After more than a decade of independent operation, the OpenInfra Foundation—formerly known as the OpenStack Foundation—is making a major move: it’s officially joining the Linux Foundation. This shift marks a strategic realignment aimed at unifying efforts across the broader open infrastructure ecosystem and addressing the evolving needs of its global community.
OpenStack’s journey began in 2010 as a joint project between Rackspace and NASA, intended to bring open-source principles to cloud infrastructure. As the project rapidly gained traction, conversations surfaced around its governance and long-term stewardship. Though there was early discussion about joining the Linux Foundation, the OpenStack community opted in 2012 to establish its own foundation to maintain governance independence. That entity later evolved into the OpenInfra Foundation in 2020, reflecting a broader mission that extended beyond OpenStack itself.
Now, in 2025, the Linux Foundation is a very different organization—no longer just the steward of the Linux kernel but a robust host for dozens of high-profile open-source projects. With initiatives like the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), LF AI & Data, and the OpenSSF for software security, the Linux Foundation offers resources, legal support, and global advocacy that reflect the needs of modern open-source development. For OpenInfra, this new environment aligns closely with the goals and challenges the foundation now faces, especially as governments and enterprises demand greater transparency and compliance from open-source technologies.
Leaders of the OpenInfra Foundation believe that this move will streamline operations, improve collaboration with adjacent ecosystems like Kubernetes and cloud-native tools, and bolster participation in policy discussions around security and digital infrastructure. “The Linux Foundation has invested deeply in legal, regulatory, and operational capabilities,” noted Jonathan Bryce, executive director of OpenInfra. “This move positions us to better serve our community and stay aligned with the shifting landscape of open-source governance.” With OpenStack often deployed alongside CNCF technologies, the new alignment promises to simplify joint initiatives and events, strengthening the ties between the open-source projects that underpin modern cloud infrastructure.