Laravel Holdings Inc. is the company behind the Laravel framework, a popular open-source PHP-based web application framework. Founded by Taylor Otwell in 2011, Laravel is designed to simplify the development process for web applications through an elegant syntax and comprehensive toolkit. The framework follows the model-view-controller (MVC) architectural pattern and is based on Symfony.
Laravel was created as an advanced alternative to the CodeIgniter framework, addressing its limitations such as the lack of built-in support for user authentication and authorization. The first release of Laravel was in June 2011, and it has since evolved through multiple versions, each introducing new features and improvements. Over the years, Laravel has grown significantly in popularity, becoming a preferred choice for developers building full-stack web applications.
Laravel recently raised $57 million in Series A funding from Accel Partners LP. This funding marks the first time Laravel has raised external capital in its 13-year history. The investment aims to expand Laravel's team, support open-source development, and develop new products like Laravel Cloud. Despite this being their first funding round, Laravel was already profitable before seeking external capital.
Laravel Framework: A robust PHP framework with features like routing, authentication, caching, and more.
Laravel Forge: A server management tool for deploying PHP applications.
Laravel Vapor: A serverless deployment platform for Laravel applications.
The recent funding will support the development of Laravel Cloud, a fully managed platform designed to simplify web application deployment.
Recent developments include the introduction of Inertia 2.0 and a first-party VS Code extension, both resulting from increased open-source engineering capacity. These tools aim to enhance developer productivity and streamline application development.
Laravel is deeply committed to open-source principles. The company invests heavily in maintaining and improving its open-source projects while generating revenue through additional services like training, conferences, and software-as-a-service products. Taylor Otwell remains at the helm as CEO, ensuring that the company's values align with community needs.
Laravel boasts a diverse user base that includes major companies such as Apple Inc., OpenAI, Block Inc., Zillow Group Inc., OpenTable Inc., Motorola Solutions Inc., and Pfizer Inc.. The Laravel community is vibrant and active, supported by events like Laracon conferences which foster collaboration and innovation among developers worldwide.
