Raspberry Pi Foundation

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Raspberry Pi Foundation
FormationMay 2009;15 years ago (2009-05)
Founders David Braben, Jack Lang, Alan Mycroft, Robert Mullins, Eben Upton [1] [2]
Founded at Caldecote, South Cambridgeshire
Registration no.1129409
Legal status Company limited by guarantee [3]
Registered charity in England and Wales [3]
Headquarters Hills Road. Cambridge, England, UK [4]
Products Raspberry Pi
Fields Education
CEO
Philip Colligan
Main organ
Board of trustees [5]
Revenue (2020)
£95,818,848 [6]
Staff (2020)
203 [6]
Website raspberrypi.org OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Headquarters of the Raspberry Pi Foundation RpiFoundationHeadquarters.jpg
Headquarters of the Raspberry Pi Foundation

The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, as well as an England and Wales company 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.

Contents

Foundation

A Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Raspberry Pi 3 B+ (39906369025).png
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 EbenUpton (close crop).jpg
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.

Co-founder Eben Upton in 2012 [11]

The founders of the organisation were: [13]

  • Eben Upton
  • Rob Mullins, senior lecturer in the Computer Laboratory at the University of Cambridge
  • Jack Lang, affiliated lecturer in the Computer Laboratory at the University of Cambridge and the founder of Electronic Share Information Ltd
  • Alan Mycroft, professor of computing in the Computer Laboratory at the University of Cambridge
  • David Braben, CEO of Frontier Developments and co-writer of the 1984 game Elite
  • Pete Lomas, MD of Norcott Technologies

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 2021 Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd changed its name to Raspberry Pi Ltd. [17] Its newly-formed holding company, Raspberry Pi Holdings, was the subject of an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange in June 2024. [18]

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 £1 million 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]

Mergers

In 2015, the Raspberry Pi Foundation merged with Code Club. [25] [26] [27] In 2017, it merged with CoderDojo. [28] [29]

Bebras

The Raspberry Foundation is an active sponsor of the British edition of the International Bebras Computing competition, together with the University of Oxford. [30]

Magazine

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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadcom Corporation</span> Defunct American fabless semiconductor company

Broadcom Corporation was an American fabless semiconductor company that made products for the wireless and broadband communication industry. It was acquired by Avago Technologies for $37 billion in 2016 and currently operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the merged entity Broadcom Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Braben</span> British video game developer, designer and CEO

David John Braben is a British video game developer and designer, founder and President of Frontier Developments, and co-creator of the Elite series of space trading video games, first published in 1984. He is also a co-founder of and works as a trustee for the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which in 2012 launched a low-cost computer for education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer literacy</span> Skill in using computers and digital technology

Computer literacy is defined as the knowledge and ability to use computers and related technology efficiently, with skill levels ranging from elementary use to computer programming and advanced problem solving. Computer literacy can also refer to the comfort level someone has with using computer programs and applications. Another valuable component is understanding how computers work and operate. Computer literacy may be distinguished from computer programming, which primarily focuses on the design and coding of computer programs rather than the familiarity and skill in their use. Various countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have created initiatives to improve national computer literacy rates.

Clive Upton is an English linguist specializing in dialectology and sociolinguistics. He is also an authority on the pronunciation of English. He has been Emeritus Professor of Modern English Language at the University of Leeds since 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre for Computing History</span>

The Centre for Computing History is a museum in Cambridge, England, established to create a permanent public exhibition telling the story of the Information Age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raspberry Pi</span> Series of low-cost single-board computers

Raspberry Pi is a series of small single-board computers (SBCs) developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in association with Broadcom. The Raspberry Pi project originally leaned toward the promotion of teaching basic computer science in schools. The original model became more popular than anticipated, selling outside its target market for diverse uses such as robotics, home automation, industrial automation, and by computer and electronic hobbyists, because of its low cost, modularity, open design, and its adoption of the HDMI and USB standards.

The Norcroft C compiler in computing is a portable set of C/C++ programming tools written by Codemist, available for a wide range of processor architectures.

Alan Mycroft is a professor at the Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Robinson College, Cambridge, where he is also director of studies for computer science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eben Upton</span> Welsh computer scientist (born 1978)

Eben Christopher Upton is the Welsh CEO of Raspberry Pi Holdings. He is responsible for the overall software and hardware architecture of the Raspberry Pi device. He is a former technical director and ASIC architect for Broadcom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARM Cortex-A53</span> Microarchitecture implementing the ARMv8-A 64-bit instruction set designed by ARM Holdings

The ARM Cortex-A53 is one of the first two central processing units implementing the ARMv8-A 64-bit instruction set designed by ARM Holdings' Cambridge design centre, along with the Cortex-A57. The Cortex-A53 is a 2-wide decode superscalar processor, capable of dual-issuing some instructions. It was announced October 30, 2012 and is marketed by ARM as either a stand-alone, more energy-efficient alternative to the more powerful Cortex-A57 microarchitecture, or to be used alongside a more powerful microarchitecture in a big.LITTLE configuration. It is available as an IP core to licensees, like other ARM intellectual property and processor designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonic Pi</span> Live coding environment

Sonic Pi is a live coding environment based on Ruby, originally designed to support both computing and music lessons in schools, developed by Sam Aaron in the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory in collaboration with Raspberry Pi Foundation.

CoderDojo is a global volunteer-led community of free programming workshops for young people. The movement is a grassroots organisation with individual clubs acting independently. A charity called the CoderDojo Foundation operates out of Dublin, Ireland, and supports the various clubs by providing a central website and other support services. Supporters of CoderDojo believe it is part of the solution to address the global shortage of programmers by getting young people more involved with ICT learning. The movement has seen significant growth since its founding. The CoderDojo Foundation estimates 1,250 Dojos spread across 69 countries, with a growth rate of several new Dojos every week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie Anne Philbin</span> Director of Educator Support at the Raspberry Pi Foundation

Carrie Anne Philbin is an English teacher of computer science and an author. She is a director of educator support at the Raspberry Pi Foundation and chairs the Computing At School (CAS) diversity and inclusion group, #CASInclude. She wrote the computing book Adventures in Raspberry Pi (2013) for teenagers. She runs the YouTube channel Geek Gurl Diaries and in 2017, was the host for Crash Course Computer Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clare Sutcliffe</span>

Clare Sutcliffe MBE is a social entrepreneur and the co-founder of Code Club. She was awarded an Order of the British Empire in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raspberry Pi 4</span> 4th generation of the mainline series of Raspberry Pi single-board computer

The Raspberry Pi 4 is the 4th generation of the mainline series of Raspberry Pi single-board computers. Developed by Raspberry Pi Trading and released on 24 June 2019, the Pi 4 came with many improvements over its predecessor; the SoC was upgraded to the Broadcom BCM2711, two of the Raspberry Pi's four USB ports were upgraded to USB 3.0, and options were added for RAM capacities larger than the 1 GB standard for the preceding Raspberry Pi 3 series. The Pi 4 also ends the trend of the $35 maximum MSRP that previous Raspberry Pis had adhered to, as the larger RAM capacities added extra cost to the board; however, the base 1 GB model is still sold for $35. On 28 September 2023, the Raspberry Pi 5 was announced as the successor to the Raspberry Pi 4.

Susan Sentance is a British computer scientist, educator and director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation Computing Education Research Centre at the University of Cambridge. Her research investigates a wide range of issues computer science education, teacher education and the professional development of those teaching computing. In 2020 Sentance was awarded a Suffrage Science award for her work on computing education.

Kano Computing is a global computer hardware and software start-up based in London. The company went into administration in 2023 and the business assets were sold to Alex Klein.

Rosemary Francis is a British engineer and technologist. She is best known for her work in the field of supercomputers and is Chief Scientist at software company, Altair Engineering. Francis obtained her PhD in computer architecture, while studying at the University of Cambridge. Following her education, Francis co-founded Ellexus to build tools for managing complex tools chains required during the design of semiconductors. In 2020, the startup she founded was acquired by US-based Altair Engineering for an undisclosed sum. Following the acquisition, Francis became Chief Scientist at the tech engineering firm.

Raspberry Pi Holdings plc is a British technology business focused on designing and manufacturing single-board computers (SBCs) and modules, marketed as Raspberry Pi, for use by private individuals, including enthusiasts, and businesses. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

References

  1. 1 2 Brookes, Tim (24 February 2012). "Raspberry Pi – A Credit-Card Sized ARM Computer – Yours For Only $25". MakeUseOf. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 Mullins, Robert (2012). "Robert Mullins: Raspberry Pi". University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "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.
  4. 1 2 3 "Register of Charities - The Charity Commission - Raspberry Pi Foundation Charity number: 1129409". Charity Commission for England and Wales. 6 June 2011. The object of the charity is to further the advancement of education of adults and children, particularly in the field of Computers, Computer Science and related subjects
  5. ↑ "Governance - Raspberry Pi". Archived from the original on 28 March 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Raspberry Pi Foundation Trustees' Report and Financial Statements 2020" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 Vilches, Jose (22 May 2012). "Interview with Raspberry's Founder Eben Upton". TechSpot . Archived from the original on 2 December 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  8. ↑ "Raspberry Pi and JA Kemp move to iconic Station Road HQs". Business Weekly. Business Weekly. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  9. ↑ "Annual Reoprt" (PDF). Raspberry Pi Foundation. 2018.
  10. ↑ "Raspberry Pi Foundation". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 January 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  11. 1 2 Halfacree, Gareth (1 March 2012). "Raspberry Pi interview: Eben Upton reveals all". Linux User & Developer. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  12. 1 2 "About Us". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  13. ↑ 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,
  14. 1 2 "Welcome Lance!". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 17 September 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "Welcome Philip!". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 23 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  16. ↑ "3. Carrie Anne Philbin, director of education, Raspberry Pi Foundation - The 50 Most Influential Women in UK Tech 2017". www.computerweekly.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  17. ↑ "RASPBERRY PI LTD overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Raspberry Pi Holdings". www.londonstockexchange.com. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  19. ↑ "Logo competition". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 31 October 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  20. ↑ "Logo competition - we have a winner!". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  21. ↑ Humphries, Matthew. "Raspberry Pi selects a very clever logo". geek.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  22. ↑ "Announcing Our Million-Pound Education Charity Fund". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  23. ↑ "EDUCATION FUND". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  24. ↑ "Raspberry Pi Foundation's Carrie Anne Philbin earns MBE for services to education". Cambridge Independent. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  25. ↑ "Putting a Code Club in every community". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  26. ↑ "Pi's the limit: Merger aims to create more kid coders" . Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  27. ↑ Horsey, Julian (3 November 2015). "Raspberry Pi Foundation And Code Club UK Join Forces To Help Children Code". Geeky Gadgets. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  28. ↑ "Raspberry Pi Foundation and CoderDojo to code club together". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  29. ↑ Gorey, Colm (26 May 2017). "CoderDojo and Raspberry Pi join forces to create coding giant". Silicon Republic. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  30. ↑ Sentance, Sue (28 October 2019). "The Raspberry Pi Foundation and Bebras". Raspberry Pi Foundation. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  31. ↑ "Hello World". Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  32. ↑ Calvin, Alex (17 January 2023). "Four years and 70 issues later: Why Wireframe magazine is closing down". Games Industry.biz. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
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