OpenSky Ventures

We’re pleased to announce our investment in sett! Sett is changing the nicotine pouch industry with an innovative productivity pouch. By utilizing a proprietary and patented?ingredient, known as Ceretine, along with L-Theanine, sett is able to replicate the sensation of nicotine without many of its associated negative side effects, like crashes or jitters. The OpenSky team is thrilled to join Matt and the sett team on this exciting journey!

Finance & CPG friends -- please help me spread this epic opportunity to become the first full time Finance function hire at Magic Mind! We're one of the fastest growing beverages in the world, the #1 selling wellness shot in Natural (SPINS) with proof points in Conventional and C-store, we have over 25k subscribers online and a thriving digital business, and we have a small, high-agency / high performing team full of soulful killers (75% former founders). Follow the instructions to apply in the Job Description below: https://lnkd.in/gP-q3A5U

OpenSky?GP, Josh Payne, recently?shared his insights about seed-strapping with CNBC. If you're a founder who has thought about seed-strapping, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

The e-commerce landscape is constantly changing, and staying on top of the industry news is an important way for?brands to understand how to strategically plan and evolve. The following are some interesting e-commerce-focused newsletters and resources: - From M&A to distribution updates and brand refreshes,?CPG Wire (thisweekincpg.beehiiv.com)?delivers the latest news within the Food, Beverage, Beauty, and Wellness categories. - In addition to a corresponding newsletter,?The Consumer Packaged Goods Directory aka?CPGD?is a platform that features up-and-coming consumer brands. - With commentary about how to navigate various e-commerce platform?updates and?strategies on how to market more efficiently,?DTC Newsletter?sends tactical insights from top performance marketers daily. - The New Consumer?offers in-depth analysis and frameworks for understanding the trends that shape the way consumers interact with brands. - Shopifreaks E-Commerce Newsletter?is a weekly newsletter that dives into the details and current events surrounding e-commerce. Leave a comment and feel free to share your favorite e-commerce newsletters or thought leaders!

As we continue into the second month of 2025, the venture capital landscape is showing signs of renewed vitality. After a challenging period marked by market uncertainty and tightened funding, we’re seeing a resurgence of optimism and activity in the startup ecosystem. Entrepreneurs are returning to fundamentals, building resilient business models, and prioritizing sustainable growth—qualities that are reigniting investor confidence. At OpenSky Ventures, we’ve observed firsthand how the shifting economic climate is creating opportunities for founders who are solving real problems and redefining their industries. This rebound is more than just numbers—it’s a reminder of the power of innovation and the resilience of visionary founders. In sectors like consumer and commerce technology, where OpenSky Ventures focuses, we’re excited about the next wave of transformative ideas. From sustainable brands to tech-driven solutions that enhance everyday life, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of bold moves and impactful investments. Here’s to supporting the founders who inspire us and to building a brighter, more dynamic future together. Let’s make this year one to remember!

At OpenSky Ventures, we’re passionate about partnering with early-stage startups that are redefining the way consumers interact with brands. In the past two years we have proudly backed incredible companies like Fishwife, Nomadica, and Windmill—each disrupting their markets with innovative products and a bold vision. We look for exceptional founders with a clear mission, a deep understanding of their category, and the drive to capture significant market share early. The global consumer market is projected to grow by 6% annually through 2025, with e-commerce sales alone expected to surpass $7 trillion, creating immense opportunities for forward-thinking brands. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re doubling down on our focus on brands that stand out in crowded markets through innovation and authenticity. Geopolitical shifts, including new policies from the recently elected U.S. President, are expected to influence trade, sustainability standards, and consumer sentiment, creating both challenges and opportunities for emerging brands, something we are taking into account in our diligence process. With consumer spending increasingly shifting toward sustainable, tech-enabled, and purpose-driven products, we see these trends as pivotal for long-term success. We’re excited to partner with founders who share our ambition to shape the future of the consumer space. If you’re building the next big thing in consumer, let’s connect—we’d love to hear your story! Josh Payne Josh Resnick Daniel Tarlas Stephanie Nwokolo

We're delighted to announce an investment in Habiza! Habiza utilizes an authentic hummus recipe that is free of seed oils, artificial preservatives, and glyphosate. With garbanzo beans and tahini sourced from Lebanon, Habiza offers high-quality, restaurant-level hummus that can be accessed in grocery stores. Habiza is currently available at Erewhon, Bristol Farms, Gelsons, among many other retailers, and the team is working towards expanding its retail footprint. Jonathan Srour?is a passionate and resilient founder, who started selling the product in his driveway, and we believe in his mission to keep hummus "just like grandma made it." The OpenSky team is enthused to support Habiza as it continues to grow and share its vision.

Andreessen Horowitz recently published their 'Big Ideas in Tech for 2025' write up and the takeaways around innovative growth in commerce tech intrigued us. Olivia Moore touched on the movement towards more tailor-made solutions, particularly how AI needs to move beyond generic outputs to create content that reflects individual style or meets specific professional standards, like personalized emails or on-brand presentations. Achieving this may require collaborative workflows where AI acts as a copilot, refining outputs with human input to enable seamless integration into daily work. Zach Cohen writes about advancements in leveraging AI for more subjective analysis, focusing on how the rise of LLMs and multimodal models is enabling the integration of unstructured qualitative data with quantitative insights, creating a more holistic and dynamic approach to analysis. This convergence will drive new analytical tools and serve as a strategic foundation for building future AI-native companies. With investments already in AI tailored e-commerce tools such as Siena AI and Reactiv, at OpenSky we are excited about the continued evolution in the e-commerce landscape and are looking forward to investing in more AI powered disruptors in 2025. If you're building something that is shaping the future of online purchasing please feel free to reach out!

More excitement to kick off 2025 as we are proud to announce an early-stage investment in Kirra Iced Tea, a delicious canned tea alternative that focuses on natural ingredients and sustainability! Founded in Los Angeles by Jerrod Clancy and his wife Amanda Li-Paige, Kirra aims to disrupt the organic iced tea space with an extended offering of flavors each with a unique, proven taste. The team will use current partners such as Chopt Creative Salad Company and Alfalfa as well as their prominent social media presence to reach an already growing customer base in 2025. We are excited to continue to support Kirra on its journey to becoming the #1 sustainable canned tea brand and look forward to seeing continuous expansion as they partner with additional restaurants, distributors, and brands worldwide. If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to reach out!

OpenSky Ventures’s fastest growing portfolio company sped through their initial pre-seed funding round because they did one thing different than everyone else we spoke with: —> They focused more on founder dilution per round than valuation. Levanta was one of our earliest investments and hence riskiest. It was pre-product (just a deck + idea) which we rarely do. So, why did we take the leap? 1/ Repeat founders. I knew Ian and Rob from my days at StackCommerce and they had built and sold a company before, not a blockbuster exit, but enough to signal they knew the game. 2/ Market timing Amazon growth for brands was finally starting to take off and Levanta’s approach was unique and innovative. 3/ Reasonable valuation They knew they were pre-product, so their first raise was only for $250k on a $3m post. While the actual valuation was low, they only took 10% dilution to get pre-seed funding to get the product to the next milestone. For us, this meant low valuation cap, limited downside, high upside. They made it a no-brainer for us. After a few months, the product was built but they needed more cash to fund customer growth. They did another small round - this time at a $5m cap. They built the product in record time, so we put in more money. Founder dilution was minimal due to how little they raised in this “top up” round. Six months later - they simply couldn’t keep up with customer demand and needed to do a Seed Round to hire a Go-To-Market team - so this time they raise a $1m on $11m. Then something remarkable happened: - Levanta skyrocketed from $0 to $15M ARR in just 18 months. - A few weeks ago, they announced a $15M Series A at a $50m+ valuation. What stands out isn’t the growth—it was their approach: 1. Quick, small raises: Raised small rounds fast minimizing dilution while focusing on building, not pitching. 2. Bet on themselves: Each round gave 6-12 months of runway, forcing focus and momentum. 3. Valuation discipline: Attractive caps (e.g., $3M, $5M, $11M) drew in investors without over-diluting founders. They built steadily, maintained control, and created a win for everyone. For founders: Valuation isn’t everything. Speed and execution often are. Don’t fear small, incremental raises. They can compound into something big. For investors: Remember your best deals don’t always come with the highest price tags. Would love to hear—have you seen a similar “small bet, big outcome” story?