e Foundation
e Foundation is a French non-profit that develops /e/OS, a deGoogled Android-based smartphone operating system offering privacy-by-design features, app compatibility via microG, and an integrated Murena cloud workspace, serving privacy-conscious consumers, enterprise customers, and an open-source contributor community.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What e Foundation does
e Foundation is a Paris-based French non-profit organization (SIRET 84014633600010) that develops /e/OS, a deGoogled, open-source smartphone operating system forked from LineageOS with microG integrated by default to preserve Android application compatibility without Google services. The OS replaces proprietary Google services with privacy-respecting alternatives and adds proprietary components including a custom launcher, an Advanced Privacy widget for tracker/IP/geolocation control, and an App Lounge privacy scanner that classifies apps by tracker presence. The platform supports 288 smartphones via Official and Community builds and is distributed globally through free direct download from GitLab, a browser-based /e/OS Installer, and sale of Murena-branded preloaded smartphones (new and refurbished, including Fairphone devices).
The organization's commercial ecosystem is delivered through the partner company Murena, which sells /e/OS devices and operates Murena Workspace — a cloud platform providing email (@murena.io), calendar, drive, files, and OnlyOffice-powered office tools, built on NextCloud. Murena Workspace tiers from a free 1GB plan up to 1TB at €12.99/month. The foundation additionally offers enterprise custom OS builds, default apps, and branded app stores via a quote-based sales motion, and accepts one-time and recurring donations through PayPal and Patreon. e Foundation is funded primarily through individual donations, Patreon patronage, and public grants including DAPSI (NGI, European Commission) and SIDN Fund awards, and operates with a remote, distributed team of 1–10 people.
Gaël Duval serves as founder and legal representative. Strategic technology partnerships include Qwant (default search), Webaxys (green data center in Le Havre for build servers), GitLab (self-hosted source code management), and Discourse (self-hosted community forum). The foundation's certifications are limited to GDPR compliance for its online services. Customer base is dominated by privacy-conscious individual consumers, with an emerging enterprise segment and a distributed contributor community of developers, translators, and ROM maintainers.
e Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- e Foundation
- Legal name
- e Foundation
- Website
- https://e.foundation
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- e Foundation is a French non-profit that develops /e/OS, a deGoogled Android-based smartphone operating system offering privacy-by-design features, app compatibility via microG, and an integrated Murena cloud workspace, serving privacy-conscious consumers, enterprise customers, and an open-source contributor community.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
e Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Operating System
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile Operating Systems & Firmware (Android forks, OEM UI, Feature Phone OS) (CRACALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- OEM & Device-Embedded App Stores (BPAMADAD)
Keywords
Where e Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
e Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Monthly patronage through Patreon and one-time donations via PayPal. Donation tiers offer escalating benefits including stickers, t-shirts, hoodies, cloud storage, and smartphones preloaded with /e/OS.
- Cloud Subscriptions (Murena Workspace): Tiered subscription plans for cloud storage (1GB free, 20GB at 1.99€/month, 64GB at 3.99€/month, 128GB at 5.99€/month, 256GB at 7.99€/month, 1TB at 12.99€/month). Annual billing available at discounted rates. Includes email, calendar, contacts, files, and OnlyOffice suite.
- Hardware Sales (Murena Smartphones): Sale of new and refurbished smartphones preloaded with /e/OS through murena.com. Includes Fairphone devices and Murena-branded phones.
- Enterprise Custom Solutions: Custom OS builds, default apps, branded app stores, and interface customization for business customers. Revenue from enterprise licensing and professional services.
- Public Funding: Grants from EU initiatives including DAPSI (NGI) and SIDN Fund for specific development projects like the Android privacy hub.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free 1GB Cloud Storage |
| Subscription | Monthly | 20GB Storage Plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | 64GB Storage Plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | 128GB Storage Plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | 256GB Storage Plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | 1TB Storage Plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | Patron (Monthly) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Follower (One-time) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lucky Sixteen (One-time) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Contributor (One-time) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Power Member (One-time) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Early Adopter (One-time) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Advocate (One-time) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Maker (One-time) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Transformer (One-time) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Hero (One-time) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise Custom Solutions |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
e Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
/e/OS is a deGoogled Android-based smartphone operating system forked from LineageOS with microG integrated by default, replacing Google services with open-source, privacy-respecting alternatives while maintaining compatibility with most Android apps. The organization also offers Murena Workspace, a privacy-focused cloud ecosystem including email (@murena.io), cloud storage, calendar, contacts, and OnlyOffice-powered office suite, plus /e/OS Installer for simplified device installation.
Product overview
e Foundation is a non-profit organization developing /e/OS, a deGoogled Android-based smartphone operating system that prioritizes user data privacy. The product portfolio centers on /e/OS as the core privacy-focused OS, complemented by Murena Workspace (formerly eCloud), a fully deGoogled cloud ecosystem providing email (@murena.io), cloud storage, calendar, contacts, and an online office suite powered by NextCloud and OnlyOffice. Supporting tools include the /e/OS Installer for simplified installation, App Lounge for privacy-analyzed app downloads, Advanced Privacy widget for tracker control, and Murena Vault for end-to-end encrypted file storage. The ecosystem supports 288 officially supported smartphones and includes self-hosting options for power users.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- https://e.foundation/e/OS: DeGoogled, privacy-enabled smartphone operating system based on Android/LineageOS with microG integration.
- Murena
- Murena Workspace
Products and services
- https://e.foundation/e/OS DeGoogled, privacy-enabled smartphone operating system based on Android. It replaces Google services with open-source alternatives and microG, offering a customizable launcher, built-in privacy controls, and compatibility with most Android applications. Targeted at privacy-conscious individual consumers and supported on 288 smartphones.
- Murena Workspace (formerly eCloud)
Quantifiable outcome
- 288 smartphones supported with Official or Community builds
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use e Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
e Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature8 records
e Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WebaxyscoreWebaxys operates the green data center in Le Havre, France, recognized as the most innovative data center in Europe. Hosts /e/ build servers with solar panel power. Critical infrastructure partner for /e/OS development and builds.
- DAPSI (Data Portability Services Incubator)coreEU NGI initiative enabling innovators to develop human-centered Internet technologies. eFoundation received funding under DAPSI for data portability technologies addressing GDPR personal data portability challenges.
- QwantcorePowers Murena Find, the default privacy-respecting search engine in /e/OS. Does not use targeted advertising or store search history, guaranteeing neutral unfiltered results without advertising cookies.
- NextCloudcoreOpen-source cloud platform powering Murena Workspace cloud services (drive, email, calendar, files, tasks). Self-hosting option available for power users.
- OnlyOfficecoreOffice suite integrated into Murena Workspace for creating, editing, and sharing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. MS Office compatible alternative to Google Docs.
- OVHminorWeb hosting provider for e.foundation website and services.
- GitLabcoreSelf-hosted GitLab instance (gitlab.e.foundation) for source code management, issue tracking, and developer collaboration. Open-source platform for voluntary contributors.
- DiscoursecoreOpen-source forum software powering community.e.foundation user forum. Self-hosted platform for home users and community discussions.
- LineageOScore/e/OS is forked from LineageOS. The relationship follows open-source software forking principles (similar to AOSP/Linux or Debian/Ubuntu). eFoundation encourages core developers to contribute upstream to LineageOS.
- microGcoreOpen-source alternative to Google Mobile Services integrated by default in /e/OS. Enables app compatibility without Google dependencies.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
e Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CalyxOS: A privacy-centric Android fork with microG and deGoogled services from the Calyx Institute non-profit, directly comparable in mission, technology and funding model to /e/OS.
- LineageOS: The community Android distribution from which /e/OS is forked; a free, broad-device custom ROM serving overlapping enthusiast and privacy users.
- Purism: Builds the Librem privacy phone and PureOS, combining privacy-first mobile software with hardware sales, closely mirroring /e/OS plus Murena's model.
- GrapheneOS: A security- and privacy-focused deGoogled Android-based OS competing directly for the same privacy-conscious smartphone users, distributed free with optional donations.
- Murena: The commercial arm tied to e Foundation selling /e/OS smartphones and cloud subscriptions; its model exemplifies the same deGoogled hardware-plus-services play.
Emerging players
- Jolla (Sailfish OS): Develops an independent, privacy-oriented alternative mobile operating system with Android app compatibility, competing in the non-Google mobile OS niche.
- Tuta (Tutanota): Provides encrypted, GDPR-compliant email and calendar services, overlapping with Murena Workspace's privacy-first cloud and communication offerings.
- Volla: Markets privacy-focused smartphones running deGoogled/alternative mobile operating systems, targeting the same privacy-conscious consumer segment.
Broad incumbents
- Proton AG: A larger privacy-focused provider of encrypted email, drive, calendar and VPN, overlapping with Murena Workspace's deGoogled cloud ecosystem.
Others
- Fairphone: An ethical smartphone hardware maker whose devices are sold preloaded with /e/OS; an ecosystem and distribution partner rather than a software competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
e Foundation social profiles
Digital presencee Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
e Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
e Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
e Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
e Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about e Foundation
What does e Foundation do?
/e/OS is a deGoogled Android-based smartphone operating system forked from LineageOS with microG integrated by default, replacing Google services with open-source, privacy-respecting alternatives while maintaining compatibility with most Android apps. The organization also offers Murena Workspace, a privacy-focused cloud ecosystem including email (@murena.io), cloud storage, calendar, contacts, and OnlyOffice-powered office suite, plus /e/OS Installer for simplified device installation.
Is e Foundation a public or private company?
e Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was e Foundation founded?
e Foundation was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is e Foundation based?
e Foundation is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does e Foundation make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are cloud Subscriptions (Murena Workspace), hardware Sales (Murena Smartphones), enterprise Custom Solutions and public Funding.
Who are e Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CalyxOS, LineageOS, Purism, GrapheneOS and Murena. Emerging players are Jolla (Sailfish OS), Tuta (Tutanota) and Volla. Proton AG is listed as a broad incumbent. Fairphone is listed as an others.
Does e Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for e Foundation.
What industry is e Foundation in?
e Foundation's product category is Mobile Operating System. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACALAE, Mobile Operating Systems & Firmware (Android forks, OEM UI, Feature Phone OS), with a secondary code of BPAMADAD, OEM & Device-Embedded App Stores. Its NAICS code is 518 and its SIC code is 7372.