Joint Development Foundation
Joint Development Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) subsidiary of the Linux Foundation that provides pre-negotiated legal and governance infrastructure for open-standards and open-source consortia. It hosts 36 projects across 10+ verticals with 500+ member organizations and 3,500+ participants, and holds ISO/IEC JTC 1 PAS Submitting Organization status enabling direct international-standard publication.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersTumwater, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Joint Development Foundation does
Joint Development Foundation (JDF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) standards development organization and legal-infrastructure provider, founded in 2015 by David Rudin (Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft) to eliminate the multi-year legal negotiations typically required to spin up multi-party technology consortia. It operates as a subsidiary of the Linux Foundation (since December 2018) and delivers a "consortium-in-a-box" offering — pre-negotiated template agreements, flexible intellectual-property policies, a 501(c)(6) corporate wrapper, and an ISO/IEC JTC 1 PAS Submitting Organization channel — enabling organizations to launch standards collaborations in days rather than months. Its hosted portfolio spans 36 active projects across more than ten verticals (technology, identity and security, telecommunications, finance, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, transportation, and media), including Alliance for Open Media (AV1), 3MF (an ISO/IEC standard), GraphQL, Decentralized Identity Foundation, Trust over IP, C2PA, Ultra Ethernet Consortium, Alliance for OpenUSD, App Defense Alliance, Unified Acceleration Foundation, Overture Maps Foundation, Margo, Tazama, and OpenSTX. The ecosystem comprises 500+ member organizations and 3,500+ participants, with major tech and industrial firms (Microsoft, Google, Meta, AWS, NVIDIA, Intel, Apple, Cisco, Broadcom, AMD, Adobe, Pixar, Rockwell, Siemens, Schneider Electric, ABB) anchoring different projects.
Commercially, JDF itself provides its formation services at no cost and does not publicly disclose revenue; its economic engine is the Linux Foundation-funded shared infrastructure that supports optional fee-based services (accounting, events, marketing, PR, legal, research) consumed by individual projects, with each project setting its own membership dues. Distribution is community-led: prospective consortia initiate contact via email, JDF evaluates fit and assembles the legal entity, and projects then operate semi-independently under their own steering committees. JDF's competitive advantage is a structural one — it is the only organization combining open-source-style collaborative governance with a direct pathway to international ISO/IEC standardization, having achieved six published international standards to date.
Joint Development Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Joint Development Foundation
- Legal name
- Joint Development Foundation Projects, LLC
- Website
- https://jointdevelopment.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Joint Development Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) subsidiary of the Linux Foundation that provides pre-negotiated legal and governance infrastructure for open-standards and open-source consortia. It hosts 36 projects across 10+ verticals with 500+ member organizations and 3,500+ participants, and holds ISO/IEC JTC 1 PAS Submitting Organization status enabling direct international-standard publication.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Joint Development Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Standards Development Organization Services
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Standards Development & Publishing (SDOs, Technical Standards) (MPAJACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Standards Development & Standardization Bodies (BPADANAA), Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)
Keywords
Where Joint Development Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tumwater
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Joint Development Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Project Membership Fees: Each JDF Project sets its own membership dues structure. Projects decide whether to charge fees and how much. JDF provides templates for membership agreements that projects can customize. This is the primary revenue mechanism for projects, not directly for JDF.
- Optional Support Services: Projects can access optional fee-based support capabilities including accounting, management, marketing, PR, events, education, certification, IT, legal, research, and other services. These are provided through the Linux Foundation infrastructure.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project formation at no cost; membership fees determined per project |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Joint Development Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Joint Development Foundation provides rapid-start, out-of-the-box materials and a 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporate wrapper for organizations to form custom-branded open standards and open source consortia. Its core deliverable is pre-negotiated, battle-tested template legal agreements, flexible intellectual property policies, and optional support services that allow multi-party technical collaborations to launch without the years-long legal negotiation typical of consortium formation. JDF also provides a direct pathway from hosted specification work to international standards through its ISO/IEC JTC 1 PAS Submitting Organization status.
Product overview
The Joint Development Foundation (JDF) is a standards development organization that provides a governance framework and legal entity hosting service, not a traditional product company. It offers rapid-start, out-of-the-box materials to create custom-branded non-profit technology consortia, including pre-negotiated template agreements, intellectual property policies, and corporate infrastructure. JDF hosts 39 standards and open source collaboration projects across multiple sectors including technology, identity/security, telecommunications, finance, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, transportation, and media. Key hosted projects include Alliance for Open Media (video codecs), 3MF (3D printing format, ISO/IEC standard), GraphQL (API query language), Decentralized Identity Foundation, Uptane (vehicle software security), C2PA (content provenance), Ultra Ethernet Consortium, Unified Acceleration Foundation (cross-platform acceleration), Alliance for OpenUSD, App Defense Alliance, Margo (edge interoperability), and Overture Maps Foundation. JDF became an ISO/IEC JTC1 PAS Submitting Organization in 2018 and has achieved six ISO/IEC international standard publications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Joint Development Foundation Projects Framework
- 3MF
Quantifiable outcome
- 6 ISO/IEC JTC 1 international standards published, including 3MF File Format Specification Suite
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Joint Development Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Joint Development Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Joint Development Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- ABB (including B&R)coreABB joined as a founding member of Margo, an open standard initiative for edge interoperability in industrial automation. ABB brings expertise in automation systems and digital transformation to enable interoperability across multi-vendor environments.
- Rockwell AutomationcoreRockwell Automation serves as Chair of the Margo Initiative. As founding member, they contribute over 100 years of industrial automation experience to developing open edge interoperability standards for industrial ecosystems.
- Schneider Electric (including AVEVA)coreSchneider Electric joined Margo as a founding member, bringing expertise in energy management and industrial automation. The initiative aligns with their vision for an interoperable and sustainable automation ecosystem.
- SiemenscoreSiemens joined Margo as a founding member, contributing commitment to ecosystem openness through Industrial Operations X and Siemens Industrial Edge. Margo supports extending cross-vendor approaches.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft is a founding member of Margo, aligning Azure Arc and Azure IoT Operations with the initiative to help industrial customers reduce complexity, cost, and time to value for edge solutions.
- CapgeminicoreCapgemini joined Margo as a founding member, bringing expertise in digital engineering to help create the new open standard for industrial automation edge interoperability.
- GooglecoreGoogle partnered with Microsoft and Meta as founding steering committee members for the App Defense Alliance under JDF. The alliance improves app security through industry standards for malware mitigation and app security assessments. Google originally launched the alliance in 2019 and continues partnership under JDF's vendor-neutral structure.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft partnered with Google and Meta as founding steering committee members for the App Defense Alliance under JDF. The alliance drives open collaboration and innovation in app security standards across ecosystems.
- MetacoreMeta partnered with Google and Microsoft as founding steering committee members for the App Defense Alliance under JDF. The alliance strengthens trust and confidence in app safety through open standards that protect users across ecosystems.
- ArmcoreArm joined as a participating organization in the Unified Acceleration Foundation, an evolution of the oneAPI initiative. The foundation delivers an open standard accelerator programming model for cross-platform performance across CPU, GPU, FPGA, and other accelerators.
- IntelcoreIntel is a key participating organization in the Unified Acceleration Foundation. The foundation builds on Intel's oneAPI initiative to create an open, unified programming model for heterogeneous computing architectures.
- Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.coreQualcomm joined the Unified Acceleration Foundation to help build an open source programming model across architectures and vendors, addressing industry needs for flexible open source alternatives enabling diverse hardware requirements.
- Linux FoundationflagshipJDF is a subsidiary of the Linux Foundation, which provides services, staffing, and infrastructure support. JDF became part of the Linux Foundation family in December 2018 to enable greater capabilities for open source and standards development.
- PixarcorePixar co-founded the Alliance for OpenUSD with Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, and NVIDIA to promote standardization, development, and evolution of OpenUSD technology for 3D content description and interchange.
- AdobecoreAdobe joined the Alliance for OpenUSD to support OpenUSD as a common 3D data representation that multiplies value across creative tools and devices.
- ApplecoreApple joined the Alliance for OpenUSD as an active contributor to OpenUSD development. OpenUSD is essential technology for visionOS platform and Reality Composer Pro developer tools.
- AutodeskcoreAutodesk joined the Alliance for OpenUSD to drive 3D interoperability for visual effects, animation, and digital content creation across industry tools.
- NVIDIAcoreNVIDIA co-founded the Alliance for OpenUSD to accelerate OpenUSD collaboration globally by building formal standards across industries for digital content and industrial digitalization.
- AMDcoreAMD is a founding member of the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, working to deliver an open, interoperable, high-performance Ethernet communication stack architecture for AI and HPC workloads.
- AristacoreArista joined the Ultra Ethernet Consortium as a founding member to build a complete Ethernet-based communication stack architecture tailored for AI and HPC at scale.
- BroadcomcoreBroadcom is a founding member of the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, contributing decades of networking expertise to optimize Ethernet for demanding AI and HPC workloads.
- CiscocoreCisco joined the Ultra Ethernet Consortium as a founding member to help build an open, interoperable Ethernet stack for AI and HPC environments.
- HPEcoreHPE is a founding member of the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, contributing high-performance computing expertise to the open Ethernet standard initiative.
- MetacoreMeta joined the Ultra Ethernet Consortium as a founding member to develop open Ethernet standards for AI and HPC workloads at scale.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreAWS co-founded the Overture Maps Foundation with Meta, Microsoft, and TomTom to develop interoperable open map data as a shared asset for mapping services worldwide.
- TomTomcoreTomTom co-founded the Overture Maps Foundation with AWS, Meta, and Microsoft to create reliable, easy-to-use, and interoperable open map data.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Joint Development Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF): A Linux Foundation sub-foundation hosting cloud-native open source projects with vendor-neutral governance, corporate membership, and standards-related working groups. Comparable to JDF in providing legal and operational infrastructure for technology consortia.
- OASIS Open: A nonprofit standards organization that develops open standards through member-driven technical committees with pre-negotiated IP policies. Directly comparable to JDF as a competing SDO offering legal infrastructure for industry consortia to develop formal specifications.
- Eclipse Foundation: A nonprofit foundation hosting open source projects and working groups with corporate membership and standardized legal/IP frameworks. Comparable to JDF in operating a project-hosting model with multiple industry working groups and standards-oriented activities.
- Apache Software Foundation: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that hosts open source software projects under a vendor-neutral governance structure with pre-negotiated IP policies. Directly comparable to JDF in providing legal infrastructure and governance for collaborative technology projects, though focused on code rather than specifications.
- OpenJS Foundation: A Linux Foundation sub-project that hosts JavaScript ecosystem projects with vendor-neutral governance and corporate membership. Directly comparable to JDF as a sibling project-hosting entity under the LF umbrella with similar member-funded structure.
- Object Management Group (OMG): A nonprofit standards consortium developing vendor-neutral specifications across industries with member-funded governance. Comparable to JDF as an SDO providing consortium infrastructure for collaborative technical specification development.
Broad incumbents
- Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF): An open standards organization developing internet protocols and architectures through volunteer working groups. Comparable to JDF as an established SDO producing technical specifications with global industry participation.
- IEEE Standards Association: A major international standards body producing consensus-based standards across technology industries through corporate and individual membership. Comparable to JDF as a competing pathway for organizations seeking to develop and publish internationally recognized technical standards.
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): An international standards organization for the World Wide Web, developing open web standards through member-driven working groups. Comparable to JDF in function (SDO producing technical specifications) but with a much broader scope and longer history.
- Linux Foundation: The parent organization of JDF and a major umbrella foundation hosting hundreds of open source projects across the technology stack. Comparable as the broader incumbent ecosystem within which JDF operates, providing shared services, events, and infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Joint Development Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceJoint Development Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Joint Development Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Joint Development Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries14 records
Joint Development Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Joint Development 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 Joint Development Foundation
What does Joint Development Foundation do?
Joint Development Foundation provides rapid-start, out-of-the-box materials and a 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporate wrapper for organizations to form custom-branded open standards and open source consortia. Its core deliverable is pre-negotiated, battle-tested template legal agreements, flexible intellectual property policies, and optional support services that allow multi-party technical collaborations to launch without the years-long legal negotiation typical of consortium formation. JDF also provides a direct pathway from hosted specification work to international standards through its ISO/IEC JTC 1 PAS Submitting Organization status.
Is Joint Development Foundation a public or private company?
Joint Development Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Joint Development Foundation founded?
Joint Development Foundation was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Joint Development Foundation based?
Joint Development Foundation is headquartered in Tumwater, United States, in the North America region.
How does Joint Development Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Project Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are optional Support Services.
Who are Joint Development Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), OASIS Open, Eclipse Foundation, Apache Software Foundation, OpenJS Foundation and Object Management Group (OMG). Broad incumbents are Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), IEEE Standards Association, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Linux Foundation.
Does Joint Development Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Joint Development Foundation.
What industry is Joint Development Foundation in?
Joint Development Foundation's product category is Standards Development Organization Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJACAB, Standards Development & Publishing (SDOs, Technical Standards), with a secondary code of BPADANAA, International Standards Development & Standardization Bodies. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.