Czech startup that bridges social media networks gets large investment

Openvibe has secured a significant investment to develop its mobile app that combines decentralized networks like Mastodon, Bluesky, and Threads.

Expats.cz Staff

Written by Expats.cz Staff Published on 02.02.2025 12:51:00 (updated on 02.02.2025) Reading time: 2 minutes

Prague-based social media startup Openvibe has secured an investment of €800,000 (about CZK 19 million) to accelerate its development of a mobile platform designed to unify decentralized social networks like Mastodon, Bluesky, and Threads.

The funding round was led by Czech Founders VC, with participation from deep tech fund Tensor Ventures and Jan Široký, former CTO at Mews. Notably, Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and Tumblr, also joined the investment.

Addressing social media fragmentation

Openvibe seeks to provide a single interface for users to access and interact across multiple open social networks, including Mastodon, Bluesky, Nostr, and Threads. Founder and CEO Matěj Švancer notes that traditional social networks have become increasingly closed ecosystems, forcing users to remain locked into a single platform.

“We are currently witnessing an extremely dynamic development in social networking,” Švancer says. He adds that the new-generation social networks are attracting users who seek greater openness and control.

“TikTok is facing existential difficulties in the United States; there has been a significant outflow of users following Elon Musk's purchase of X (formerly Twitter), politicians are increasing pressure on social platforms, and educated or young people are increasingly moving to alternative networks.”

“As is usual with new technologies, the first users are often specific groups of people—IT specialists, scientists, or journalists. In the past, this group was gradually joined by the general public.”

According to Openvibe, more than 100 million users in the U.S. alone have migrated to decentralized networks. The app aims to make this transition smoother by offering a secure, intuitive platform that consolidates multiple networks into a single user experience.

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Funding and future plans

A key milestone in Openvibe’s fundraising journey was securing investment from Automattic. Initially, Švancer reached out through conventional channels but was told that Openvibe was too small for Automattic at the time. Instead of waiting, he took a more direct approach.

“When I found out that their CEO and founder Matt Mullenweg was going to be in Iceland the next day for a meet-and-greet event, I immediately bought a ticket and met him in person, even though he had never heard of me before. We eventually arranged the investment,” Švancer recounted.

Automattic’s Jake McNamara Ackroyd commented on the investment, stating, “We are excited to support Matěj and the Openvibe team in their efforts to bring a more open, inclusive, and innovative social media experience to users worldwide.”

The new funding will be used to expand Openvibe’s development team and integrate additional decentralized networks. The company is actively seeking Flutter developers in the Czech Republic to join its four-person team.

“At Czech Founders VC, we strongly believe in Openvibe’s mission to bring users a more open and inclusive social media experience,” says Ivan Kristel, co-founder and general partner at Czech Founders VC.

“Openvibe is simply a gamechanger that has understood the frustration of billions of users of traditional social networks around the world and offered them a modern space where they can breathe freely thanks to its debugged technology,” adds Tensor Ventures’ Jan Faflik.

Learn more about Openvibe or download the app yourself for iOS or Android via its official website.

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