2. 1. Acronyms
The goal: something as clean as COSS but available. Four letters, one syllable if possible, says something real when expanded.
| Acronym | Expansion | Pronunciation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| CORE | Commercial Open Revenue Engine / Commercial Open Source Enterprise | core | Perfect word. The core of everything. CORE Holdings. One syllable, impossible to mispronounce, extremely clean. Check availability carefully -- used in many forms. |
| CODA | Commercial Open Development Alliance | KOH-dah | A coda in music is the final passage that ties the whole piece together -- the holding company that unifies multiple OSS products. coda.io is taken (the product). But CODA as a brand for a holding company is strong. |
| COPE | Commercial Open Platform Enterprise / Commercial Open Portfolio | cope | A cope is also a liturgical vestment and a coping stone (the top of a wall). Builder metaphor. But "cope" means managing difficulty in everyday English. Mixed signals. |
| CORD | Commercial Open Revenue Division / Commercial Open Repository of Devtools | cord | A cord binds things together. Clean. cord.io. Slightly generic but strong. |
| CORA | Commercial Open Revenue Alliance | KOR-ah | Also a name, which humanizes it. cora.io. Easy internationally. |
| COPA | Commercial Open Platform Alliance | KOH-pah | Copa also means "cup" in Spanish and Portuguese -- Copa del Rey, Copa America. Sporty but not terrible. copa.io. |
| OPCO | Open Source Company / Open Portfolio Co | OP-co | Cheeky: OPCO is a real finance term (Operating Company, the entity under a HOLDCO). Naming your holding company OPCO is a joke that finance people will get. opco.io. |
| OSCO | Open Source Company / Open Source Co | OZ-co | Direct. osco.io. Not exciting but honest. |
| FORA | -- (Latin plural of forum, also used in English academic writing) | FOR-ah | Fora are where communities meet and discuss. Multiple forums (OSS communities) under one holding. fora.io. Elegant, bilingual (Latin/English), strong concept. |
| OPUS | -- (not an acronym, just the word) | OH-pus | Your body of work. Opus Holdings. An opus is a major creative work -- the holding company is the opus of the founder's career. opus.co is probably taken. Still a strong word. |
| APEX | -- (not really an acronym) | AY-pex | The highest point. Apex Holdings. Ambitious framing. apex.io probably taken. Very generic in the holding company space though. |
| ORCA | Open Revenue Company / Alliance | OR-kah | The apex predator of the ocean. Intelligent, coordinated, hunts in groups. Unexpectedly good metaphor for a holding company. orca.dev. Memorable logo. |
| MOSS | Managed Open Source Studio / Modern Open Source Software | moss | Moss grows everywhere, quietly, without permission. Perfect OSS metaphor -- it does not ask for authorization to spread. moss.so / moss.dev. Clean single syllable. |
| ROSS | Revenue-first Open Source Studio | ross | Also just a name. Humanizing. ross.dev. "Revenue-first" in the expansion is honest about the commercial model. |
| BOSS | Business Open Source Studio | boss | Confident to the point of arrogance. boss.dev. Could work if you lean into the attitude. |
| HOSS | Holding of Open Source Software | hoss | Hoss = large, capable person (American slang). Unpretentious. Mildly charming. |
| GRIT | Group of Revenue-Generating Independent Tools | grit | Stretch acronym but grit as a concept (persistence, doing the work) is perfect for a commercial OSS holding. grit.dev. |
| CRAFT | Commercial Revenue Alliance For Tech | craft | Very stretch on the acronym but craft as a word is excellent -- skilled work, intentional making. craft.io. Craft beer era naming that still holds up. |
| SPAN | Source Portfolio Alliance Network | span | A bridge spans. A holding company spans multiple products. span.dev. Short, architectural. |
| GRID | Group for Revenue and Infrastructure Development | grid | The infrastructure that powers everything. grid.dev probably taken. Strong concept. |
| STEM | Source, Tech, Enterprise, Management / the stem the branches grow from | stem | The stem is what branches grow from. Branches = individual OSS companies. STEM Holdings. stem.io. Also science/tech connotation. |
| CAST | Commercial Alliance for Source and Tools | cast | Casting = molding something into shape (foundry metaphor). Also to cast a wide net. cast.dev. |
| KEEL | -- (the structural spine of a ship) | keel | The keel is what keeps a ship on course. "Even keel." keel.dev. Nautical, structural, English. |
| MAST | Managed Alliance for Source and Tools | mast | The mast is what the sails hang from. mast.dev. Nautical, short, clean. |
3. 2. Single English Words
The best single-word company names mean something independently. You do not need the expansion to feel the concept.
| Name | Primary meaning | OSS angle | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commons | Shared public resources; the common land | Open source is the digital commons -- code held in common by all | Strongest concept on this list. The Commons. commons.dev or common.so. Philosophical, historical, precise. |
| Foundry | A factory where metal is cast | You forge/cast OSS products into commercial shape | Excellent. foundry.dev might be taken. OpenFoundry, SourceFoundry also work. Very craft-forward. |
| Guild | A medieval association of craftspeople with shared standards | OSS contributors are a guild -- skilled, principled, self-governing | Strong. guild.dev. The Guild of Open Source Companies. Has warmth and history. |
| Works | Industrial heritage (ironworks, waterworks, gasworks) | Where things are made; also "it works" | Short and punchy. works.io. The Works. Underrated as a company name. |
| Forge | A furnace where metal is worked | Forging OSS into commercial products | forge.dev is probably taken. Forge Holdings is clean. Very strong concept. |
| Origin | The beginning, the source | Open source starts here | origin.dev probably taken. Origin Holdings. Clean international English. |
| Root | The foundation of a plant; also Unix root | OSS root access; the root of all projects | root.dev is taken. Root Holdings. Double meaning with Unix/Linux that developers will appreciate. |
| Kernel | The core of a seed; the Linux kernel | The innermost part -- the holding company as the kernel | kernel.org is the Linux kernel site. But Kernel Holdings or kernel.io could work. Nerd signal is high. |
| Branch | A division of a tree; a Git branch | Each portfolio company is a branch | branch.io is taken (the deep linking company). But Branch Holdings makes sense structurally. |
| Canopy | The top layer of the forest | The holding company as the canopy above individual OSS projects | canopy.io. Elegant, architectural. Used in some VC fund names but not as a COSS holding. |
| Steward | One who manages on behalf of others | Commercial OSS companies are stewards of open source projects | steward.io. Responsible, principled. Steward Holdings. Underrated word for this concept. |
| Patron | One who supports artists and projects financially | The holding company as patron of OSS development | patron.io might be taken (Patreon adjacent). But Patron Holdings is clean. |
| Kin | Family, related people | A family of OSS companies | kin.dev. Short, warm, implies relationship without hierarchy. kin.so. Underused in tech. |
| Kindred | Same nature, family, like-minded | Kindred OSS companies sharing values and structure | kindred.io. Warm and values-forward. Slightly long. |
| Craft | Skill, intentional making | OSS is craft -- careful, principled, built to last | craft.io is taken (the no-code CMS). Craft Holdings though. Strong word. |
| Mint | Where currency is produced; also fresh | You produce valuable things (like a mint produces coins) | mint.io. Clean. Fresh. Also Linux Mint association. SourceMint, OpenMint. |
| Alchemy | Transforming base materials into gold | Transforming open source code into commercial revenue | alchemy.dev. Slightly mystical. Long but memorable. alchemy.io. |
| Loom | A machine for weaving; to appear large | Weaving together multiple OSS threads into one holding | loom.dev is taken (the screen recording app). Strong word though. |
| Mesh | An interlocking network | Multiple companies meshed together | mesh.dev. Short. Network metaphor. mesh.io. |
| Span | The reach of a bridge; to extend across | Spanning multiple OSS verticals | span.dev. Architectural. Short. Clean. |
| Bedrock | The solid foundation layer | The foundation that OSS companies rest on | Taken by AWS Bedrock. Avoid. |
| Spine | The backbone; structural support | The spine that holds the portfolio together | spine.dev. Short, structural, anatomical. Slightly aggressive. |
| Vein | A vein of gold; a path through rock | Finding the commercial vein in open source | vein.io. Short. Mining metaphor. Interesting. |
| Vault | A secure storage; an arched ceiling | Vaulting over competitors; storing and protecting value | vault.dev is taken (HashiCorp Vault). But the word is strong. |
| Keep | The stronghold of a castle; to maintain | Keeping code open, keeping companies running | keep.dev. Short. keep.io. Verb and noun double meaning. |
| Helm | The steering wheel of a ship | Steering OSS companies (also Kubernetes Helm) | helm.sh is taken (Kubernetes package manager). Strong word. |
| Keel | The spine of a ship; "even keel" | Structural stability, keeping things on course | keel.dev. Nautical, short, unusual in tech. |
| Fold | To bring together; a sheepfold (enclosure) | Multiple companies folded together under one holding | fold.io. Minimal. Deceptively simple. fold.dev. |
| Ward | To protect; a ward is a division under protection | Stewarding and protecting OSS companies | ward.io. Short. Has guardian energy. |
| Acre | A unit of land | Building on a plot of digital land | acre.io. Unusual. land/soil metaphor. |
4. 3. Open + ___
| Name | Verdict |
|---|---|
| OpenCore | The open core monetization model IS what commercial OSS does. Naming the holding company after the business model is meta and honest. opencore.io. |
| OpenForge | openforge.dev. Strong. Where open source is forged. Probably taken in some variant but worth checking. |
| OpenGuild | A guild of open source companies. openguild.io. Warm and community-coded. |
| OpenWorks | openworks.io. Clean industrial metaphor. "It works, and it's open." |
| OpenFoundry | openfoundry.io. Where open source companies are cast. Strong. |
| OpenMint | openmint.io. Minting open source revenue. Fresh. |
| OpenCraft | opencraft.io. Craft of open source. Good. Not SourceCraft (Blizzard). |
| OpenSpan | openspan.io. Spanning multiple OSS verticals. |
| OpenMesh | openmesh.io. Network of open companies. |
| OpenRoot | openroot.dev. The root of open source. Double Unix meaning. |
| OpenStem | openstem.io. The stem branches grow from. |
| OpenVein | openvein.io. The commercial vein in open source. Slightly visceral. |
| OpenKeep | openkeep.io. Keeping code open. Stronghold metaphor. |
| OpenKin | openkin.io. Family of open source companies. Warm. |
| OpenCommons | opencommons.org probably taken. Best concept in this list -- the open commons, the digital shared land. |
| OpenStack | Taken by the cloud computing platform. Avoid. |
| OpenGroup | Taken by the IT standards organization. Avoid. |
5. 4. Source + ___
| Name | Verdict |
|---|---|
| SourceForge | Taken (the old project hosting site). Avoid. |
| SourceWorks | sourceworks.io. Industrial. The works where source is built. Clean. |
| SourceGuild | sourceguild.io. Community of source craftspeople. Strong. |
| SourceCraft | Taken (Blizzard StarCraft spinoff). Avoid. |
| SourceMint | sourcemint.io. Minting revenue from source code. |
| SourceKin | sourcekin.io. Source family. Warm. |
| SourceVault | sourcevault.io. Storing and protecting source value. (HashiCorp Vault taken, but SourceVault is different.) |
| SourceKeep | sourcekeep.io. Keeping source open. |
| SourceCommons | sourcecommons.io. The commons of source code. Strong concept. |
| SourceSpan | sourcespan.io. Spanning multiple source-based companies. |
| SourceStem | sourcestem.io. The stem from which OSS branches grow. |
| SourceHold | sourcehold.io. Source + hold (as in holding company). |
6. 5. ___ + Suffix (-works, -craft, -guild, -forge, -labs, -ware)
-works (industrial heritage, "it works")
| CommonWorks | commonworks.io. The works of the commons. Strong. |
| CodeWorks | codeworks.io. Probably taken in many forms. Functional. |
| LibreWorks | libreworks.io. Libre + industrial. French-English hybrid. |
| CoreWorks | coreworks.io. The core works. Solid. |
| RootWorks | rootworks.io. Built on solid roots. |
| ForkWorks | forkworks.io. Git fork as a verb. Developer in-joke. Excellent for OSS holding. Slightly cheeky. |
-craft (skill, intentional making)
| CommonCraft | commoncraft.com is taken (video production company). Avoid. |
| CoreCraft | corecraft.io. Craft of the core. Good. |
| RootCraft | rootcraft.dev. Building from roots. Good. |
| LibreCraft | librecraft.io. Crafting libre software. |
| OpenCraft | opencraft.io. Repeated from above. Strong compound. |
-guild (community of practitioners)
| OpenGuild | openguild.io. A guild of open source companies. Best in this group. |
| SourceGuild | sourceguild.io. Strong alternative. |
| CodeGuild | codeguild.io. Simpler but clear. |
| CoreGuild | coreguild.io. The guild of core products. |
| FreeGuild | freeguild.io. Free software guild. "Free" ambiguity again though. |
-forge (craft, industrial)
| OpenForge | openforge.dev. Strong. Worth checking availability carefully. |
| CommonForge | commonforge.io. Forging the commons. Good. |
| CoreForge | coreforge.io. The core forge. |
| FreeForge | freeforge.dev. Free and forged. |
| RootForge | rootforge.dev. Building from roots, forged strong. |
| ForkForge | forkforge.dev. Forking and forging. Double developer meaning. |
-labs (experimental, developer-focused)
| OpenLabs | openlabs.io. Research lab energy. Slightly startup-y. |
| CommonLabs | commonlabs.io. Building the commons experimentally. |
| SourceLabs | sourcelabs.io. The lab where source is created. |
| CoreLabs | corelabs.io. Core research and development. |
| RootLabs | rootlabs.dev. Rooted in research. |
-ware (software heritage)
| Openware | openware.io. Open + ware. Clean. |
| Freeware | Taken as a concept. Skip. |
| Coreware | coreware.io. Core software. |
| Rootware | rootware.io. Rooted software. Also root access connotation. |
| Commonware | commonware.io. Software of the commons. |
7. 6. Portmanteaux and Invented Words
Coinable words that do not exist yet but feel like they should. The Automattic / Stripe / Slack model -- short, invented, memorable.
| Name | Construction | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Sourcery | Source + Sorcery | The best invented word on this list. Open source is magic -- turning free code into revenue. sourcery.io / sourcery.dev. The name is a complete brand story in one word. Memorable, slightly whimsical, extremely ownable. |
| Forkable | Fork + -able | Everything we build is forkable. That is the point. forkable.io. Very developer-coded. Could also be a product, not just a company name. |
| Communo | Commons + -o suffix | communo.io. Casual shortening of commons. Slightly Italian. Not embarrassing. |
| Opendeck | Open + deck (as in all cards visible, nothing hidden) | opendeck.io. Playing with an open deck. Transparent by design. |
| Stemco | Stem + Co | stemco.io. Short. The stem company. Slightly biological. |
| Corex | Core + x (variable, expandable) | corex.io. Core that can be anything. Slightly generic. Works though. |
| Forgio | Forge + -io suffix | forgio.io. The forge as a domain. Italian-ish. Sounds like a payment processor actually. |
| Gildco | Guild + Co (archaic spelling of guild is "gild") | gildco.io. Gild also means "to make golden" -- add commercial value to OSS. Clever double meaning. |
| Openish | Open + -ish | openish.io. Honest about the "commercial open source" tension -- we are openish. Self-aware and funny. Probably too casual for a holding company. |
| Rooto | Root + -o | rooto.io. Fun and short. Root access in friendly form. |
| Commforge | Commons + Forge | commforge.io. Short compound. The forge of the commons. |
| Librecore | Libre + Core | librecore.io. Open core is the business model; libre is the value. Very on the nose. |
| Opencore | Open + Core (the business model name) | opencore.io. The holding company IS the open core model. Meta and precise. Top pick. |
| Workfork | Works + Fork | workfork.io. A fork that works. Slightly confusing ordering. Fork the idea. |
| Forkward | Fork + Forward | forkward.io. Forking forward -- moving ahead by building on what exists. Strong concept. Hard to say fast. |
8. 7. Top Picks
| Rank | Name | Why | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sourcery | Source + Sorcery. You turn open source code into revenue -- that is literally alchemy. The word does not exist yet so it is fully ownable. Easy to say, impossible to forget, the logo and brand write themselves. The name is the pitch. | sourcery.io / sourcery.dev |
| 2 | Commons | The most precise and philosophical name for what commercial open source actually is: managing the digital commons sustainably. The Commons Holdings. One word, historically loaded, internationally understood. Sounds like an institution, which is appropriate for a holding company. | commons.dev / common.so |
| 3 | OpenCore | The open core model IS commercial open source. The holding company named after its own business model is meta and precise. Every investor, founder, and developer knows what it means. opencore.io. | opencore.io / opencore.dev |
| 4 | MOSS | Managed Open Source Studio. Moss grows everywhere quietly without permission -- the perfect metaphor for open source distribution. One syllable, clean domain options, the logo (green, natural, spreading) writes itself. | moss.so / moss.dev |
| 5 | CORE | Commercial Open Revenue Engine. Short, one syllable, impossible to mispronounce. The core of everything. Works in any language. CORE Holdings or just CORE. | core.io / core.co |
| 6 | Foundry | Where things are cast and made. A foundry turns raw material (open source) into finished product (commercial SaaS). Has industrial heritage, craft connotations, and international clarity. The Foundry or OpenFoundry. | foundry.dev / openfoundry.io |
| 7 | Guild | A guild is exactly what OSS companies are: skilled practitioners with shared standards, working independently but under common principles. The Guild of Open Source Companies. guild.dev. | guild.dev / openguild.io |
| 8 | ForkWorks | Fork (the Git action that starts every OSS contribution) + Works (industrial heritage). ForkWorks Holdings. Developer in-joke that doubles as a straight company name. forkworks.io. | forkworks.io / forkworks.dev |
| 9 | FORA | Latin/English plural of forum -- where communities gather. Multiple OSS communities under one holding. fora.io. Two syllables, easy to say everywhere, slightly academic which signals seriousness. | fora.io / fora.co |
| 10 | Steward | A steward manages on behalf of others. Commercial OSS companies are stewards of open source projects -- they keep them alive and funded. Steward Holdings. Principled, responsible, different from every other holding company name. | steward.io / steward.co |
The master shortlist across both reports
Combining this list with the French/Latin brainstorm, the strongest candidates across both are:
- Sourcery -- invented, ownable, the name IS the pitch (English-friendly)
- Ouvert -- French for open, works internationally, sounds like a real institution (French-origin)
- Commons -- philosophically precise, historically loaded, universally understood (English)
- Archipel -- perfect structural metaphor for a holding of independent companies (French)
- OpenCore -- names the business model itself, zero ambiguity (English)
- MOSS -- one syllable, grows quietly without permission, great metaphor (English acronym)
If the company will operate primarily in English-speaking markets or internationally: Sourcery or Commons.
If it is proudly French-founded and wants that as an identity: Ouvert or Archipel.
If it needs to be maximally unambiguous to investors: OpenCore.