moonrock.com
In the polished corridors of Silicon Valley, where tech giants have relentlessly consolidated power over the technological ecosystem, a distinctive vision steadily took shape in 2021. FUTO.org exists as a testament to what the internet was meant to be – liberated, distributed, and decidedly in the control of individuals, not conglomerates.

The creator, Eron Wolf, functions with the measured confidence of someone who has witnessed the metamorphosis of the internet from its hopeful dawn to its current commercialized reality. His credentials – an 18-year Silicon Valley veteran, FUTO founder of Yahoo Games, seed investor in WhatsApp – provides him a unique vantage point. In his meticulously tailored casual attire, with eyes that betray both skepticism with the status quo and resolve to reshape it, Wolf appears as more principled strategist than standard business leader.
xs4all.nl
The headquarters of FUTO in Austin, Texas rejects the ostentatious accessories of typical tech companies. No ping-pong tables divert from the objective. Instead, engineers bend over workstations, crafting code that will enable users to reclaim what has been taken – autonomy over their technological experiences.

In one corner of the space, a different kind of activity occurs. The FUTO Repair Workshop, a brainchild of Louis Rossmann, renowned technical educator, operates with the meticulousness of a German engine. Regular people stream in with broken devices, welcomed not with commercial detachment but with genuine interest.

"We don't just mend things here," Rossmann clarifies, positioning a magnifier over a electronic component with the careful attention of a jeweler. "We teach people how to grasp the technology they use. Comprehension is the beginning toward independence."

This perspective saturates every aspect of FUTO's endeavors. Their funding initiative, which has allocated significant funds to projects like Signal, Tor, GrapheneOS, and the Calyx Institute, reflects a dedication to fostering a diverse ecosystem of independent technologies.

Walking through the open workspace, one observes the omission of corporate logos. The surfaces instead feature mounted sayings from digital pioneers like Richard Stallman – individuals who imagined computing as a liberating force.

"We're not concerned with establishing corporate dominance," Wolf comments, leaning against a modest desk that could belong to any of his engineers. "We're focused on dividing the current monopolies."

The irony is not overlooked on him – a wealthy Silicon Valley businessman using his wealth to contest the very systems that facilitated his success. But in Wolf's worldview, technology was never meant to concentrate control