FOSSA, an open-source compliance and security platform, has acquired StackShare, a developer community platform with 1.5 million registered users. This acquisition aims to enhance FOSSA’s offerings in open-source risk management, which includes solutions for license scanning, compliance automation, and vulnerability management. By integrating StackShare, FOSSA seeks to foster a safer software supply chain and provide businesses with the tools they need for secure and compliant development.
FOSSA is known for its dependency command-line interface analysis tool, which has been downloaded over 1.75 million times and has raised more than $38 million in funding. StackShare, launched in 2014, has created a community for developers to engage in discussions about developer and security tools, accumulating more than 1 million stack profiles and reaching over 40 million developers. This vibrant community aligns with FOSSA’s commitment to addressing the evolving landscape of developer tools and security challenges.
Kevin Wang, FOSSA’s CEO, emphasized the importance of community in navigating the complexities of developer tools, especially as the industry experiences rapid changes. He highlighted the need for developers to share expertise and insights regarding toolchains, which are often adopted in a fragmented manner. The acquisition aims to enhance collaboration and discussion among developers, helping them to tackle the vulnerabilities and exploits that threaten their work, particularly concerning supply chain attacks.
FOSSA intends to leverage StackShare’s community to create a public knowledge base for software supply chain metadata. The integration will focus on Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) formats, which help keep track of software origins and integrations. Wang believes that broad access to developer expertise is vital for adapting to shifting industry standards, and the partnership between FOSSA and StackShare presents a significant opportunity to contribute to the collective knowledge in the open-source community.
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