Genode Labs

Norman Feske co-founded Genode Labs in 2008 together with fellow Genode architect Christian Helmuth. “In 2003,” he recalls, “we formed a vague idea of a new operating-system technology designed and implemented from the ground up with the vision of a truly trustworthy and resilient OS.” In 2006 they created a first prototype at university. “It blew our minds!” Norman reveals. “Once we saw its enormous potential, we could not unsee it. We just had to bring those ideas to the real world. Hence, in 2008, we formed the company Genode Labs in our hometown Dresden in Germany.” A few months later, Genode was publicly announced as an open-source project. “We went on with combining our completely new system structure with microkernels, capability-based security, sandboxed device drivers and virtual machines. Over the past decade, it has steadily evolved from the once obscure research prototype to a product that scales from embedded systems to commodity PC hardware.”

The root of the problem

Committed to the open-source community and our customers alike, the Genode Labs business model combines consulting with dual licensing. “Our starting point was a technological vision formed over several years prior to starting the company. We observed that all popular commodity operating systems rest on assumptions that are no longer valid. Their foundation was laid decades ago, at a time when programs and networked computers were designed for smooth collaboration, not mutual distrust. Today, any device – once connected to the internet – finds itself in a hostile environment. When confronted with malware or cyberattacks, users intuitively call for defensive measures. But those measures remain largely reactive: timely software updates, virus scanners, intrusion detection. They do not attack the root of the problem,” Norman stresses.

“Business-wise, we retain a sharp focus on base technology, not solutions. This allows us to stay small, efficient, frictionless. With a tight-knit team of less than 12, the company is still rather tiny. Even though we are not looking to increase the headcount of our team, we are trying to foster the growth of Genode as a technology and ecosystem by working together with distinct solution providers that leverage the commercial license of our technology for their respective markets.”

Breaking the mould

In terms of the operating systems that prevail in the market, Norman regards these as rather conservative. “They cling on to notions that were established decades ago. For example, the Linux kernel has become ubiquitous. It is familiar and time-tested. But it is hardly innovative. Many people regard infrastructure such as operating systems as a problem solved. Innovation in this space – if it happens at all – is presumably conducted by large corporations like Google, Apple or Microsoft. This must be challenged. We have made this our mission.”