Linux Foundation launches React Foundation with Meta’s support
The Linux Foundation announced the formation of the React Foundation at its Member Summit in Napa, California, with Meta transferring ownership of React, React Native, and related projects to the vendor-neutral governance body.
The official announcement marks the conclusion of a transition process that began months earlier. React, React Native, and supporting projects including JSX are now hosted under LF Projects, LLC. The foundation launches with eight Platinum founding members: Amazon, Callstack, Expo, Huawei, Meta, Microsoft, Software Mansion, and Vercel. This structure moves the project away from corporate stewardship and into a collaborative environment. The Linux Foundation operates numerous other major open-source initiatives, and React now sits alongside Linux, Kubernetes, and PyTorch under this umbrella.
Seth Webster, the foundation’s executive director and former head of React at Meta, commented on the establishment of the new organization. “React has become critical digital infrastructure for the modern web and beyond,” Webster stated. He further explained the rationale behind the transition: “By establishing the React Foundation under the Linux Foundation, we are ensuring a strong, vibrant React for decades to come — guided by open governance and shared stewardship from the global community that builds with it every day.” This leadership appointment bridges the project’s history with its new governance model.
The launch finalizes an intent revealed during React Conf in October 2025. At that time, Meta announced plans to create the React Foundation and move the project to neutral ground. The initial announcement named seven corporate members. Huawei has since joined as the eighth Platinum member, a detail confirmed in the React team’s blog post accompanying the launch. This addition brings the total count of founding Platinum members to eight companies representing diverse sectors of the technology industry.
According to the Linux Foundation, React powers nearly 55 million websites and is utilized by roughly 20 million developers worldwide. These figures highlight the project’s extensive adoption across the global web ecosystem. The React team previously noted in October that the project’s scope had long outgrown the confines of a single corporate steward. They wrote, “What started out as a tool developed for Meta has expanded into a project that spans multiple companies with regular contributions from across the ecosystem.” The scale of usage necessitated a governance model capable of supporting broad community input.
The React Foundation board of directors will include representatives from each Platinum member. Seth Webster serves as the executive director of the foundation. A critical component of the governance structure is the separation of financial and administrative oversight from technical decision-making. The project’s technical direction will remain independent from the foundation’s board. To facilitate this, a provisional leadership council has been formed. This council is tasked with determining the long-term technical governance structure, with specific details expected to be released in the coming months.
Significant work remains to complete the transition of assets and operations. The foundation must transfer repositories, websites, and other infrastructure to its control. Additionally, the organization plans to explore programs designed to support the broader React ecosystem. Planning for the next React Conf is also underway. These logistical and strategic tasks are priorities for the newly formed entity as it begins full operations.
Industry partners expressed support for the move to neutral governance. Ruhiyyih Mahalati, vice president of Azure Experiences and Ecosystem at Microsoft, provided a statement regarding the company’s reliance on the technology. “React is a core part of our front-end architecture across Azure, powering the Azure Portal,” Mahalati said. Amazon also affirmed its participation in the foundation. Tapas Roy, vice president of software and services at Amazon Devices, stated that Amazon is “committed to working alongside our industry partners to ensure React and React Native remain open, community-driven, and positioned for long-term success”.