Case Study: Webpack grows to a $400k+ annual budget with Open Collective

How Webpack Reached $400k+/year

Webpack, a popular open source JavaScript module bundler, faced the challenge of funding its development and sustaining its core team after experiencing rapid growth. The project sought to move beyond relying on a single maintainer's spare time and find a transparent, scalable way to generate revenue to ensure its long-term health and continued innovation. They turned to the vendor, Open Collective, to manage this financial transition.

By adopting Open Collective's platform, Webpack implemented a transparent funding model that aggregated revenue from multiple streams, including corporate sponsorships, individual backers, grants, and merchandise sales. This solution provided the financial backbone for the project's operations. As a result, Webpack's annual budget grew to over $400,000, enabling its lead maintainer to work full-time and accelerating the release of major versions. Open Collective provided the structure for this success, showcasing a sustainable funding model for open source projects.

Webpack

Sean Larkin

Webpack