A truly open web browser 'Ladybird' that is free from all constraints and develops its own browser engine from scratch without receiving money from Google has raised over 160 million yen from the founder of GitHub
GitHub founder
Announcing the Ladybird Browser Initiative
https://ladybird.org/announcement.html
Shared post - Ladybird Web Browser becomes a non-profit with $1 Million from GitHub Founder
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/5812560/ladybird-web-browser-becomes-a-non-profit-with-1-million-from-github-founder
The Ladybird Browser Initiative is a non-profit organization formed to build an entirely new web browser from scratch. While some argue that developing a new web browser from scratch is impossible, the founders of The Ladybird Browser Initiative believe it is possible. Furthermore, The Ladybird Browser Initiative is confident that it can build a browser from scratch without funding from corporate deals or advertising revenue.
The Ladybird Browser Initiative is developing a web browser called 'Ladybird,' with a fully functional alpha release planned for 2026.
Ladybird
https://ladybird.org/
Ladybird raised $100,000 (approximately 16 million yen) in funding from its first major sponsor, Shopify, in 2023. Now, with funding from Wanstrath and the launch of the nonprofit The Ladybird Browser Initiative, Ladybird is steadily preparing to become the only major web browser that does not make a profit by selling personal information collected from users.
The Ladybird Browser Initiative told journalist Brian Landuke, 'Today, all major browser engines are open source, and that's great. But there's one problem: all of the major browsers are funded by Google advertising. Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, and Opera are all based on Google's Chromium . Apple has received billions of dollars to make Google Search the default search engine in Safari, and Firefox has a similar deal. In other words, the world needs a web browser that puts users first, uses modern browser engines, is open standards, and isn't influenced by advertising.' The group has issued a statement calling for a web browser that isn't influenced by Google.
Instead of selling users' personal information or earning revenue from advertising, the Ladybird Browser Initiative plans to raise funds through sponsorships from companies and individuals interested in an open web. The Ladybird Browser Initiative explains, 'As a nonprofit, we do not pursue any corporate transactions or revenue beyond unlimited donations. Our software and source code will be available free of charge, forever.'
In fact, the source code for Ladybird, currently under development, is available on GitHub.
GitHub - LadybirdBrowser/ladybird: Truly independent web browser
https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird
While relying on donations for the majority of its funding seems like a very unstable approach, Ladybird has a track record of raising large amounts of money, and Wanstrath's $1 million will be donated to The Ladybird Browser Initiative. The Ladybird Browser Initiative already employs four full-time developers and plans to hire three more programmers.
'Ladybird has declared that it will not pursue any business transactions or revenue other than unlimited donations,' and will not enter into any agreement to make Google the default search engine. Therefore, if Ladybird can stick to its claims, it will likely achieve a truly independent web browser, one that is not controlled by any company,' Landuque points out.
In addition, the Ladybird Browser Initiative has a policy that corporate donors cannot purchase seats on its board of directors. Many nonprofits initially set high ideals, but their boards are often dominated by corporations, leading to a backlash against their ideals. 'It's great that Ladybird has taken steps to prevent this from happening,' said Landuke, who has seen many nonprofits start out with lofty ideals but then let corporate control take over their boards, leading to a backlash against their ideals.
Although the alpha release is scheduled for 'sometime in 2026,' the Ladybird Browser Initiative says the development version is already well advanced. 'We already use Ladybird for some of our everyday web browsing, including managing GitHub issues and pull requests and commenting on Hacker News,' the group says. 'Our community of contributors is actively fixing bugs and adding features, so the browser is improving every day.' The group emphasizes that development is progressing smoothly.
One of the developers, Kling, said, 'The web is one of mankind's greatest inventions, and to truly thrive, it needs diverse and competing implementations. This industry has been heading in a problematic direction for years, with companies like Microsoft and Opera abandoning their own browser engines and adopting Chromium. Of course, we don't have the resources of Google, Apple, or Mozilla, so development will take time. But I'm very optimistic about the road ahead. Ladybird has a great developer community and is making steady progress. One of our strengths is our focus. Unlike major companies, we are completely focused on one thing: the web browser. We're not going to chase trends or look for another source of income. Our goal is to build a great browser, distribute it for free, and raise donations from people who support our efforts. '
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• Discord | 'Do you think the development project for the Ladybird browser, which uses a completely new browser engine, will be successful?' | GIGAZINE
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Ladybird finally meets Apple's criteria for being recognized as an 'alternative browser engine' on iOS - GIGAZINE
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in Software, Posted by logu_ii