Sovereign Tech Agency: Investing in the infrastructure of the 21st century
We are securing open digital infrastructure as the foundation for a future-oriented economy and modern society
Digital sovereignty empowers us to shape our own future. This requires more than simply using digital technologies; we need to actively be part of building them - to be independent, secure, and competitive.
The foundation for this is open digital infrastructure. Much like roads and railways serve as physical infrastructure, invisible software components are the bedrock of our economy and society. Components like programming libraries, open standards, and developer tools are essential for innovation and competition.
Digital infrastructure emerges from an open source ecosystem that makes it possible to reuse, quickly distribute, and maintain digital technologies. Sustaining this ecosystem protects Germany's and Europe's digital sovereignty, capacity for innovation, and economic competitiveness today and in the future.
Sovereign Tech Fund
Strategic investments in the digital infrastructure of our economy and society
With the Sovereign Tech Fund, we invest globally in the open software components that underpin Germany's and Europe's competitiveness and ability to innovate. By targeting core digital infrastructure, our investments scale across many sectors and benefit a broad range of users. Improving the security, stability, and reusability of open software components directly enhances the productivity, competitive edge, and capacity for innovation of startups and small and medium-sized businesses.
Sovereign Tech Resilience
Bug bounty, prevention, and elimination of vulnerabilities in critical digital infrastructure
The Sovereign Tech Resilience program takes a holistic approach to protecting critical digital infrastructure. Severe vulnerabilities in open software components have far-reaching consequences, affecting millions of people and impacting software products of all kinds that make use of them. To mitigate these risks and prevent untold damage, it is not enough just to find and fix bugs. We need to take proactive measures to improve the resilience of open digital infrastructure in the face of undiscovered vulnerabilities.
Sovereign Tech Fellowship
Effective support for essential experts in the open source ecosystem
Our maintainer-in-residence fellowship program supports key individuals and strengthens the open source ecosystem in a way that transcends individual technologies and industries. By focusing on the people behind the code, we highlight and provide recognition for the often invisible work that goes into our digital infrastructure. In this way, we are empowering more people to put their skills and experience toward making the open source ecosystem more resilient and sustainable for us all.
Sovereign Tech Challenge
New solutions for structural challenges in the open source ecosystem
The Sovereign Tech Challenge uses a competition model to identify challenges in the open source ecosystem and develop new and innovative solutions. Examples of potential objectives could include developing forward-looking solutions in open software components that are useful for emerging technologies, or securing existing dependencies.
Latest news
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News
Read article: A delegation of experts for UN Open Source Week
As part of United Nations Open Source Week, we’re convening a delegation of 12 open source experts whose work sustains the digital infrastructure we all rely on. Their presence brings critical, hands-on experience into international conversations on digital public goods, security, and innovation.
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News
Read article: We’re hosting the Maintain-a-thon at UN Open Source Week
As part of the 2025 UN Open Source Week, the Sovereign Tech Agency and Alpha Omega are hosting a special hackathon: the maintain-a-thon. It convenes key open source experts and maintainers from around the world and highlights the importance of sustainability and long-term stewardship in open source digital infrastructure.
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Fellowship
Read article: Meet Sovereign Tech Fellow Stefan Eissing
Open source maintainer Stefan Eissing has been building connections since the days of dial-up modems. From tinkering with mailbox networks in the 1980s, Stefan’s journey reflects the belief in collaboration without borders. In this interview, he shares how early grassroots tech shaped his philosophy, what led him to leave commercial development for full-time open source, and what it means to contribute to projects like curl today.
Publications
Bug Bounties and FOSS: Opportunities, Risks, and a Path Forward
Bug bounty programs have long been used by industry to help incentivize reporting of dangerous vulnerabilities in software, but how effective are they in making our open source critical infrastructure safer? This is the question the Sovereign Tech Resilience program commissioned Northeastern University's Dr. Ryan Ellis to answer in his research.
A Toolkit for Measuring the Impacts of Public Funding on Open Source Software Development
To better understand how to assess outcomes of public investment, we co-authored a new paper with NGI Commons, CHAOSS, and the Linux Foundation: A Toolkit for Measuring the Impacts of Public Funding on Open Source Software Development. This toolkit offers not only a structured methodology, but also discussion of key considerations and best practices for evaluating public funding’s effects on FOSS.
Feasibility Study
On the consideration of a support program for open digital enabling technologies as a basis for innovation and digital sovereignty
Pilot Phase Report
Insights from validating the approaches outlined in the Sovereign Tech Fund's feasibility study.