HeroDevs, a provider of security and compliance solutions for deprecated open source software, has announced the $20 million Open Source Sustainability Fund to financially support open source maintainers and improve end-of-life (EOL) software practices. The fund aims to tackle the growing cybersecurity threat posed by outdated open source libraries commonly used in modern enterprise applications.

The initiative will directly benefit project creators who follow secure EOL processes and is designed to reduce pressure on organizations that struggle to keep pace with rapid open source release cycles. The fund builds on HeroDevs’ Never-Ending Support (NES) model, which delivers long-term security updates for deprecated versions of widely used open source software.

Key goals of the fund include driving innovation in core infrastructure technologies, promoting standardization of EOL planning, and improving cybersecurity across enterprise systems. HeroDevs has already contributed over $4 million to open source maintainers and projects since 2021, including more than $2 million in 2024 alone.

“Open source is the foundation of virtually every application and service we use today—it runs the world. It deserves the same long-term investment, reliability, and accountability as any other enterprise infrastructure,” said Aaron Frost, CEO and founder of HeroDevs. “Open source creators shouldn’t have to choose between their life and their legacy. HeroDevs’ Open Source Sustainability Fund represents our gratitude to the community that raised us and concrete action to support the creators who passionately develop and freely give away the software that runs the digital world. We’re excited to give back to this community and ensure the long-term health of the open source ecosystem.”

With EOL software accounting for nearly half of vulnerabilities in enterprise systems, and open source usage accelerating due to AI adoption, HeroDevs’ new fund is being hailed as a timely step toward a more sustainable and secure open source ecosystem.