Momei Qu
Managing Director, PSP Growth at PSP Partners
Reviewed Updated Apr 2, 2026This profile is AI-generated. If you spot an error, please help us fix it by sharing a URL to the correct information.
Momei Qu is the Managing Director and Head of PSP Growth, the venture arm of Penny Pritzker's private investment firm PSP Partners. She invests $1-25M in Series B through pre-IPO B2B software companies, with a distinctive proptech/construction-tech specialization (33% of verified deals). PSP's real estate operations give her an insider edge in evaluating proptech startups. Notable investments include OpenSpace ($102M Series D lead) and Synthesia.
Background
Momei Qu is the Managing Director and Head of PSP Growth, the venture capital and growth equity arm of PSP Partners, the private investment firm founded by Penny Pritzker 12. She joined PSP Growth in 2018 and leads the firm’s venture capital and growth equity initiatives, with responsibility for strategy development, new deal sourcing, and portfolio company oversight 1.
Prior to PSP Growth, Qu was a Vice President at Baird Capital, where she invested in healthcare and technology companies 12. Before Baird, she was an investor at Independence Equity (IE), a technology-focused venture capital firm 1. She began her career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch & Co. 1.
Qu earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School 1.
She serves on the board of directors of three PSP Growth portfolio companies: Ocient, WireWheel, and CREtech 34. She also serves on the Board of The Goldie Initiative, an organization dedicated to elevating the careers of high-potential women in real estate, and on the Venture Board of CRETI (Center for Real Estate Technology and Innovation) 15.
Qu has been a speaker at Chicago AI Week 2025, CFA Society New York (on proptech investing), and appeared on the Billion Dollar Moves and Tech in the Right Direction podcasts 6789.
Stated Thesis
(Self-reported: These represent what Qu says publicly about her investing approach. See Inferred Thesis for analysis of actual investment behavior.)
PSP Growth, under Qu’s leadership, publicly describes its focus as investing in “earlier-stage, high-growth B2B software technology companies that enable efficiency and disrupt the status quo” 2. The firm articulates two thematic investment areas: (1) “unlocking the power of data” through machine learning, predictive analytics, and data optimization, and (2) “transforming and optimizing business processes” by modernizing legacy workflows through software 2.
PSP Growth targets initial investments of $1-5 million alongside leading venture capital firms, with follow-on investments up to $25 million in subsequent rounds, typically after companies reach over $15 million ARR 2. According to her Chicago AI Week 2025 bio, PSP Growth focuses on “Series B through pre-IPO software businesses” 6.
Qu has spoken about her focus on proptech and construction technology, describing the importance of measurable outcomes in technology adoption 5.
Inferred Thesis
Based on 13 verified investments where Qu’s personal involvement can be confirmed through board seats, press releases, or her conference bio (out of PSP Growth’s broader portfolio of 21+ technology investments):
Sector breakdown: Of 12 distinct verified Qu-attributed companies (excluding multi-round follow-ons): 4 proptech/construction-tech (33%) — OpenSpace, HouseCanary, Higharc, VTS; 2 enterprise data/analytics (17%) — Ocient, Nominal; 2 cybersecurity/privacy (17%) — Zafran, WireWheel; 1 aerospace/defense software (8%) — Air Space Intelligence; 1 B2B rebate management (8%) — Enable; 1 AI video (8%) — Synthesia; 1 AI/ML (8%) — Adept (exited). The portfolio skews heavily toward proptech and B2B data infrastructure.
Stage distribution: Qu’s confirmed investments span Series A through Series D. Notable lead investments include the OpenSpace $102M Series D 10. She also participated in growth rounds for Enable (Series C, $94M) 13, Synthesia (Series D, $180M) 14, Zafran (Series C, $60M) 15, and Higharc (Series B, $53M) 16. Seed-stage activity is limited to WireWheel ($3.1M seed, co-led with NEA) 11. The portfolio suggests a growth-stage focus, consistent with the stated “Series B through pre-IPO” mandate.
Check size: PSP Growth invests $1-5M initially with follow-on capacity up to $25M 2. The firm’s willingness to lead rounds is demonstrated by the $102M OpenSpace Series D 10 and co-leading WireWheel’s $3.1M seed 11.
Geographic focus: Portfolio companies are primarily U.S.-based with concentrations in San Francisco/Bay Area and Chicago. Exceptions include Synthesia (London, UK) 14 and Zafran (Israel) 15.
Notable pattern — proptech expertise as differentiation: Qu has built specific expertise in proptech and construction technology, with 4 of 13 verified investments (31%) in this sector. She has noted that PSP’s real estate division being a customer of portfolio company OpenSpace informed the investment decision 17. This insider perspective from PSP’s real estate operations gives her a differentiated sourcing advantage in proptech.
Notable pattern — permanent capital: As a family office without fund lifecycle constraints, PSP Growth under Qu can hold investments indefinitely and follow on across multiple rounds 2.
Co-investor patterns: Frequent co-investors include NEA (WireWheel seed and Series A), Menlo Ventures (Zafran, Enable), Fifth Wall (Higharc, Pronto Housing), Spark Capital (Higharc), Lightspeed (Enable), and Insight Partners (Enable).
Portfolio
| Company | Year | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenSpace | 2022 | Series D (Led, $102M) | 10 |
| HouseCanary | 2017 | Series B ($31M) | 12 |
| WireWheel | 2017 | Seed (Co-led, $3.1M) | 11 |
| WireWheel | 2018 | Series A ($10M) | 18 |
| WireWheel | 2021 | Series B ($20M) | 4 |
| Enable | 2022 | Series C ($94M) | 13 |
| Ocient | ~2018 | Undisclosed | 3 |
| Ocient | 2025 | Series B extension ($132M) | 19 |
| Synthesia | 2025 | Series D ($180M) | 14 |
| Zafran | 2025 | Series C ($60M) | 15 |
| Higharc | 2024 | Series B ($53M) | 16 |
| Air Space Intelligence | ~2022 | Undisclosed | 6 |
| VTS | ~2020 | Undisclosed | 6 |
| Adept | 2023 | Undisclosed (Exited 2024) | 20 |
| Nominal | ~2023 | Undisclosed | 21 |
This table represents 15 verified investments attributed to Momei Qu through PSP Growth. PSP Growth’s broader portfolio includes additional investments (Finix, ID.me, Ellevest, Guidewheel, PassiveLogic, OfferFit, QA Wolf, Pronto Housing) where Qu’s personal involvement is not independently confirmed but is likely given her role as head of the venture arm.
In Their Own Words
“PSP Growth invests in general technology companies. So we have the intersection of proptech and construction. After reviewing hundreds of construction technology businesses we know how rare it is to find a company with OpenSpace’s caliber of team, technology and exceptional commercial success.” — Momei Qu, Managing Director of PSP Growth, Commercial Observer interview on OpenSpace Series D, March 2022 17
“If you can show strong growth in this environment, that means you’re getting corporate budgets at a time when corporate budgets are tightening.” — Momei Qu, Billion Dollar Moves Podcast 22
What Founders Say
“We’re pleased to partner with investors who recognize and support our mission to meet that demand. We’re looking forward to continuing to scale our platform.” — Jeevan Kalanithi, CEO and Co-founder of OpenSpace, referencing PSP Growth’s lead investment in the Series D, March 2022 10
Note: This is a general statement about the investor group rather than a specific testimonial about Momei Qu or PSP Growth individually. No independently sourced founder testimonials specifically about Momei Qu were found outside of official press releases.
Connections
- Board member, Ocient — hyperscale data analytics platform, Chicago 3
- Board member, WireWheel — data privacy management platform 4
- Board member, CREtech — commercial real estate technology 3
- Board member, The Goldie Initiative — nonprofit for women in real estate 1
- Venture Board member, CRETI (Center for Real Estate Technology and Innovation) 5
- Former Vice President, Baird Capital — healthcare and technology investments 1
- Former investor, Independence Equity — technology-focused VC 1
- Former investment banker, Merrill Lynch & Co. 1
Sources
-
PSP Partners, “Momei Qu — Our Team,” accessed April 2026. https://www.psppartners.com/our-team/momei-qu/↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
-
PSP Partners, “Venture Capital — PSP Growth,” accessed April 2026. https://www.psppartners.com/business-units/venture-capital/↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
-
PitchBook, “Momei Qu Profile,” accessed April 2026. https://pitchbook.com/profiles/person/39982-42P↩↩↩↩
-
PR Newswire, “WireWheel Raises $20 Million in Series B Funding,” February 2021, accessed April 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wirewheel-raises-20-million-in-series-b-funding-301225983.html↩↩↩
-
CFA Society New York, “Momei Qu Speaker Profile,” accessed April 2026. https://cfany.org/speaker-organizer/momei-qu/↩↩↩
-
Chicago AI Week 2025, “Momei Qu Speaker Profile,” accessed April 2026. https://chicagoaiweek.com/speaker/momei-qu↩↩↩↩
-
Billion Dollar Moves Podcast, “Momei Qu Guest Profile,” accessed April 2026. https://billiondollarmoves.com/guest/momei-qu/↩
-
Tech in the Right Direction Podcast, “How We Can Invest in Women to Shape a Better Future — Momei Qu,” accessed April 2026. https://techintherightdirection.podbean.com/e/momei-qu/↩
-
CFA Society New York, “Why Momei Qu thinks inertia has hampered proptech’s growth, but Covid is fixing the problem,” accessed April 2026. http://cfany.gallery.video/cfala/detail/videos/fintech/video/6196550162001/why-momei-qu-senior-vice-president-psp-growth-thinks-inerita-has-hampered-proptech-s-growth-but-covid-is-fixing-the-problem.?autoStart=true↩
-
OpenSpace, “OpenSpace Extends Leadership with $102M Series D Financing,” March 2022, accessed April 2026. https://www.openspace.ai/press-releases/openspace-extends-leadership-with-102m-series-d-financing/↩↩↩↩
-
PR Newswire, “WireWheel.io Secures $3.1 Million in Seed Round Led By PSP Growth and NEA,” November 2017, accessed April 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wirewheelio-secures-31-million-in-seed-round-led-by-psp-growth-and-nea-300555439.html↩↩↩
-
PR Newswire, “HouseCanary Announces $31 Million Series B Funding, Comprised of PSP Growth and Existing Investors,” September 2017, accessed April 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/housecanary-announces-31-million-series-b-funding-comprised-of-psp-growth-and-existing-investors-300519667.html↩
-
TechCrunch, “Enable lands $94M to help B2B companies manage their rebate programs,” October 2022, accessed April 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/18/enable-lands-94m-to-help-b2b-companies-manage-their-rebate-programs/↩↩
-
Nordic 9, “Synthesia closed $180M Series D led by NEA, joined by PSP Growth,” January 2025, accessed April 2026. https://nordic9.com/news/synthesia-closed-a-180-million-series-d-funding-round-led-by-nea-joined-by-wil-world-innovation-lab-atlassian-ventures-psp-growth-gv-and-mmc-ventures/↩↩↩
-
SecurityWeek, “Zafran Security Raises $60 Million in Series C Funding,” December 2025, accessed April 2026. https://www.securityweek.com/zafran-security-raises-60-million-in-series-c-funding/↩↩↩
-
Higharc, “Higharc announces $53M Series B for its Connected Homebuilding Cloud,” February 2024, accessed April 2026. https://www.higharc.com/newsroom/higharc-announces-53m-series-b-investment↩↩
-
Commercial Observer, “OpenSpace Closes $102M Series D Round,” March 2022, accessed April 2026. https://commercialobserver.com/2022/03/openspace-funding-psp-tech/↩↩
-
PR Newswire, “Privacy Protection Platform WireWheel Closes $10 Million in Financing,” October 2018, accessed April 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/privacy-protection-platform-wirewheel-closes-10-million-in-financing-300737392.html↩
-
Ocient, “Ocient Announces Close Of Series B Extension Financing,” April 2025, accessed April 2026. https://ocient.com/newsroom/press-releases/ocient-announces-close-of-series-b-extension-financing-to-accelerate-solutions-for-complex-data-and-ai-workloads/↩
-
Crunchbase, “PSP Growth — Investments, Portfolio & Company Exits,” accessed April 2026. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/psp-growth-2/recent_investments↩
-
PSP Partners, “Our Holdings,” accessed April 2026. https://www.psppartners.com/our-holdings/↩
-
Billion Dollar Moves Podcast, “Investing with Penny Pritzker & Building a Robust Venture & Growth Practice w/ Momei Qu, PSP Partners,” accessed April 2026. https://www.billiondollarmoves.com/replay-momei-qu-psp-penny-pritzker-venture-growth-practice/↩