Openspace Capital Research
Overview
Openspace Capital (formerly Openspace Ventures) is a Singapore-headquartered, multi-strategy asset manager with a specialist focus on Southeast Asia. The firm reports US$800M in committed capital across six funds and runs offices or presence in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, plus a Middle East lead. It invests in tech-native and tech-enabled companies at early and growth stages, and has expanded beyond venture into private credit and listed equities.
Investment Thesis
The firm calls its approach "Active Intelligence": a singular focus on Southeast Asia, a deep regional team, and a large operating platform that portfolio companies can call on. The site lists operating support in tech and engineering, data science, brand, people, ESG and impact, marketing and communications, strategy and corporate development, and product. Openspace says it rides cycles alongside portfolio companies and makes its operating team available when they ask. Climate is a stated priority: the firm publishes on closing the growth-stage climate funding gap in Southeast Asia and backs climate names such as Ampd Energy and Thryve.Earth. It also publishes the Coalesce Index on regional interconnectedness.
Strategies and Stage Focus
- Venture (Series A/B): tech-native companies in or oriented to Southeast Asia that show early product-market fit.
- Ocular: early-stage frontier technology leaders with traction.
- Growth Equity (Series C/D) and Private Equity Growth: companies at an inflection point, and tech-enabled businesses with established foundations.
- Listed Growth (Orbit): small and mid cap listed equities, mainly on the Singapore Exchange and other regional markets.
- Private Credit: co-headed by Omesh Fabiani, with a Director for private credit.
Check sizes are not published on the site. Press coverage shows lead and co-lead roles in Series A and B rounds (Fano Labs Series B, Broom Series A+, Ampd Energy), and participation in larger rounds (Halodoc Series D, Rukita).
Recent Activity
- Final close of OSV IV announced November 2024.
- Co-led Ampd Energy's US$27.3M round with Kibo Invest (November 2024).
- Led Broom's US$25M Series A+ in Indonesian automotive (October 2024).
- Led initial funding for Vietnamese coffee brand Every Half (August 2024).
- Led Fano Labs' Series B (May 2024) and Thryve.Earth's round (March 2024).
- Published "Re-energising Asia's Capital Landscape" by Shane Chesson (January 2026) and the Sustainability Progress Report 2025 (May 2026).
Third-party trackers show further 2026 rounds (for example Every Half and Libeara Series A), but these were not verified against a primary source and are not recorded as events.
Portfolio Highlights
The companies page lists about 44 portfolio names. Notable ones: GoTo (Indonesia, listed), Halodoc (Indonesian digital health, US$100M Series D), Kredivo (formerly FinAccel, credit), Igloo (insurtech), Love, Bonito (Singapore fashion), Pluang, Finnomena, Chope, Pathao, TradeGecko (acquired by Intuit), Whispir (ASX listed), CopilotIQ (merged with Biofourmis) and Validus Capital. Recent additions on the page include Libeara, ServAuto and Saturdays.
Team
- Shane Chesson, Founding Partner
- Hian Goh, Founding Partner
- Jessica Huang Pouleur, Partner
- Omesh Fabiani, Co-Head of Private Credit
- Saket Puri, Executive Director, Head of Middle East
- Ayu Tanoesoedibjo, Executive Director
- Udhay Furtado, Chief Investment Officer, Orbit
- Nichapat Ark, Director, Head of Thailand
- Kelvin Leung, Director, Growth
- Melvin Seah, Head of Ocular
- Dennis Le, Director, Head of Vietnam
- Matt Windsor, Venture Partner
Decision Process, Lead Tendency and Geography
The firm has a partnership structure with country heads and strategy heads, so decisions likely run through a committee, but the site does not say. It leads or co-leads many of its early rounds, so lead tendency is recorded as both. Geographic focus is Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia) with some reach into South Asia and the Middle East through portfolio companies and a regional lead. A warm introduction is not stated as required; local presence suggests regional founders reach the team directly.
Gaps
Check size, ownership targets, decision timeline and warm-intro policy are not published. Stage per portfolio company is not recorded because the portfolio page gives none and no per-company round source was verified.