Session: Is Your Open Source Project/Start-Up Ready for Seed Funding?
Open Source projects especially COSS (Commercial Open Source projects) have gained immense popularity among the investors in recent years due to their collaborative nature and accessibility. However, sustaining these projects can be a challenge, especially when it comes to funding.
Seed funding can provide a much-needed boost to an open source project and enable it to grow and thrive. But, how do you know if your project/start-up is ready for seed funding?
This talk will discuss the key factors that determine whether an open source project/start-up is ready for seed funding or not and what metrics generally looked by the investments.
I have been part open source startups from past 10 years and serving as Vice President of Community Development at Apache Software Foundation. During this journey, we raised seed funding for our open source project (Webiny is one of them) and I also guide some open source start about the things they should consider before applying for seed funding.
The talk will cover various aspects such as the maturity of the project, the size of the community, the level of contribution from the community, the project’s mission, and the project’s roadmap. It will also highlight some of the common mistakes that open source projects make when applying for seed funding and how to avoid them.
We will also talk about the leading firms that are interested in investing in open source projects/start-ups.
The audience for this talk would be open source developers and maintainers who are considering seed funding for their projects/start-ups. The talk will provide valuable insights and practical advice to help them determine if their project is ready for seed funding and how to prepare for the application process. By the end of this talk, attendees will have a better understanding of the key factors to consider when seeking seed funding for their open source projects.
