Open source projects gain equity-free funding from startups and corporations

Open source projects are receiving increased funding from various sources, including startups, corporations, and venture capital firms. Bloomberg's FOSS fund and Zerodha's $1 million annual commitment are notable examples of this trend, aimed at supporting essential technologies. Sequoia Capital has expanded its open source fellowship program, now funding multiple projects annually. Recent fellows include Chatbot Arena and vLLM, both focused on enhancing open source tools for AI and data management, with no plans for commercialization. Sentry has launched the Open Source Pledge, encouraging companies to contribute financially to open source projects. This initiative aims to address the sustainability challenges faced by developers, with commitments starting at $2,000 per developer annually.