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A lot of people are trying to make something which gives more freedom to users than iOS.

This already exists, in the form of Android. Is it ideologically perfect? Maybe not, but it's more than good enough for most people. Android is widely adopted, it's available on many different devices, users can install their own apps from a variety of sources, and there's a fair amount of freedom for developers to choose how to implement and distribute their apps.

2 is a low number for a global market.

Tizen is Samsung's baby, no VC funding.

FirefoxOS, Mozilla's, no VC funding.

Ubuntu, Canonical is funded by Shuttleworth.

Android was a startup once upon a time before Google bought it, but that was before iOS was out.

The only actual VC-funded entry is the one you omit, Jolla.

Jolla at one point claimed to have €200m in capital. This is probably some Nokia and some Finland government money. Crunchbase does not list VC investors, or any investors for that matter.

I doubt VC will invest in a Foundation: there is no way to get their money back...