How we monetize our open-source products at Zama

Zama, a startup focused on cryptographic solutions, advocates for the principle of transparency in security through open-source practices, opposing security by obscurity. The company is dedicated to making the internet safer by encrypting all data end-to-end and believes that open-source approaches can enhance software security, foster community-driven innovation, and build customer trust. Zama argues that open-source and monetization are not mutually exclusive, citing successful models from industry giants like MongoDB and Elastic Search that combine revenue streams such as support, hosting, proprietary features, and dual licensing. Zama has chosen the BSD3-clear dual licensing model to allow free non-commercial use of its software while monetizing through commercial licenses, enabling the company to remain independent and invest in privacy-preserving technologies. The company encourages collaboration and aims to influence a shift towards more open-source adoption in critical infrastructures to reduce risks associated with unaudited, opaque code.