Funding Round attributes
Openlayer is a startup founded in 2021 by Gabriel Bayomi Kalejaiye, Vikas Nair, and Rishab Ramanathan, three former Apple engineers who worked on artificial intelligence and machine learning projects. The San Francisco-based company is dedicated to providing a unified platform for enterprise-level AI systems assessment and governance. Its objective is to help organizations test, monitor, and control AI models throughout the development cycle, from initial experimentation to deployment in production.
In May 2025, Openlayer announced a $14.5 million Series A financing round led by Race Capital with the participation of NXTP, KPN Ventures, Mindset Ventures, Y Combinator, Quiet Capital, Wayra (Telefónica), and Mento VC. This investment aims to expand product capabilities at the enterprise level and scale marketing efforts in key industries and global markets.
The startup plans to use the funds to accelerate product development, expand its team, and expand into key industries and international markets. The goal is to improve the platform’s capabilities to provide more robust tools that allow companies to effectively evaluate and govern AI models.
The participation of investors is significant, as they provide not only capital but also experience and networking in technology and business. This investment supports Openlayer’s vision of providing a one-stop solution for AI reliability in enterprise environments, which is crucial in a context where the adoption of artificial intelligence is constantly growing and companies require reliable tools for its implementation.
Openlayer’s approach focuses on providing an MLOps platform that integrates automated testing, production monitoring, and governance of machine learning models. The tool allows companies to audit, test, and monitor machine learning systems in real environments, ensuring that models function properly and comply with quality standards and relevant regulations. This is especially relevant in sectors where the accuracy and reliability of AI models are critical.
"The adoption of AI is accelerating rapidly, and teams are integrating it into more critical aspects of their business," said Gabriel Bayomi, executive director and co-founder of Openlayer. "When companies implement AI, there is no margin for error, especially in customer-oriented applications. A single failure can erode trust, affect lives, or create legal and reputational consequences. Therefore, robust evaluation, observability, and governance are not optional; they are essential for a responsible implementation of AI".
The platform works with a variety of use cases and model types. Supports real implementation patterns. Intuitive and easy to use for any team.
- For technical teams: a flexible and powerful interface for creating and executing tests.
- For business stakeholders: a clear view of system performance and risk.
- For leadership: peace of mind that what is being shipped reflects the values of the company.
The support of renowned investors provides Openlayer not only with the necessary financial resources for its expansion, but also with credibility in the market. This combination of financial and strategic support positions the startup to have a significant impact on how companies implement and manage artificial intelligence, promoting safer and more efficient practices in the development and deployment of AI models.
