Raspberry Pi Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, as well as an England and Walescompany limited by guarantee.[3] It was founded in 2009 to promote the study of computer science. It is part of a group that comprises legal entities in India, Ireland, and the United States, which carry out educational activities in those jurisdictions; and Raspberry Pi Ltd, a commercial subsidiary that develops Raspberry Pi computers and other hardware. The foundation's charitable activities are funded through a combination of Gift Aid from the profits of Raspberry Pi Ltd, contracts for the delivery of educational services e.g. professional development for teachers, and donations from individuals, foundations, and other organisations.
Foundation
A Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+
The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a charitable organisation registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.[4] The board of trustees was assembled by 2008,[1][7] and the Raspberry Pi Foundation was founded as a registered charity in May 2009 in Caldecote, England.[4] In 2016, The foundation moved its headquarters to Station Road, Cambridge,[8] moving again in 2018, to Hills Road, Cambridge.[9]
The foundation is supported by the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory and Broadcom.[2]
Its aim is to "promote the study of computer science and related topics, especially at the school level, and to put the fun back into learning computing."[10] Project co-founder Eben Upton is a former academic, currently employed by Broadcom as a system-on-chip architect and associate technical director.[11] Components, albeit in small numbers, were able to be sourced from suppliers, due to the charitable status of the organisation.[7]
History
When the decline in numbers and skills of students applying for Computer Science became a concern for a team that included Eben Upton, Rob Mullins, Jack Lang and Alan Mycroft at the University of Cambridge's Computer Laboratory in 2006, a need for a tiny and affordable computer came to their minds. Several versions of the early Raspberry Pi prototypes were designed but were very limited by the high cost and low power processors for mobile devices at that time.[12]
In 2008, the team started a collaboration with Pete Lomas, MD of Norcott Technologies and David Braben, the co-author of the seminal BBC Micro game Elite, and formed the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Three years later, the Raspberry Pi Model B was born and it had sold over two million units within two years of mass production.[12]
Founders and leadership
Eben Upton in 2012
[T]he lack of programmable hardware for children – the sort of hardware we used to have in the 1980s – is undermining the supply of eighteen-year-olds who know how to program, so that's a problem for universities, and then it's undermining the supply of 21 year olds who know how to program, and that's causing problems for industry.
In early 2013, the organisation split into two parts: Raspberry Pi Foundation, which is responsible for the charitable and educational activities; and Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd, responsible for the engineering and trading activities.[14] Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raspberry Pi Foundation, with the money earned from sales of Raspberry Pi products being used to fund the charitable work of the Foundation. Eben Upton was initially CEO of both divisions, but in September 2013 Lance Howarth became CEO of the Raspberry Pi Foundation,[14] with Eben Upton remaining as CEO of Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd. Philip Colligan took over from Lance Howarth as CEO of Raspberry Pi Foundation in July 2015.[15][16]
In October 2011, the foundation's logo was selected from a number submitted from open competition.[19] A shortlist of six was drawn up, with the final judging taking several days. The chosen design was created by Paul Beech[20] and depicts a raspberry, in the style of a buckminsterfullerene molecule.[21]
Education fund
In April 2014, the foundation announced a £1million education fund to support projects that enhance the understanding of computing and to promote the use of technology in other subjects, particularly STEM and creative arts for children.[22] They offered to provide up to 50% of the total projected costs to successful applicants.[23]Carrie Anne Philbin was the Director of Education.[24]
The foundation publishes Hello World, a "computing and digital making" magazine.[31] From 2018 to early 2023, the foundation published Wireframe, a video game development magazine.[32]
^ abc"Raspberry Pi Foundation - About Us". Raspberry Pi. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2021. Raspberry Pi Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales (1129409).Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No.06758215.
^ ab"About Us". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
^Heath, Nick (19 December 2018). "Inside the Raspberry Pi: The story of the $35 computer that changed the world". TechRepublic. Retrieved 10 February 2023. Early the following year, Upton, Lomas, Mycroft, Elite creator David Braben, and Cambridge University lecturers Jack Lang and Rob Mullins would create the Raspberry Pi Foundation,
^ ab"Welcome Lance!". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 17 September 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
^"Welcome Philip!". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 23 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
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