IoT Specialist Golioth Gets Snapped Up by Linux Goliath Canonical

Internet of Things (IoT) specialist Golioth has announced that it is now under new ownership — with Canonical, best known for its Ubuntu Linux distribution, having picked the company up to bolster its IoT offerings.

"When we thought about the ideal partner for Golioth's next chapter, the answer became increasingly clear," claims Golioth founder and chief executive officer Jonathan Beri. "Canonical provides the foundational software for enterprises from the cloud to the edge. As we got to know the Canonical team better, we quickly realized that we share a vision for how connected devices should be built and operated. Beyond the technical fit, what really drew Canonical and Golioth together was the alignment in how we think about building products and supporting developers."

Golioth was founded in 2020 with the goal of bridging the gap between hardware developers and the cloud side of the Internet of Things. Building on the Zephyr Project's real-time operating system, it launched a device software development kit (SDK) before branching out into a full cloud ecosystem with device management, remote access, and more.

Canonical, meanwhile, is best known as the steward behind the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution, based on Debian Linux. The company has long been working on expanding its offerings for embedded and IoT users, positioning its "Snap" containerized package format as an ideal way to build immutable embedded platforms with secure updates.

The deal, financial terms of which have not been disclosed, will see Golioth become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canonical — but, Beri promises, Golioth won't be making any radical changes as a result. "The Golioth you know and trust will continue doing what we do best. Our core mission remains unchanged: connecting microcontroller-class devices to the cloud with a comprehensive suite of services and enabling engineers to design innovative IoT solutions," he says of the acquisition. "Everything you rely on today — our platform, our APIs, our commitment to developer experience — continues without disruption.

"We chose this path deliberately because we believe it positions Golioth to better serve you, our customers and partners, for the long haul. The IoT products you’re building today need to run for decades, and Golioth has the stability and resources to support that entire journey."