Openvibe’s clever app that integrates multiple open social networks, including Bluesky, Mastodon, Nostr, and Threads, just got a boost toward its future development. The company on Tuesday announced that it has received outside investment of $800,000 in a round led by Czech Founders VC, which includes backing from WordPress.com and Tumblr parent company, Automattic, as well as Tensor Ventures.
Czech Founders VC and former CTO of Mews Jan Široký also invested separately from his firm.
Launched in 2024, Openvibe initially supported three of the more prominent open social networks, all of which operate using different protocols: Mastodon uses ActivityPub, Bluesky runs on AT Protocol, and Nostr powers a number of third-party apps. Openvibe later added support for Instagram Threads, as that app became further integrated with ActivityPub and opened itself up to the developer community.
Image Credits:Openvibe” loading=”eager” height=”510″ width=”680″ class=”yf-g633g8 loader”/>As CEO Matej Svancer explained at the time, the idea behind his app was to offer users a more friendly and “easy-to-use gateway” to the open social web. Because of the different protocols these networks utilize, it can be difficult for newcomers who end up having to switch apps or limit their engagement to just their preferred platform.
But Openvibe doesn’t just let people stay connected with friends across all these services in a combined timeline, it also allows cross-posting to multiple networks at once.
With the added capital, Svancer plans to accelerate product development, expand Openvibe’s user base, work on integrations with other social platforms, refine the user interface, and more.
Image Credits:Openvibe” loading=”lazy” height=”382″ width=”679″ class=”yf-g633g8 loader”/>In addition, Automattic’s investment is worth noting, as the company historically backs projects in the open source space, particularly those designed to compete with Big Tech. (Unfortunately, Automattic CEO and WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg has created a lot of division and drama within the WordPress community over the past several months, which has some questioning his commitment to open source values.)
Still, Openvibe’s fundraising signals that there is some appetite among investors for backing apps and services that are taking advantage of the new open social protocols. Recently, for example, celeb investor and entrepreneur Mark Cuban put out a call for video apps building on Bluesky’s AT Protocol. Bluesky has also raised funding, most recently its $15 million Series A last fall.
Openvibe is available as a free app on iOS and Android but expects to later introduce a subscription plan to generate revenue.
This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/28/automattic-and-others-back-openvibe-an-app-thats-unifying-the-open-social-web/
