Open Future Lab

Open Future Lab is a research and design lab that works at the intersection of financial life, long-term thinking, and social well-being. According to its official website, the lab is dedicated to inspiring long-term thinking, promoting financial well-being and autonomy, and fostering resilient, inclusive communities where people have the freedom and joy to decide how to live. Rather than operating as a conventional financial institution or product company, Open Future Lab positions itself as a creative and research-driven organisation that publishes pioneering research insights, designs innovative concepts and prototypes to improve people's financial lives, and employs creativity to simplify complex ideas and broaden perspectives. The lab's work spans research, concept design, and public engagement. Its published themes include "Social Compounding: Wealth is always built together," "The missing us: Why independence feels safer than belonging," "Navigating parenthood: a window of opportunity to act long-term," and "Three ways to make financial life more human." These topics suggest a focus on the social, emotional, and relational dimensions of money rather than purely technical or product-oriented finance. Among its concrete outputs is Blossom, a conversation card game created by the lab to help couples and (future) parents have more open, meaningful conversations about everyday life, financial well-being, and parenting while growing a tree together. The game is available as a printable download in English, German, and Romanian. The lab also references Apira, described as a project to "empower families to invest in tomorrow with purpose." Open Future Lab invites collaboration and community participation, encouraging people to join forces, share insights, and exchange ideas to make a tangible difference together, and it operates a newsletter for updates on research insights, creative ideas, and collaborative projects. Open Future Lab is associated with Austria, and its research references partnerships and studies involving the ERSTE Foundation and the University of Tartu. Its work sits within a broader European conversation about financial well-being, family finance, and long-termism. The organisation presents itself as a lab rather than a traditional company, blending research, design, and public communication to influence how people think about money and life.

Open Future Lab is a research and design lab that, according to its official website, is dedicated to inspiring long-term thinking, promoting financial well-being and autonomy, and fostering resilient, inclusive communities. The lab describes its mission as helping people have the freedom and joy to decide how to live. It pursues this through three stated approaches: publishing pioneering research insights to share knowledge; designing innovative concepts and prototypes to improve the financial lives of people; and employing creativity to simplify complex ideas and broaden perspectives. The lab's public work includes research themes such as "Social Compounding: Wealth is always built together," "The missing us: Why independence feels safer than belonging," "Navigating parenthood: a window of opportunity to act long-term," and "Three ways to make financial life more human." These themes indicate an ongoing research programme focused on the social and emotional dimensions of financial life, including relationships, family, and long-term decision-making. One of its concrete projects is Blossom, a conversation card game created by the lab to help couples and (future) parents have more open, meaningful conversations about everyday life, financial well-being, and parenting while growing a tree together. The game is offered as a printable download in English, German, and Romanian. The lab explains that Blossom was created to support the stage of life when parenthood brings new responsibilities and complex decisions about the family's future, and that research shows many couples rarely talk openly about money even as financial decisions shape their lives. The lab cites research conducted by ERSTE Foundation and the University of Tartu (Beyond Money) showing that financial well-being is shaped by three essential elements: security, freedom, and pleasure. It also references its own research project, Navigating Parenthood, which revealed that many parents rarely talk openly about money due to cultural taboos, emotional stress, and the mental load of caregiving. Another project referenced on the lab's website is Apira, described as a way to "empower families to invest in tomorrow with purpose." The lab also invites collaboration, stating that meaningful change is rarely achieved alone and encouraging people to join forces, share insights, and exchange ideas. It maintains a newsletter for updates on research insights, creative ideas, collaborative projects, and more. Open Future Lab is associated with Austria. Its research references partnerships and studies involving the ERSTE Foundation and the University of Tartu. The organisation presents itself as a lab rather than a conventional financial company, blending research, design, and public communication.

A research and design lab inspiring long-term thinking and action within financial life, focused on financial well-being, autonomy, and inclusive communities.

• Blossom

  A conversation card game created by Open Future Lab to help couples and (future) parents have more open, meaningful conversations about everyday life, financial well-being, and parenting while growing a tree together. Available as a printable download in English, German, and Romanian.

• Apira

  A project referenced by Open Future Lab described as empowering families to invest in tomorrow with purpose.

1. 1Homepage - Open Future Labopenfuturelab.org
2. 2Blossom: a game that helps (future) parents talk about money and life - Open Future Labopenfuturelab.org
3. 3Wikidatawikidata.org