What Homegrown does

The content at homegrown.co.uk describes CentOS (Community ENTerprise Operating System), an enterprise-class Linux distribution that is derived from sources freely provided by Red Hat, Inc. for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. CentOS conforms fully with the upstream vendor's redistribution policy and aims to be functionally compatible with RHEL, primarily modifying packages to remove upstream vendor branding and artwork. The distribution is built and maintained by a small but growing team of core developers and is targeted at system administrators, network administrators, enterprise users, managers, core Linux contributors, and Linux enthusiasts who require a freely available, enterprise-grade operating system.

The technical foundation is the RHEL source base, onto which CentOS applies rebuild, testing, and QA processes for errata packages. Distribution is handled through an official website and an extensive global mirror network, and the project offers multiple community support channels including a wiki, IRC chat, mailing lists, forums, a bug database, and an FAQ. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) extend the core distribution with additional functionality, and developers are described as contactable and responsive. The underlying technology stack is CentOS Linux, with no proprietary product differentiation beyond the packaging, QA, and community layers.

No commercial business model is disclosed in the source data. There are no pricing tiers, enterprise SKUs, paid support contracts, sponsorship arrangements, headcount figures, funding rounds, or corporate entity details provided. The company name 'Homegrown' does not map cleanly to a known corporate entity tied to CentOS in the source material, and the input explicitly notes that the CentOS content on homegrown.co.uk appears to be unrelated to a company named Homegrown. As a result, revenue mechanics, go-to-market motion, and customer segmentation are best characterized as community-driven, free, open-source distribution with a horizontal, persona-based user base.

Name

Homegrown

Website

https://homegrown.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Homegrown's source material describes CentOS, an enterprise-class Linux distribution derived from Red Hat Enterprise Linux sources and distributed freely to system administrators, enterprise users, and Linux enthusiasts via a global mirror network and community support channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Enterprise Linux Distribution

akta.pro primary industry

Hybrid & Multi-Cloud Orchestration (Private-Cloud-Centric) (HDABABAE)

Keywords

• Enterprise linux distribution
• Open source operating system
• Linux server software
• Community linux project
• Enterprise OS

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CentOS (Community ENTerprise Operating System) is an Enterprise-class Linux Distribution derived from sources freely provided by Red Hat, Inc. for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The distribution is functionally compatible with RHEL, mainly removing upstream vendor branding and artwork, and is distributed freely through an extensive mirror network supported by a community of core developers.

Product overview

The source content at homegrown.co.uk describes CentOS (Community ENTerprise Operating System), an Enterprise-class Linux Distribution. However, this appears to be unrelated content on the Homegrown website, as the page describes CentOS Linux rather than a company or product named Homegrown.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CentOS (Community ENTerprise Operating System)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Red Hat, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentOS derives its sources freely provided by Red Hat, Inc. for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. CentOS conforms fully with upstream vendors redistribution policy and aims to be functionally compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The relationship involves using Red Hat's open-source code base as the foundation for the CentOS distribution, with CentOS mainly changing packages to remove upstream vendor branding and artwork.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CloudLinux: CloudLinux commercialises hardened, RHEL-derived Linux distributions for shared hosting and enterprise use. It overlaps with CentOS in RHEL-compatible server positioning and adds a commercial monetisation layer that CentOS lacks.
• Rocky Linux: Rocky Linux is a community rebuild of Red Hat Enterprise Linux launched in direct response to upstream CentOS changes. It is functionally identical to CentOS in mission and downstream-RHEL positioning, making it the closest direct substitute.
• Ubuntu (Canonical): Canonical's Ubuntu is a widely deployed open-source Linux distribution targeting enterprises, developers, and cloud workloads. It is the most direct comparable to CentOS in terms of free, community-driven enterprise Linux positioning, and competes for the same downstream user base.
• Oracle Linux: Oracle Linux is an enterprise Linux distribution derived from RHEL sources and distributed free of charge with optional commercial support. It competes directly with CentOS for RHEL-compatible enterprise deployments.
• Debian: Debian is a foundational community Linux distribution underpinning many derivatives (including Ubuntu). It competes with CentOS for the same open-source, volunteer-driven enterprise and server user base, particularly outside the RHEL ecosystem.
• AlmaLinux: AlmaLinux is another community-driven, RHEL-compatible Linux distribution formed as a CentOS alternative. Like CentOS, it targets enterprise users seeking free, RHEL-compatible binaries and is a direct competing rebuild.
• SUSE Linux: SUSE Linux Enterprise is a major enterprise Linux distribution competing in the same RHEL-adjacent category. It overlaps with CentOS for enterprise server, cloud, and data-center workloads, with a more commercial support model.
• Fedora: Fedora is Red Hat's upstream community distribution and shares CentOS's open-source, community-governed model. It targets Linux enthusiasts and contributors in the same ecosystem, though it serves an upstream-instead-of-downstream niche.
• Amazon Linux: Amazon Linux is AWS's cloud-optimised Linux distribution, primarily delivering a CentOS/RHEL-compatible experience for EC2 and AWS workloads. It is a direct competitor for cloud-centric Linux deployments where CentOS would otherwise be chosen.

Broad incumbents

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux: Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the upstream commercial product that CentOS is functionally compatible with. As a broader incumbent with a full enterprise support, certification, and cloud portfolio, it is the strategic anchor and primary competitive threat to CentOS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_homegrownuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Homegrown