coreboot
coreboot is a non-profit open source firmware project that provides fast, auditable boot firmware for x86, ARM, POWER8, and RISC-V systems, serving OEMs/ODMs (notably Google Chromebooks) and end users via community distributions like Libreboot and Dasharo.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What coreboot does
coreboot is an open source extended firmware platform that initializes hardware and passes control to a payload to boot the operating system on modern computers and embedded systems. Originally launched in 1999 as LinuxBIOS, the project is governed under the Software Freedom Conservancy (joined 2017), which holds the trademark, processes donations, and provides legal and administrative infrastructure. The project maintains a three-member leadership board drawn from Siemens, AMD, and Google to ensure vendor-neutral governance, with no disclosed commercial revenue. The product supports x86, ARM/64, POWER8, and RISC-V architectures and integrates with Intel FSP and AMD AGESA platforms across multiple CPU generations.
The core technology is a minimal trusted computing base that performs hardware initialization and then exits, leaving less than 1% of code resident in memory. It supports a range of payloads (SeaBIOS, UEFI/EDK2, GRUB2, U-Boot, depthcharge, LinuxBoot) plus the BSD-licensed libpayload toolkit for custom payload development, with security features including VBOOT2 verified boot, CBMEM runtime memory manager, and MISRA-C/Ada code with formal verification support. The codebase is peer-reviewed through Gerrit and built/tested on Jenkins CI; boot times are documented at 400ms–2.5s for desktops and a 70%+ reduction vs OEM BIOS for servers. Notable proprietary components include CBMEM, VBOOT2, the Kconfig build system, site-local customization directories, devicetree/overridetree configuration, and multi-payload support.
The business model is community-led: the firmware is free under GPLv2 (with BSD-licensed libpayload), distributed via GitHub, mailing lists, IRC/Matrix/Discord, and community distributions (Libreboot, Dasharo, Heads, System76 Open Firmware, MrChromebox, Skulls, Canoeboot). GTM occurs primarily through OEM/ODM pre-installation (Google Chromebooks/Chromeboxes, System76, Purism, Star Labs, Protectli, NovaCustom, PC-Engines, Raptor Engineering, Nitrokey, Minifree, Technoethical). Income is voluntary donations processed by SFC. The project has 6 official staff and 300+ active contributors, with millions of devices in deployment.
coreboot firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- coreboot
- Legal name
- The coreboot project
- Website
- https://coreboot.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- coreboot is a non-profit open source firmware project that provides fast, auditable boot firmware for x86, ARM, POWER8, and RISC-V systems, serving OEMs/ODMs (notably Google Chromebooks) and end users via community distributions like Libreboot and Dasharo.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where coreboot is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
coreboot business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Donations via Software Freedom Conservancy: coreboot accepts donations through Software Freedom Conservancy via PayPal, check, and wire transfer. Conservancy manages all donation processing. Companies can match donations through employer gift matching programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Open Source Software |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
coreboot product offering
Product offeringCore offering
coreboot is an extended open-source firmware platform that performs minimal hardware initialization on modern computers and embedded systems, then passes control to a payload (SeaBIOS, UEFI/EDK2, GRUB2, U-Boot, depthcharge, LinuxBoot, or custom payloads via libpayload) to boot the operating system. The platform supports x86, ARM/64, POWER8, and RISC-V architectures with a minimal trusted computing base that leaves less than 1% of code in memory after completion. coreboot is licensed under GPLv2 (core) with BSD-licensed libpayload and is freely available, with licensed contractor support available for OEM/ODM integration.
Product overview
coreboot is an open-source extended firmware platform that delivers fast, secure boot experiences on modern computers and embedded systems. The core product consists of the coreboot firmware itself, which initializes hardware and passes control to selectable payloads. The project provides multiple ready-to-build payloads including SeaBIOS (legacy BIOS), EDK2/UEFI (modern boot interface), GRUB (with full disk encryption support), U-Boot (embedded), and LinuxBoot (Linux kernel payload). The BSD-licensed libpayload toolkit enables custom payload development. coreboot includes internal components like CBMEM for runtime memory management and VBOOT2 for verified boot security. The community maintains several binary firmware distributions (Libreboot, Dasharo, Heads, Canoeboot, Skulls, System76 Open Firmware, MrChromebox) that package coreboot for specific hardware platforms. The project supports x86, ARM/64, POWER8, and RISC-V architectures, integrating with Intel FSP and AMD AGESA platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- coreboot Core Firmware An extended open-source firmware platform that performs minimal hardware initialization on modern computers and embedded systems, then passes control to a selectable payload to boot the operating system. Supports x86, ARM/64, POWER8, and RISC-V architectures. Licensed under GPLv2 (core) with BSD-licensed libpayload. Used by OEMs/ODMs to replace proprietary BIOS/UEFI and by end users seeking auditable firmware.
- coreboot Distributions (Community Binary Images)
Quantifiable outcome
- Boot time reduced to 400ms - 2.5s for desktop and notebook systems
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use coreboot
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
coreboot technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
coreboot partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Software Freedom Conservancycorecoreboot joined the Software Freedom Conservancy in 2017. Conservancy provides fiscal sponsorship, handles donations (PayPal, check, wire transfer), manages intellectual property including the coreboot trademark and domain name, and provides legal and administrative support. The leadership board is bound by an agreement with Conservancy requiring minimum 3 board members from different companies.
- GooglecoreGoogle is the largest commercial deployer of coreboot, shipping it on all Chromebooks and Chromeboxes. Google employs coreboot leadership board member Julius Werner and contributes significantly to development. The ChromiumOS project uses coreboot as its firmware foundation.
- Dasharo (3mdeb)core3mdeb maintains Dasharo, an open-source coreboot distribution focusing on clean code, long-term maintenance, transparent validation, and privacy-respecting implementation. Dasharo is shipped by NovaCustom, Protectli, and Nitrokey on their hardware.
- LibrebootcoreLibreboot is a community distribution of coreboot emphasizing easy-to-use, blob-free firmware. Supported by Minifree Ltd (which funds Libreboot development) and Technoethical (EU/US reseller). Libreboot contributed extensively to coreboot's x86 support.
- System76coreSystem76 manufactures Linux hardware with System76 Open Firmware (coreboot + EDK2 + System76 applications) and contributes directly to coreboot development. An active member of the advisory group.
- PurismminorPurism manufactures security-focused laptops with coreboot and neutralized Intel Management Engine, specifically designed to work with free/libre open source software.
- Star LabsminorStar Labs offers Linux laptops available with coreboot firmware, using Tianocore as the payload with NVRAM option to disable Intel Management Engine.
- ProtectliminorProtectli sells secure computer equipment with Dasharo coreboot-based firmware tailored for their hardware, supporting Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows.
- NovaCustomminorNovaCustom sells configurable laptops with Dasharo coreboot firmware maintained by 3mdeb, with full GNU/Linux and Windows compatibility and security updates via fwupd for five years.
- PC-EnginesminorPC-Engines ships coreboot on their APU platforms used in embedded and networking applications.
- Raptor EngineeringminorRaptor Engineering builds TALOS — complete free software-based solutions (open source firmware, open source hardware) using coreboot as the boot firmware.
- NitrokeyminorNitrokey refurbishes notebooks with Dasharo coreboot distribution and ships them worldwide, in addition to their open-source Nitrokey hardware products manufactured in Germany.
- Minifree LtdminorMinifree sells laptops and desktops with Libreboot pre-installed along with Debian Linux or other distributions. The owner founded Libreboot and uses profits to fund Libreboot development.
- Intelcorecoreboot provides full platform support for Intel FSP (Firmware Support Package) and AMD AGESA platforms. Intel architecture support includes Alder Lake, Comet Lake, Tiger Lake, Meteor Lake, and many more generations. However, Intel Boot Guard can prevent loading unauthorized firmware.
- AMDcorecoreboot supports AMD platforms including Stoney Ridge, Picasso, Cezanne, Mendocino, and Phoenix SoCs. AMD employs coreboot leadership board member Matt DeVillier and security response team member Felix Held.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
coreboot competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Minifree Ltd: UK company founded by Leah Rowe that sells laptops pre-installed with Libreboot, the most prominent blob-free coreboot distribution. Minifree is a direct downstream peer in the auditable-firmware value chain and funds coreboot-compatible development.
- 3mdeb: Polish commercial firmware company that maintains the Dasharo open-source coreboot distribution and offers paid porting, customization, and long-term support services to OEMs. 3mdeb sits directly on top of the coreboot codebase and competes for the same OEM/ODM firmware contracts that coreboot contractors serve.
- Raptor Engineering: Small US firm building the TALOS secure workstation, an entirely free-software hardware and firmware stack based on coreboot. Raptor is a niche peer that competes in the same auditable-firmware segment and contributes back to the upstream project.
Broad incumbents
- Phoenix Technologies: Long-established commercial UEFI and BIOS firmware vendor whose SecureCore and Scenic products ship in hundreds of millions of PCs and embedded devices. Phoenix is a direct competitor for OEM firmware sockets where coreboot is evaluated, with broad enterprise and consumer reach.
- Insyde Software: Taiwan-headquartered UEFI firmware vendor with strong share in ARM-based Chromebooks and Asian OEM/ODM channels. Insyde's InsydeH2O is a direct proprietary alternative that competes for the same Chromebook and embedded sockets where coreboot gains traction.
- American Megatrends International (AMI): One of the largest commercial BIOS and UEFI firmware vendors, supplying Aptio and MegaRAC firmware to virtually every tier-1 OEM and ODM worldwide. AMI is the dominant proprietary incumbent whose closed firmware stacks coreboot is positioned to displace in auditability- and boot-time-sensitive use cases.
Others
- System76: US-based Linux hardware OEM that builds and ships System76 Open Firmware (coreboot + EDK2 + System76 tooling) on its laptops, desktops, and servers. System76 is both a major consumer of coreboot and an active contributor, sitting in the ecosystem rather than competing with it.
- Nitrokey: German open-source security hardware company that both sells Nitrokey USB tokens and refurbishes notebooks with the Dasharo coreboot distribution. Nitrokey is a channel partner that extends coreboot's reach into European enterprise and government security buyers rather than a competing firmware vendor.
- Purism: US-based hardware vendor selling security- and privacy-focused laptops with coreboot and a neutralized Intel Management Engine. Purism is a flagship OEM customer that extends coreboot's reach into the chip-by-chip freedom-focused market rather than offering competing firmware.
- Protectli: US vendor of secure firewalls, mini-PCs, and networking appliances that ship with Dasharo (coreboot-based) firmware. Protectli is a downstream OEM user of coreboot, serving the network-appliance and security-segment markets rather than competing in firmware itself.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
coreboot social profiles
Digital presencecoreboot financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
coreboot leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
coreboot funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
coreboot 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 coreboot
What does coreboot do?
coreboot is an extended open-source firmware platform that performs minimal hardware initialization on modern computers and embedded systems, then passes control to a payload (SeaBIOS, UEFI/EDK2, GRUB2, U-Boot, depthcharge, LinuxBoot, or custom payloads via libpayload) to boot the operating system. The platform supports x86, ARM/64, POWER8, and RISC-V architectures with a minimal trusted computing base that leaves less than 1% of code in memory after completion. coreboot is licensed under GPLv2 (core) with BSD-licensed libpayload and is freely available, with licensed contractor support available for OEM/ODM integration.
Is coreboot a public or private company?
coreboot is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was coreboot founded?
coreboot was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is coreboot based?
coreboot is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does coreboot make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations via Software Freedom Conservancy.
Who are coreboot's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Minifree Ltd, 3mdeb and Raptor Engineering. Broad incumbents are Phoenix Technologies, Insyde Software and American Megatrends International (AMI). Others are System76, Nitrokey, Purism and Protectli.
Does coreboot have an API?
No public API is recorded for coreboot.