture studio that creates companies around promising open source software projects. Founded by Sid Sijbrandij, OCV provides initial funding and operational support to help open source contributors launch their ventures.
Overview
What Open Core Ventures does
What Open Core Ventures is
Open Core Ventures (OCV) is a venture studio that creates companies around promising open source software projects. Founded by Sid Sijbrandij, OCV provides initial funding and operational support to help open source contributors launch their ventures.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports funder and program host capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Venture Studio
- Structured capabilities
- Funder · Program host
- Last reviewed
- March 27, 2026
What Venture studio means
A venture studio is an organization that systematically creates new startups by generating or sourcing ideas, validating them, building early products, recruiting founders or operators, providing shared resources, and retaining meaningful equity in the companies it helps create.
Open the glossary entryOfficial channels
Find Open Core Ventures elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
Open Core Ventures as a funder
Investment thesis
Open Core Ventures focuses on enabling individuals to become founders of open core companies built around promising open source projects, providing operational and strategic support along with initial funding.
Focus narrative
OCV specializes in launching open core companies, targeting open source contributors who may lack the resources to start a venture-scale business. By supporting the growth of open source software and its communities, OCV aims to create a sustainable ecosystem around open core technologies.
Value beyond capital
OCV provides operational and strategic support to its portfolio companies, helping them navigate the challenges of launching and scaling a business. The initial funding of $2 million per company allows founders to focus on building their products and communities without immediate financial pressures.
Terms and economics
- Typical check
- $2,000,000
- Sweet spot
- $2,000,000
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Sectors
- SaaS & Cloud Software
- Regions
- Global
Availability
- Currently deploying
- Yes
Portfolio and track record
- Recorded portfolio count
- 30
Portfolio context
OCV has facilitated the launch of several notable companies, including: RayAI: Focused on powering multi-agent systems. Selora Homes: Provides professional home installation and support for Home Assistant. Mermaid Chart: An open source project that successfully raised a $7.5 million seed round. Collectively, OCV companies have raised over $40 million in post-OCV funding.
Capability profile
Open Core Ventures as a program host
Program thesis
Open Core Ventures (OCV) is focused on enabling individuals to become founders of open core companies built around promising open source projects.
Focus narrative
OCV specializes in launching open core companies, which are businesses that develop commercial software based on an open source core. The organization primarily targets open source contributors who may lack the necessary resources to start a venture-scale business, aiming to bolster the growth of open source software and its communities.
Value and support
OCV offers operational and strategic support to its portfolio companies, along with initial funding of $2 million per company. This support is designed to help founders navigate the early stages of building their businesses.
Terms and economics
- Indicative investment
- $2,000,000
Availability
- Application state
- Not published
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Sectors
- Artificial Intelligence
- Regions
- Global
Alumni and track record
Alumni context
Notable projects launched by OCV include RayAI, which focuses on powering multi-agent systems; Selora Homes, providing professional home installation and support for Home Assistant; and Mermaid Chart, an open source project that successfully raised a $7.5 million seed round.
Common questions
What to know about Open Core Ventures
Upseed classifies Open Core Ventures under the Venture Studio organization type. Its current public profile includes funder and program host capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
March 27, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.