# Hacking Funding for XWiki and CryptPad > [! note]- > The content of this page is generated by audio/video transcription and text transformation from the content and links of this source. Source: [https://fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event/fosdem-2025-4601-20-years-of-hacking-the-funding-of-xwiki-and-cryptpad/](https://fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event/fosdem-2025-4601-20-years-of-hacking-the-funding-of-xwiki-and-cryptpad/) <video src="https://video.fosdem.org/2025/k3601/fosdem-2025-4601-20-years-of-hacking-the-funding-of-xwiki-and-cryptpad.av1.webm" controls></video> ## Summary & Highlights: This session at FOSDEM 2025 explores the financial journey of XWiki and CryptPad over 20 years. The presentation by Ludovic Dubost highlights the economic and financial challenges faced by open source projects when competing with well-funded proprietary software. It discusses various funding strategies, including service-based revenue, community contributions, and the importance of maintaining digital sovereignty. The session emphasizes the need for a supportive open source community and the role of innovative business models in achieving financial sustainability. **Introduction to XWiki and CryptPad** Ludovic Dubost, founder and CEO of XWiki, introduces the session by discussing his extensive background in internet technologies and his journey from working at Netscape to founding XWiki. He highlights the importance of open source for knowledge management and digital sovereignty. **Financial Challenges in Open Source** The session delves into the financial hurdles faced by open source projects like XWiki and CryptPad. Dubost explains that the primary challenge is not technical but financial, requiring innovative business models to sustain development while respecting user freedom and privacy. **Innovative Funding Strategies** Dubost outlines various strategies employed by XWiki and CryptPad to secure funding, including leveraging community contributions, offering paid extensions, and maintaining a service-oriented business model. He discusses the impact of competitor pricing on their customer base and the importance of recurring revenue. **Community and Ecosystem Contributions** The session emphasizes the role of community support in open source success. Dubost introduces the FOSS Fund initiative, where XWiki contributes a portion of its revenue to support other open source projects, highlighting the importance of giving back to the ecosystem. **Future Outlook and Digital Sovereignty** Dubost concludes by discussing the growing importance of digital sovereignty in Europe and the opportunities it presents for open source projects. He stresses the need for continuous product improvement and collaboration with other open source initiatives to enhance software competitiveness. ## Importance for an eco-social transformation The session underscores the importance of financial sustainability in open source projects for eco-social transformation. It highlights how open source software can promote digital sovereignty, privacy, and community empowerment. Eco-social designers can apply these insights by adopting open source tools like XWiki and CryptPad that prioritize user freedom and privacy. Challenges include navigating financial constraints and fostering community involvement. Politically, there is a need for policies supporting open source funding and digital sovereignty to reduce dependency on proprietary solutions. ## Slides: | | | | --- | --- | | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_001.jpg\|300]] | The slide introduces the session focused on the financial journey of XWiki and CryptPad over 20 years, presented by Ludovic Dubost, founder and CEO. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_002.jpg\|300]] | Ludovic Dubost shares his professional background, including his work at Netscape and the founding of XWiki, emphasizing his preference for building open source software. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_003.jpg\|300]] | XWiki SAS is introduced as an independent, self-funded company with significant revenue growth and a commitment to digital sovereignty, offering open source software and services. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_004.jpg\|300]] | The early years of XWiki's development are discussed, focusing on initial challenges and strategies for establishing the company. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_005.jpg\|300]] | The slide explores various funding models for open source projects, highlighting the balance between speed, independence, and sustainability. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_006.jpg\|300]] | Dubost questions the role of investors and emphasizes that money should be a means to an end, not the ultimate goal. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_007.jpg\|300]] | The first five years of XWiki are characterized by leveraging open source communities, innovation, and public funding to establish a sustainable business model. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_008.jpg\|300]] | The slide discusses the financial growth of XWiki, highlighting the importance of achieving recurring revenue to sustain the business. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_009.jpg\|300]] | XWiki's core values are presented, emphasizing a product-centered approach and the importance of community and customer satisfaction. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_010.jpg\|300]] | Dubost stresses the need for a competitive product and strategic revenue allocation to ensure open source success. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_011.jpg\|300]] | The slide highlights the importance of support revenue in sustaining open source projects. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_012.jpg\|300]] | XWiki's focus on service projects, international sales, and research funding during its growth phase is discussed. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_013.jpg\|300]] | The slide shows the progressive increase in product and recurring revenue, essential for XWiki's financial stability. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_014.jpg\|300]] | Dubost discusses the competitive challenges posed by closed source competitors like Atlassian Confluence. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_015.jpg\|300]] | A challenging period for XWiki is outlined, with slow product revenue growth and the need for service clients to sustain operations. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_016.jpg\|300]] | The period of financial stagnation is addressed, emphasizing the need to find service clients to supplement revenue. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_017.jpg\|300]] | XWiki's transition to a model of paid open source extensions is discussed, along with pricing strategies to reward long-term clients. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_018.jpg\|300]] | The launch of CryptPad as part of a research project in 2016 is highlighted, along with its funding strategy. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_019.jpg\|300]] | XWiki's financial recovery is discussed, driven by changes in competitor pricing and a renewed focus on client needs. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_020.jpg\|300]] | Atlassian's pricing changes and push to cloud services create opportunities for XWiki to attract clients seeking alternatives. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_021.jpg\|300]] | The importance of digital sovereignty is emphasized, with XWiki participating in European projects to promote open source solutions. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_022.jpg\|300]] | The long-term value of open source is highlighted, with a focus on client funding as the best source of financial sustainability. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_023.jpg\|300]] | | | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_024.jpg\|300]] | CryptPad's funding challenges are discussed, emphasizing the need for sustainable revenue through donations and subscriptions. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_025.jpg\|300]] | The slide discusses the challenges of attracting enterprise clients and the importance of marketing and dedicated business development. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_026.jpg\|300]] | Funding opportunities through the Next Generation Internet and NLnet programs are highlighted, emphasizing their suitability for open source projects. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_027.jpg\|300]] | The potential of donations and crowdfunding for funding open source projects like CryptPad is discussed, with examples of successful campaigns. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_028.jpg\|300]] | XWiki's FOSS Fund initiative is introduced, highlighting the importance of giving back to the open source community. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_029.jpg\|300]] | A thank you to the XWiki team and clients is extended, emphasizing their role in supporting open source work. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/20-Years-of-Hacking-the-Funding-of-XWiki-and-Crypt/preview_030.jpg\|300]] | The session concludes with contact information for Ludovic Dubost and an invitation for questions. ## Links [Slides](https://fosdem.org/2025/events/attachments/fosdem-2025-4601-20-years-of-hacking-the-funding-of-xwiki-and-cryptpad/slides/238452/FOSDEM-25_oKohxQK.pdf) [Video recording (AV1/WebM)](https://video.fosdem.org/2025/k3601/fosdem-2025-4601-20-years-of-hacking-the-funding-of-xwiki-and-cryptpad.av1.webm) [Video recording (MP4)](https://video.fosdem.org/2025/k3601/fosdem-2025-4601-20-years-of-hacking-the-funding-of-xwiki-and-cryptpad.av1.mp4)