WILMINGTON, DE — The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) has released its annual report for fiscal year 2025, underscoring the organization’s growing influence in shaping digital infrastructure and global software policy.
Open Source as Critical Infrastructure
ASF President Ruth Suehle said open source has moved far beyond side projects to become “the backbone of global digital infrastructure.” She noted the foundation’s commitment to investing in scalable infrastructure, modern tools, and the diverse community that sustains open source.
Global Policy and Regulatory Impact
Over the past year, the ASF played an active role in shaping European Union legislation, including the Cyber Resilience Act, Product Liability Directive, and AI Act. Through its participation in the Open Regulatory Compliance Working Group, alongside more than 25 organizations, the ASF worked to align global standards for secure software development.
Strengthening Developer Tools and Security
To improve internal operations, the ASF created a new Vice President of Tooling role and launched the Tooling Initiatives fundraising model. These efforts will support strategic upgrades to developer tools, reinforce project security, and ensure compliance with international regulations such as the EU’s CRA and U.S. CISA guidance.
Community and Project Growth
Five projects graduated to top-level status during the year: Apache Answer, Apache DataFusion, Apache SDAP, Apache StreamPark, and Apache Uniffle. At the same time, nine new projects entered the incubator, including Apache Grails, Apache OpenServerless, and Apache Texera. Nine legacy projects were retired to the Attic.
The foundation also began refreshing its logo and brand identity to reflect its long-standing principle of “community over code.” A new newsletter, Plus One, was launched to increase transparency and build stronger connections across the ASF ecosystem.
FY25 by the Numbers
- 1,147 members contributing sustained work across ASF projects
- 9,905 committers active across 295 projects
- 1,310 software releases issued
- 208 committees supporting ASF initiatives
- 65 corporate sponsors backing innovation
- 32 incubating projects in development
- 1,670 attendees from 21 countries at Community Over Code events
A Look Ahead
As the foundation prepares for the transition to emerging global standards and heightened cybersecurity requirements, Suehle emphasized the resilience of ASF’s decentralized, community-first model. With a global membership and nearly 10,000 active committers, the organization remains central to ensuring open source continues to drive technological progress for the public good.
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