What UBports does

UBports is a German non-profit charitable foundation that develops and maintains Ubuntu Touch, an open-source Linux-based mobile operating system designed as a privacy-respecting alternative to Android and iOS. The project originated in April 2017 when community founder Marius Gripsgård organized the continuation of Canonical's discontinued Ubuntu Touch work, and was formalized as the UBports Foundation under German law in 2019. The technology stack is built on three foundational components: Lomiri (formerly Unity 8), a convergent desktop environment that adapts the same interface across phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops; Halium, a hardware adaptation layer using libhybris to enable Ubuntu Touch to run on Android hardware; and the UBports Installer, a cross-platform tool simplifying OS installation. The ecosystem additionally includes the Clickable app packaging format, the OpenStore app marketplace, and Waydroid integration for Android application compatibility.

UBports' product surface extends beyond the core OS to encompass device support across multiple OEMs including Volla Systeme (pre-installed devices), Fairphone (reference devices with display-out convergence), and PINE64 (native mainline Linux devices), as well as community-supported ports for devices like the Pixel 3a, Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC, and Nothing Phone (1). The foundation has achieved notable ecosystem milestones including Lomiri's acceptance into Debian 12 Bookworm repositories in 2023 and the launch of VoLTE support in OTA-8 in 2025. The organization is governed by five co-founders (Marius Gripsgård, Ricardo Mendoza, Johannah Sprinz, Florian Leeber, and Ewald Pierre) and operates with a small core staff supplemented by hundreds of global volunteer contributors.

The business model is donation-based rather than commercial, with no paid products or services sold directly. Revenue streams consist of individual donations via Liberapay, Patreon, PayPal, and SEPA bank transfers; corporate sponsorships organized into Platinum, Gold, and Silver tiers; and a two-tier membership program (Free and Supportive). The go-to-market motion is community-led, with engagement spanning Telegram channels in 18+ languages, Matrix channels, forums, documentation, and participation in major open-source conferences worldwide. Customer segments are primarily individual users motivated by privacy, open-source values, and convergence capabilities, with no disclosed enterprise customers generating material revenue.

Name

UBports

Legal name

UBports Foundation

Website

https://ubports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UBports is a German non-profit foundation developing Ubuntu Touch, an open-source Linux mobile operating system with convergence capabilities that enables phones to function as desktop computers, serving privacy-conscious users and Linux enthusiasts via a donation-based community model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Operating System

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile Operating Systems & Firmware (Android forks, OEM UI, Feature Phone OS) (CRACALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Android Tablets (CRACAMAA)

Keywords

• Open source mobile OS
• Linux mobile operating system
• Convergent desktop environment
• Mobile device installation
• App store marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: UBports accepts one-time and monthly recurring donations from individuals through various platforms including Liberapay, Patreon, PayPal, and SEPA bank transfers. Donations help cover infrastructure costs, promote Ubuntu Touch at websites and events, organize developer gatherings, and coordinate community development efforts.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship programs for companies that want to support privacy-first mobile future. Sponsorship tiers include Platinum, Gold, and Silver levels with one-time or recurring donation options.
3. Membership Fees: Free and supportive membership levels available. Members can contribute financially through their membership and have input in proposals and the future of UBports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UBports develops and maintains Ubuntu Touch, a free open-source Linux mobile operating system for smartphones and tablets that features convergence (a single device functions as both a phone and a desktop computer when connected to an external display). The OS is built on the Lomiri convergent desktop environment, leverages the Halium hardware adaptation layer to run on Android hardware, and is distributed via the UBports Installer, complemented by the OpenStore app marketplace, Clickable packaging format, and Waydroid for Android app compatibility.

Product overview

UBports is a global non-profit organization developing an open-source mobile operating system ecosystem. The core offering is Ubuntu Touch, a Linux mobile OS built for daily use with convergence capabilities. This is supported by three foundational projects: Lomiri (the convergent desktop environment that adapts from phone to desktop), Halium (the hardware adaptation layer using libhybris for Android driver compatibility), and the UBports Installer (device installation tool). The system also supports Android applications through Waydroid and offers native Linux app support via Clickable packaging. The ecosystem includes an app store (OpenStore), core apps (Calculator, Calendar, Camera, etc.), and essential apps (Telegram, Spotify clients, etc.). The UBports Foundation, incorporated as a German charitable foundation, provides legal and organizational backbone for the community-driven project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lomiri: A free and open-source, next-generation GNU/Linux operating environment designed for convergence. Originally developed as Unity 8 and now maintained by UBports, Lomiri runs the same operating system and software across phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.
• Clickable
• Halium
• UBports Installer
• OpenStore

Products and services

• Ubuntu Touch Open-source Linux mobile operating system built for daily-driver use on smartphones and tablets, featuring convergence capabilities that allow the device to function as a full desktop computer when connected to an external display. Available free of charge.
• Lomiri Free and open-source GNU/Linux operating environment designed for convergence. Originally developed as Unity 8 by Canonical and now maintained by UBports. Dynamically adapts its interface, layout, and interaction model to phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops using a single codebase.
• Core UT OS The core Ubuntu Touch operating system project combining three foundational components: Halium for hardware adaptation, Lomiri as the convergent shell, and the UBports Installer. Supports native Linux applications and Android applications via Waydroid.
• Halium Open-source project bridging Android hardware abstraction layers and Ubuntu Touch. Leverages libhybris to translate Android-specific drivers to non-Android Linux kernels, allowing Ubuntu Touch (and Droidian) to run on Android hardware.
• UBports Installer User-friendly cross-platform tool for installing Ubuntu Touch and other operating systems (including postmarketOS) on supported devices, with support for smartwatches. Available for Windows, macOS, Ubuntu (Snap), Debian (.deb), and other distributions.
• Clickable Core packaging format and build tool for Ubuntu Touch apps that lets developers bundle all necessary dependencies into a single package, avoiding dependency resolution issues and distributing software independently of the distribution's release cycle.
• OpenStore Official app store for Ubuntu Touch, providing access to native applications and web app wrappers for popular services. Functions as a marketplace connecting third-party Ubuntu Touch app developers with end users.
• Waydroid Container-based compatibility layer enabling Android applications to run on Ubuntu Touch, bridging the gap between native Linux apps and the Android ecosystem to expand the app availability for users.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lomiri accepted into Debian 12 repositories - major validation of open source desktop environment
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Volla SystemecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020German smartphone manufacturer partnership. Volla Systeme ships devices with Ubuntu Touch pre-installed, offering the Volla Phone X23, Volla Phone Quintus, and Volla Tablet. This partnership represents a significant collaboration with a hardware manufacturer to provide out-of-the-box Ubuntu Touch experience with full warranty support.
• Debian ProjectcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020In 2023, Lomiri (the convergent desktop environment) was officially accepted into Debian 12 Bookworm repositories. This represents a major milestone, making Lomiri available through standard Debian package management and validating the project within the broader Linux ecosystem.
• FairphonecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Ethical smartphone manufacturer sharing UBports' vision for user-first devices. Fairphone 4 and 5 are reference devices with Display Out capability, allowing them to function as desktop computers when connected to external monitors. Both devices support Ubuntu Touch with full community support.
• PINE64coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Hardware manufacturer producing native Linux devices including PinePhone Pro and PineTab. These devices are built to run mainline Linux natively without translation layers, providing a pure Linux mobile experience with Ubuntu Touch.
• CanonicalminorOthers · 1 January 2013Original developer of Ubuntu Touch before ending investment in 2017. Canonical's original work on convergence and Unity 8 formed the foundation that UBports forked and continues to develop as Lomiri. UBports continues to use Ubuntu as its base distribution.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Droidian: Mobile Linux distribution built on top of the Halium layer that UBports maintains. Closely coupled ecosystem peer; both projects rely on Halium/libhybris for Android hardware compatibility.
• GrapheneOS: Open-source Android-based OS focused exclusively on privacy and security, targeting Pixel hardware. Closest direct competitor on the privacy-respecting mobile OS positioning that UBports also claims.
• LineageOS: Community-driven open-source mobile OS (Android-based) offering aftermarket OS installation on supported devices. Most direct competitor in the alternative-mobile-OS space, sharing UBports' community/governance model and device-porting approach.
• PostmarketOS: Alpine Linux-based mobile OS targeting old phones and community devices, installable via UBports Installer. Direct competitor in the Linux-on-mobile space with similar community ethos and convergence aspirations.
• Mobian: Debian-based mobile Linux project, sharing the same upstream Debian ecosystem where Lomiri was accepted. Closely related community-driven mobile Linux initiative overlapping on supported devices.
• Jolla / Sailfish OS: Independent mobile OS (Sailfish OS) from a Finnish company, another non-Android/non-iOS alternative with its own device history and enterprise/government positioning. Direct competitor for the alternative-mobile-OS mission.

Emerging players

• /e/OS (Murena): De-Googled Android fork with privacy focus, commercialized through Murena's cloud services and devices. Competes for the same privacy-conscious user segment with a more polished commercial structure.
• CalyxOS: Privacy-focused Android ROM distributed for Pixel devices with MicroG integration. Competes for privacy-conscious mobile users with a smaller but polished offering.
• Plasma Mobile (KDE): KDE community initiative bringing the Plasma desktop environment to mobile form factors. Competes for the same Linux-mobile community mindshare but with a different shell/UI approach than Lomiri.

Others

• Volla Systeme: Strategic OEM partner that ships Ubuntu Touch pre-installed on Volla phones and tablets. Not a competitor but a key channel partner and adjacent hardware ecosystem player.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgitlab.com/ubports
• Xx.com/UBports
• Facebookfacebook.com/ubports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ubports-com

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 UBports