Red Hat

Red Hat provides open-source software solutions, including Linux, cloud, container, and Kubernetes. The company, co-founded in 1995 by Marc Ewing and Bob Young, initially sold Linux as a boxed product alongside Microsoft Windows and Lotus Notes in retail stores with an updated version twice a year. In 2001, Red Hat discontinued the distribution of Red Hat Linux and introduced an enterprise edition that was sold on a subscription basis. Red Hat Enterprise Linux became the company’s flagship product, and a freely available community version was named “Fedora.” Red Hat also became the first open-source technology company to surpass more than USD 1 billion in revenue in 2012, subsequently exceeding the USD 2 billion mark in 2016.

RedHat provides various application platform solutions, AI, Edge computing solutions, IT automation, and Linux standardization solutions across the automotive, financial services, healthcare, industrials, media and entertainment, telecommunications, and public sectors. As of 2024, Red Hat supports more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies, including major brands such as Vodafone, Siemens, Deutsche Bank, and bp, across 40+ countries.

In 2019, IBM acquired Red Hat, making it one of its largest software acquisitions. The deal closed in July 2019, with IBM purchasing a 100% stake in Red Hat at an equity valuation of USD 34 billion.