HeroDevs Launches $20 Million Sustainability Fund for Open Source Creators to Secure End-of-life Software

The Open Source Sustainability Fund will fuel continued best practices for deprecated open source software and reinforces company's commitment to maintainers managing critical vulnerabilities

Open source creators can sign up for updates now, ahead of the program's July 22, 2025 launch date, to claim their share of the funds

SALT LAKE CITY, June 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HeroDevs, a leading provider of security and compliance solutions for deprecated open source software, today announced its Open Source Sustainability Fund, giving $20 million to directly support open source creators, projects, and maintainers that follow end-of-life (EOL) best practices. The fund addresses the growing security crisis posed by end-of-life open source libraries, which are common threat vectors for data breaches and other cyberattacks, endangering critical technologies that power the modern digital economy. The Sustainability Fund is designed to benefit open source creators, support the development of underfunded projects, and ensure the long-term sustainability of critical technologies used by nearly every enterprise worldwide.

When popular open source projects reach EOL, organizations face a difficult choice—undertake costly migrations, or continue running deprecated software that could contain critical security vulnerabilities. HeroDevs aims to solve this through its new Sustainability Fund, which will financially support maintainers who thoughtfully plan and communicate EOL milestones, in addition to its Never-Ending Support (NES) solutions that provide security updates for deprecated versions of dozens of popular open source software. The Sustainability Fund is a $20 million investment dedicated to open source and the people consuming it, committing to:

• Fund the further development and innovation of core open source technologies that modern infrastructure depends on
• Help move the open source community toward standardization of how EOL milestones are planned and communicated
• Provide better optionality for organizations that struggle to keep up to date with rapid open source release cycles but must maintain high cybersecurity standards

This program for open source creators reflects HeroDevs' continued commitment and investment in the open source community, as demonstrated by the company's sponsorship of the GitHub Secure Open Source Fund and Open Source Pledge. HeroDevs already donates a portion of its revenue from its Never-Ending Support (NES) solutions back into the open source ecosystem. Since 2021, HeroDevs has donated over $4 million in total and in 2024 donated over $2 million—all given to project creators and maintainers.

"Open source is the foundation of virtually every application and service we use today—it runs the world. It deserves the same long-term investment, reliability, and accountability as any other enterprise infrastructure," said Aaron Frost, CEO and founder of HeroDevs. "Open source creators shouldn't have to choose between their life and their legacy. HeroDevs' Open Source Sustainability Fund represents our gratitude to the community that raised us and concrete action to support the creators who passionately develop and freely give away the software that runs the digital world. We're excited to give back to this community and ensure the long-term health of the open source ecosystem."

Open source has grown exponentially due to AI adoption, with the number of open source components in the average commercial codebase tripling over the past four years. 86% of codebases contain software with known vulnerabilities and 48% of all vulnerabilities found on enterprise systems were from EOL software. Adhering to EOL best practices is essential to securing software stacks within the enterprise. The Sustainability Fund is the lynchpin to ensure open source software remains secure throughout its lifecycle.

The Sustainability Fund has garnered support from prominent figures across the open source community who recognize the critical need for secure EOL practices.

"HeroDevs is critical to the stability and security of our web applications," said Robin Bender Ginn, Executive Director at OpenJS Foundation. "We're proud to be partners as HeroDevs makes this intentional investment dedicated to the open source community, so more creators have the resources needed to push the boundaries of the future of open source."

"In the tech landscape, security and compliance across legacy systems are ongoing challenges that developers and IT decision makers juggle daily," said Tim Doyle, CEO at Drupal Association. "As a company, knowing your framework is maintained and secure—even after you move to your next version—is invaluable. We value our partnership with HeroDevs to safeguard EOL versions, and we're excited about the opportunities this Open Source Sustainability Fund will generate within our community."

Application Process and Eligibility

Accepted applicants of The Open Source Sustainability Fund will receive between $2,500 and $250,000 in donations. To be accepted, applicants must demonstrate strong community adoption and traction, show their commitment to following security best practices when announcing and conducting EOL motions for their project, and agree to the Sustainability Fund's requirements. To apply for funding and to learn more about the fund, visit herodevs.com/sustainability-fund.

Applications will officially open on July 22, 2025. Open source creators can join the waitlist to receive further updates on the Fund.

About HeroDevs
HeroDevs is the trusted leader in providing secure, never-ending support for deprecated open-source software. The company's mission is to keep these critical technologies running smoothly, securely, and in compliance long after their official end-of-life. From AngularJS to .NET, HeroDevs Never-Ending Support (NES) solutions give businesses the freedom to plan migrations on their terms while staying protected against vulnerabilities and compliance risks.

Serving industries where security and uptime are non-negotiable, including finance, healthcare, and government, HeroDevs has earned the trust of over 900 companies, including nearly half of the Fortune 100. With a team of open-source experts, proactive vulnerability remediation, and enterprise-grade support, HeroDevs empowers organizations to keep moving forward without disruption.

SOURCE HeroDevs