Who owns GitHub? GitHub is owned by Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft acquired GitHub on October 26, 2018, in a deal valued at $7.5 billion. GitHub is a web-based platform for version control and collaboration, allowing developers to work together on projects, manage repositories, and contribute to open-source projects.
Company History
GitHub is a web-based platform that provides hosting for software development and source code management using Git. It was founded in April 2008 by Tom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, and PJ Hyett. Initially, GitHub was a privately held company that was owned by its founders and investors.
Over the years, the company gained significant popularity and attracted various investors. Some of the notable investments included a $100 million Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz in 2012 and a $250 million Series B round from Sequoia Capital, Institutional Venture Partners, Thrive Capital, and other investors in 2015. The ownership of GitHub changed significantly on June 4, 2018, when Microsoft announced that it had acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion in an all-stock deal.
The acquisition was completed on October 26, 2018, and since then, GitHub has been a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation. Nat Friedman, a Microsoft corporate vice president, was appointed as GitHub’s CEO, succeeding Chris Wanstrath. In summary, GitHub was initially owned by its founders and various investors, but the company is now a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation.
Who was the original founder?
GitHub was originally founded in April 2008 by Tom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, and PJ Hyett. Tom Preston-Werner played a significant role in starting the company and shaping its vision. Tom Preston-Werner, born on October 28, 1979, in Dubuque, Iowa, is a software developer and entrepreneur.
He studied at the University of Iowa and majored in computer science and physics but did not complete his degree. Before founding GitHub, Preston-Werner worked at Powerset, a natural language search engine company which was eventually acquired by Microsoft. He also co-founded Gravatar, a global avatar hosting service, which was later acquired by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.
The idea for GitHub came into existence when Tom Preston-Werner and Chris Wanstrath were exploring better ways for developers to collaborate, especially on open-source projects, which led to the creation of a user-friendly platform that leverages the Git version control system. The platform aimed to simplify the collaborative software development process and to provide efficient code hosting and sharing services for developers worldwide. Since its founding, GitHub has grown exponentially and has become an essential platform for millions of developers and organizations across the globe.
In 2018, Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion, and Nat Friedman became the CEO of the company.
FAQ Section: Who Owns GitHub?
1. Who owns GitHub currently?
As of June 2018, GitHub is owned by Microsoft Corporation, a multinational technology company based in the United States.
2. When was GitHub founded?
GitHub was founded in April 2008 by Tom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, and PJ Hyett.
3. What is the primary function of GitHub?
GitHub is a web-based platform that provides version control and source code management (SCM) to developers using Git. It offers collaboration features for teams, private and public repositories, and tools for running software development workflows.
4. What is a repository in GitHub?
A repository, or repo, is a storage space for your project to live, containing all the files and folders associated with a specific project, including the project’s version history. Repositories can be public, making them available for anyone to view and contribute, or private, restricting access to select users.
5. Is GitHub free to use?
Yes, GitHub offers free plans for individuals and teams. Free users can access unlimited public and private repositories, with unlimited collaborators. However, some advanced features like team access controls and additional security features are only available in paid plans.
6. What are the alternatives to GitHub?
Some popular alternatives to GitHub include GitLab, Bitbucket, SourceForge, and Gitea. Each platform offers its unique set of features and services tailored to meet the needs of different users in the software development community.
Sources for More Information
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