European Open Source Academy
The European Open Source Academy is a nonprofit consortium initiative that promotes European open source excellence through annual awards, peer recognition, policy advocacy, and free knowledge resources, funded by the EU Horizon Europe programme.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersPisa, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What European Open Source Academy does
The European Open Source Academy (EOSA) is a nonprofit initiative established in November 2024 under the EU-funded Horizon Europe project OSAwards.eu, which runs through April 2027. Modelled after prestigious scientific academies such as the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, EOSA operates as a peer-recognition membership organisation for distinguished European open source contributors, with the cURL creator Daniel Stenberg serving as President and the Academy structured into three sections: Business & Impact, Skills & Education, and Advocacy & Awareness. The initiative is governed by a consortium of eight European organisations led by RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) as Project Coordinator, with additional partners including TECNALIA, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Fraunhofer ISI, APELL, OpenForum Europe, Trust-IT Services, and COMMpla.
EOSA's core offering is the annual European Open Source Awards ceremony held in Brussels, which has been delivered twice (2025 and 2026) and honours contributors across categories including Excellence in Open Source, Business & Impact, Advocacy & Awareness, Skills & Education, and Community Impact. Supporting products and resources include a Knowledge Hub, Masterclass series, EOSA Magazine, a Data Visualisation Tool tracking open source uptake across Europe, a Webinar Series on topics such as Open Source AI and cybersecurity, the EU Open Source Week events, and a portfolio of policy publications. Technology integrations are limited to standard SaaS tooling (Zoom for webinars, YouTube for recordings, Google Analytics, LinkedIn, X, and Mastodon for social distribution); there is no proprietary AI/ML stack or product API.
The business model is grant-funded: all revenues derive from the EU Horizon Europe programme via the OSAwards.eu project, and all Academy services are provided free of charge. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with primary customer segments comprising European open source developers and contributors (primary), EU and national policymakers (primary), European technology companies and SMEs (secondary), and academic and research institutions (secondary). Distribution channels include the EOSA website, annual awards ceremonies, the EU Open Source Policy Summit, webinar series, and the recently launched Partner Community programme bringing in commercial, academic, public-interest, and civil society organisations.
European Open Source Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- European Open Source Academy
- Legal name
- Trust-IT Services srl
- Website
- https://europeanopensource.academy
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The European Open Source Academy is a nonprofit consortium initiative that promotes European open source excellence through annual awards, peer recognition, policy advocacy, and free knowledge resources, funded by the EU Horizon Europe programme.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
European Open Source Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Open Source Advocacy and Policy Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Open Courseware & Course Modules (OCW) (EDAGAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Open Multimedia OER (video, audio, podcasts, animations) (EDAGAJAF), Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ), Open Educational Resources (OER) & Curriculum Repositories (EDAFACAJ)
Keywords
Where European Open Source Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pisa
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
European Open Source Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- EU Horizon Europe Funding: OSAwards.eu is an EU-funded Horizon Europe Project running from November 2024 to April 2027, receiving EU funding to boost Europe's innovation and sovereignty through open-source excellence. The project funds all Academy activities including awards ceremonies, events, publications, and community programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free access to Academy resources |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
European Open Source Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EOSA is a peer-recognised open source academy that runs the annual European Open Source Awards in Brussels, supports EU open source policy advocacy, and delivers educational resources (Data Visualisation Tool, Knowledge Hub, Masterclass series, webinars, magazine, publications) to elevate the strategic value of open source and open hardware across Europe. It is funded by the EU Horizon Europe programme (OSAwards.eu, Nov 2024 – Apr 2027) and operates as a consortium-led nonprofit initiative.
Product overview
The European Open Source Academy is a platform-plus-portfolio organization centered around its core annual European Open Source Awards ceremony, which honors outstanding European open source contributors across multiple categories. The Academy itself is a membership organization bringing together distinguished open source experts. Supporting the core offering are complementary modules including a Data Visualisation Tool for tracking open source trends, a Knowledge Hub for educational resources, Masterclasses for professional development, EOSA Magazine for thought leadership, Webinar Series for interactive discussions on topics like AI and cybersecurity, and annual OSWeeks events. The portfolio is delivered through an EU-funded project (OSAwards.eu, Horizon Europe 2024-2027) involving multiple European consortium partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- European Open Source Awards: Annual awards program honoring outstanding European contributors to open source software and hardware
- OSAwards.eu
- EU Open Source Week
Products and services
- European Open Source Awards Annual recognition ceremony honouring outstanding European open source contributors across categories including Excellence in Open Source, Business & Impact, Skills & Education, Advocacy & Awareness, and Community Impact. Awardees join the EOSA Academy and serve on subsequent selection committees.
- Data Visualisation Tool Interactive data tool showcasing the latest uptake of open source solutions and trends across Europe. Part of the Skills & Resources initiative.
- Knowledge Hub Central repository providing access to open source knowledge, research, and educational materials supporting skills development and knowledge transfer to the next generation of open source contributors.
- Masterclass Series Professional development sessions delivered as part of the Skills & Resources initiative to support the latest know-how and knowledge transfer to open source contributors and leaders.
- Webinar Series Online events exploring topics such as open source AI, cybersecurity, and European digital sovereignty, with recordings available for public viewing.
- EU Open Source Week (OSWeeks) Annual week-long series of events in Brussels bringing together open source contributors, advocates, policymakers, and industry leaders, including the EU Open Source Policy Summit and the European Open Source Awards ceremony.
- Partner Community Programme A programme bringing together commercial, academic, public-interest, and civil society organisations to support the Academy's work and strengthen the open source software and hardware ecosystem across Europe.
Quantifiable outcome
- Two successful European Open Source Awards ceremonies delivered (2025, 2026)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use European Open Source Academy
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
European Open Source Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
European Open Source Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Partner Community Founding CohortcoreLaunched Partner Community with founding cohort of organisations including commercial, academic, public-interest, and civil society organizations supporting the Academy's mission.
- RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden)coreProject Coordinator of OSAwards.eu - the EU-funded Horizon Europe project running from November 2024 to April 2027. RISE leads the initiative with Johan Linåker as Project Coordinator.
- OpenForum Europe (OFE)coreKey consortium partner contributing to policy advocacy and EU engagement. Nicholas Gates serves as Policy Advisor and main representative in Academy activities.
- Trust-IT ServicescoreData Controller for EOSA website and technical administrator. Provides website services and communication platforms for Academy operations.
- APELL (Association Professionnelle Européenne du Logiciel Libre)coreEuropean professional association for free software, contributing to policy work and Academy governance.
- TECNALIAcoreSpanish research and technology corporation contributing to Academy activities and open source ecosystem support in Spain.
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC)coreSpanish national supercomputing center contributing technical expertise and representing Spain in the consortium.
- Fraunhofer ISIcoreGerman research institute contributing to Academy's research and innovation activities.
- United Nations Open Source CommunitycoreEOSA endorsed the UN Open Source Principles, joining 15 other organizations in supporting the UN framework for open source use, development, and sharing. Participated in UN Open Source Week 2025.
- Linux Foundation EuropeminorKnowledge partners for European Open Source Awards, providing platform for open source advocacy and ecosystem support.
- Open Source Initiative (OSI)minorOSI joined as knowledge partners, supporting Academy's mission and participating in award ceremonies and policy discussions.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
European Open Source Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Software Freedom Conservancy: US-headquartered nonprofit providing fiscal and legal support to open source projects and advocacy. Similar nonprofit mission to elevate open source sustainability, overlapping with EOSA's recognition and sustainability goals.
- OpenForum Europe (OFE): Brussels-based nonprofit advocating for open source policy in the EU, including AI Act and digital sovereignty. Already an EOSA consortium partner, OFE is the closest direct peer in mission and policy-bridging function.
- Open Source Initiative (OSI): Long-standing global steward of the Open Source Definition and advocate for open source. Named as an EOSA knowledge partner; comparable in advocacy role but global rather than Europe-focused.
- Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE): European nonprofit advocating for free software and user freedoms through policy engagement, public awareness, and legal work. Comparable to EOSA on community advocacy and EU policy positioning.
- Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA): Nonprofit advocating for open source hardware and the OSHWA certification mark. Strong thematic peer to EOSA's open hardware focus (e.g., Arduino, TinyTapeout awardees), but North American in origin and scope.
Broad incumbents
- Eclipse Foundation: Global open source foundation supporting working groups, standards, and policy engagement (including digital sovereignty work in Europe). Comparable peer foundation model with broader project portfolio than EOSA.
- CNCF (Cloud Native Computing Foundation): Large open source foundation under the Linux Foundation supporting cloud-native projects, with substantial training, certification, and community programs. Comparable peer foundation model with a much larger budget and headcount.
- Linux Foundation Europe: European arm of the Linux Foundation, supporting open source projects, policy engagement, and ecosystem programs. Direct comparator to EOSA on EU advocacy and digital sovereignty, but with a much larger portfolio of hosted projects and corporate sponsors.
- Apache Software Foundation: Long-running nonprofit open source foundation stewarding a large portfolio of projects. Comparable peer foundation structure providing governance, IP, and community support functions similar to those EOSA aspires to provide.
Emerging players
- Open Knowledge Foundation: UK/EU-based nonprofit advocating for open knowledge, open data, and open source. Overlaps with EOSA on policy advocacy for open digital commons and on community-led curriculum and resources.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
European Open Source Academy social profiles
Digital presenceEuropean Open Source Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
European Open Source Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
European Open Source Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
European Open Source Academy 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 European Open Source Academy
What does European Open Source Academy do?
EOSA is a peer-recognised open source academy that runs the annual European Open Source Awards in Brussels, supports EU open source policy advocacy, and delivers educational resources (Data Visualisation Tool, Knowledge Hub, Masterclass series, webinars, magazine, publications) to elevate the strategic value of open source and open hardware across Europe. It is funded by the EU Horizon Europe programme (OSAwards.eu, Nov 2024 – Apr 2027) and operates as a consortium-led nonprofit initiative.
Is European Open Source Academy a public or private company?
European Open Source Academy is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was European Open Source Academy founded?
European Open Source Academy was founded in 2024. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is European Open Source Academy based?
European Open Source Academy is headquartered in Pisa, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does European Open Source Academy make money?
One revenue line is on record: EU Horizon Europe Funding.
Who are European Open Source Academy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Software Freedom Conservancy, OpenForum Europe (OFE), Open Source Initiative (OSI), Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA). Broad incumbents are Eclipse Foundation, CNCF (Cloud Native Computing Foundation), Linux Foundation Europe and Apache Software Foundation. Open Knowledge Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does European Open Source Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for European Open Source Academy.
What industry is European Open Source Academy in?
European Open Source Academy's product category is Open Source Advocacy and Policy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAJAB, Open Courseware & Course Modules (OCW), with a secondary code of EDAGAJAF, Open Multimedia OER (video, audio, podcasts, animations). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.