The creators of Deno, a JavaScript and TypeScript runtime designed as a direct competitor to Node.js, have officially formed the Deno Company to support the development of their platform. In a statement released on March 29, Ryan Dahl and Bert Belder, the creators behind both Deno and Node.js, revealed the establishment of the company alongside an impressive $4.9 million in seed funding. This capital will allow them to build a team of full-time engineers dedicated to improving Deno and expanding its capabilities.
The Deno Company plans to create custom runtimes tailored for various applications, ranging from Electron-style desktop graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to serverless functions similar to Cloudflare Workers, and even embedded scripting for databases. Dahl and Belder aim to revitalize server-side JavaScript, which they believe has become stagnant over time. With Deno, they hope to bring fresh ideas and improved functionality to a space dominated by Node.js, offering an alternative that embraces modern development trends.
Despite its commercial ambitions, the Deno Company has committed to keeping Deno itself open source and MIT-licensed. The founders emphasized that for Deno to reach its full potential, it must remain freely available, fostering innovation and accessibility. Their business strategy will revolve around building services and solutions around Deno, rather than directly monetizing the runtime itself. This approach is designed to build on the success of the open-source project while generating revenue through complementary offerings.
Dahl and Belder also highlighted the growing importance of web-first abstraction layers and the increasing use of WebAssembly in JavaScript and TypeScript development. They envision a future where millions of web developers can leverage their skills in broader domains, extending beyond traditional web applications. With the backing of their new company, the Deno team is poised to shape the future of server-side programming and offer a compelling alternative to Node.js. For those interested in updates, the Deno Company is actively sharing news and developments on Twitter.