Last Updated: 15 May 2025
Openlayer, a unified platform dedicated to evaluating and governing enterprise AI systems, announced it has raised $14.5 million in a Series A funding round. The investment was led by Race Capital, with participation from notable investors including NXTP, KPN Ventures, Mindset, Y Combinator, Quiet Capital, and Telefonica. The funding will accelerate Openlayer's expansion of enterprise-focused product capabilities and boost its global go-to-market initiatives.
"The rate of AI adoption is accelerating rapidly, with teams integrating AI into more mission-critical aspects of their business. When enterprises deploy AI, there's no room for error, especially in customer-facing applications. A single failure can erode trust, disrupt lives, or lead to legal and reputational fallout. That's why robust evaluation, observability, and governance aren't optional – they're foundational to responsible AI deployment."
Gabriel Bayomi, CEO and co-founder of Openlayer
As businesses increasingly rely on AI for critical operations, failures are not just costly—they can be devastating. High-profile incidents, such as Zillow's Zestimate model error, which led to a reported loss of over $500 million, highlight the need for rigorous AI testing and validation. Openlayer addresses these challenges by helping companies continuously test and validate their AI systems, ensuring reliability before and after deployment.
"Openlayer's development velocity has been among the fastest in our portfolio – growing nearly 5x in 2024 and on pace to match that this year. Their platform is becoming essential for enterprises that need to move fast without compromising reliability in their AI infrastructure."
Chris McCann, Managing Partner at Race Capital
Openlayer will use the new funds to further develop its comprehensive platform, particularly expanding capabilities tailored for enterprise-scale deployments. The company plans to enhance product offerings around multimodal testing, real-time monitoring, and automated governance, critical for reliable AI across diverse business scenarios.
The funding will also support Openlayer's strategic efforts to scale internationally, tapping into new industries and global markets. This move aligns with the growing worldwide demand for robust AI governance tools that ensure reliable and responsible AI usage.
Founded by Gabriel Bayomi, Rishab Ramanathan, and Vikas Nair, Openlayer offers enterprises a single platform that covers the entire AI lifecycle—from experimentation to production. Unlike fragmented tools currently available, Openlayer provides a seamless workflow, enabling teams to identify and resolve issues quickly and efficiently.
The platform’s versatility allows technical teams to create and run extensive tests, while business stakeholders gain clear insights into system performance. Leadership, meanwhile, benefits from assured compliance and minimized risk, ensuring AI aligns with company values and operational goals.
"Openlayer has a world-class engineering team that ships new integrations and features every week. On top of that, the platform is built for collaboration, and even non-technical stakeholders can easily participate in helping ensure products are delivering on their intended promise."
Dror Avrilingi, Head of QE, Data & AI Studios at Amdocs
With enterprises embedding AI into core business functions, reliability has become essential. Openlayer’s approach ensures enterprises can confidently scale AI solutions, mitigating risks associated with rapid adoption. As AI transitions from experimentation to infrastructure, Openlayer positions itself as the foundational solution enabling reliable and responsible enterprise deployments.
