Linux Startups

Linode is a cloud computing platform founded by Chris in 2003 that provided affordable server hosting before AWS existed. Bootstrapped with no outside funding, the company grew quietly from single-digit hundreds of thousands of dollars in year two to over $100 million in revenue by the time of its acquisition. Chris maintained 100% ownership throughout and kept the company lean with heavy automation and exceptional customer service, eventually selling to Akamai for $900 million in cash.

AstroPrint is an IoT platform for the 3D printing industry, often called the "Android of 3D printing." Founded in 2013 and pivoted in 2014, the company makes 3D printers easy to operate and connects them to a cloud-based app store ecosystem. With $150,000 in 2015 revenue and $400,000 raised, they're pursuing a B2B licensing model targeting printer manufacturers and major brands, projecting $500,000 in 2016 revenue.

Carbon Black is a cybersecurity SaaS company that protects endpoints (laptops, desktops, servers) against advanced threats by monitoring device activity and enabling attack replay and remediation. Under Patrick Morley's 10+ year leadership, the company scaled from ~$100k ARR with 20 employees to nearly $200M ARR with 4,300 customers including 35-36 of the Fortune 100, having raised $191M before going public in May 2018. The company charges approximately $30 per device per year and has built a subscription model with strong retention focus, ultimately achieving a $1.57B market cap.

Shopinpal, founded in 2014 by Shuram Shubhamanian, provides data migration and system integration services for small retailers moving to the cloud. The company operates on a hybrid model combining custom development fees (currently 70% of revenue, targeting under 20% by March) with recurring SaaS subscription revenue. With 153 paying customers spanning 1000+ locations globally, Shopinpal has grown to ~$20k MRR in pure SaaS revenue and expects to hit $1M ARR by July.