Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF)

Kubernetes is an open source software with an Apache license. Google donated Kubernetes to a newly formed collaborative project within The Linux Foundation in July 2015, when Kubernetes reached the v1.0 release. This project is known as the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

CNCF is not just about Kubernetes, it serves as the governing body for open source software that solves specific issues faced by cloud native applications (i.e. applications that are written specifically for a cloud environment).

CNCF has many corporate members that collaborate, such as Cisco, the Cloud Foundry Foundation, AT&T, Box, Goldman Sachs, and many others.

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Note: Since CNCF now owns the Kubernetes copyright, contributors to the source need to sign a contributor license agreement (CLA) with CNCF, just like any contributor to an Apache-licensed project signs a CLA with the Apache Software Foundation.