Backing Open-Source Innovation: The POSS Fund 2024

PRISMA continues its support for the open-source community with the POSS Fund 2024, contributing more than $8.000 to projects, to support both critical tools and community-driven initiatives that make a real difference in the industry.

Open-source software is the backbone of modern tech, powering everything from everyday applications to critical infrastructure systems. At PRISMA, we recognize the pivotal role that open-source projects play in advancing innovation and safeguarding the stability of key industries, especially in sectors like Europe’s energy market, where our gas capacity management platform operates. This is why we’re proud to continue the PRISMA Open Source Software Fund (POSS) in 2024 — an initiative dedicated to providing essential financial support to open-source projects that drive progress across the tech landscape.

The Critical Tier: Supporting the Tools We Rely On

At PRISMA, the Critical Tier is all about supporting the open-source tools that are integral to our development work. These projects are not just useful, but also essential — we rely on them extensively, and their continued development is vital to our success. By funding these projects, we help ensure they remain secure, up-to-date, and compatible with the ever-evolving tech landscape. Crucially, these tools should have a proven track record and must not already be financially supported by larger corporations.

Floating-UI: Crafting Adaptive, Accessible UI Elements

Floating-UI simplifies the creation of adaptive, responsive UI elements like tooltips, popovers, and dropdowns. This tool enables developers to build consistent and user-friendly experiences across different screen sizes and devices. With $2,000 in support, we’re helping Floating-UI maintain its vital role in crafting intuitive user interfaces.

Ariakit: Building Accessible, Interactive Web Components

Ariakit is a toolkit for building unstyled, interactive web components designed with accessibility in mind. It empowers developers to create inclusive web applications with ease, adhering to accessibility standards and best practices. With a $4,000 sponsorship, we are investing in this key resource to help make the web more accessible for all users.

New in 2024, the Community Tier brings PRISMA employees together to identify and support open-source projects that are vital to fostering and sustaining vibrant communities. Through collective collaboration, we provide a small but meaningful contribution to help these communities thrive and make a lasting impact.

Haecksen: Promoting Diversity in Germany’s Tech Community

Haecksen is a community initiative working to make Germany’s tech industry more diverse and inclusive, especially for women, non-binary, and trans individuals. With our $650 sponsorship, we’re helping Haecksen create safe spaces where marginalized groups can thrive and connect with like-minded tech enthusiasts.

In 2022, PRISMA took an important step to give back to the open-source community that supports our platform. Open-source software forms the foundation of PRISMA’s technology stack and plays a crucial role in the digital infrastructure of Europe’s energy sector.

While large corporations like Microsoft and Google support high-profile open-source projects, many others are driven by passionate individuals working in their spare time. As these projects grow, the strain on maintainers increases — leading to burnout, unaddressed issues, and stagnation. This presents a significant risk to companies like PRISMA, which rely on these projects for critical functionality.

The POSS Fund was created to help prevent these risks by providing consistent, ongoing financial support to open-source projects. This initiative ensures that important tools and libraries continue to evolve without the pressure of burnout, helping to maintain the stability and security of the software we all rely on.

To learn more about the origins of the POSS Fund and our inaugural recipients, check out our 2022 announcement.