Commercial Open Source Startup Alliance
We Accelerate Commercial Open Source for Founders and Investors
A new generation of founders is building the future on open source. They need more than a neutral repository for their code; they need a fiercely pro-entrepreneurial foundation for their business. COSSA is that foundation. We provide the playbook, the capital, and the structure to help you build an iconic company without compromising your community.
Stop Guessing. Start Building.
The Discipline of Commercial Open Source
COSSA convenes the world's experts who build commercial open source companies. We are here to help open source startups get off the ground and build sustainable businesses with valuable communities. COSSA provides the shared data, standards, and capital connections to transform that art into a structured, repeatable discipline.
Authoritative
Intelligence
We are building the system of record for the commercial open source ecosystem. Through landmark research and the COSS Data Commons, we replace fragmented signals with market-wide intelligence, empowering founders and investors to make decisions with confidence.
Playbooks for Founder Success
Brilliant projects deserve enduring businesses. Our Founder Forge, Mentor Council, and actionable Playbooks codify the institutional knowledge of the ecosystem's most successful leaders into actionable guides and courses, turning raw innovation into predictable success.
Aligned Capital and a Shared Future
We connect elite founders with smart capital that understands the COSS model. Our Investor Council and curated events create a high-trust marketplace designed to accelerate deal flow and guidance, creating a structured, high-velocity pipeline.
Built for Entrepreneurs
The Founder's Foundation
COSSA is an active, opinionated, and fiercely pro-entrepreneurial institution designed specifically for the most ambitious commercial open source startups. We provide the governance, services, and capital connections to de-risk the startup journey.
Founder's Forge: COSS Know-How
We help brilliant COSS founders become world-class leaders. The Founder's Forge provides essential guidance through proven playbooks, an elite mentor and advisory council, and intensive cohort programs that prepare founders for hyper-growth.
Capital Connector: Engineering High-Velocity Investment
We streamline traditional networking with a structured, high-trust ecosystem designed to help deals get done. Through exclusive summits, curated deal flow, and authoritative benchmarks, we connect elite founders with capital that understands the COSS model.
Foundation Launchpad: The Bridge to Neutral Governance
Traditional foundations are not built for early-stage startups. Our Launchpad provides a predictable, startup-friendly path that maintains founder optionality in the early days, curing towards neutral governance only when the business is de-risked and the project is mature.
A Thriving Ecosystem
Built by Founders, Backed by Investors
COSSA unites the two sides of the COSS ecosystem in a single, powerful flywheel. We recognize that the success of one is inextricably linked to the success of the other. By providing founders with the tools to build sustainable businesses, we create higher-quality investment opportunities for our investors. In turn, that smart capital provides founders with the fuel they need to innovate and scale. The ecosystem thrives.
Built for Action
For Founders
Gain access to the three things you need most: a playbook that works, mentorship from those who have done it before, and direct connections to investors who are ready to write checks. We provide the tools and network to help you build an enduring enterprise without sacrificing your community.
Built for Business
For Investors
Stop navigating a chaotic landscape of fragmented signals. Our Investor Council gets exclusive access to vetted deal flow, authoritative benchmarks, and proprietary data from the COSS Data Commons. We provide the intelligence engine to de-risk investments and generate superior returns.
Help us Deliver
COSSA is a bootstrapped project that seeks to strengthen the entire commercial open source ecosystem by being a catalyst to connect capital to promising projects and initiatives. We are seeking mentors and instructors, We are also seeking donors and funders.