Microsoft is said to be in talks to buy GitHub, a popular online repository for software code, with an announcement possible this coming week.
Why it matters: Microsoft, which once saw open source as its enemy, has done a full 180. Its Azure cloud operating system treats Linux as a first class citizen and the company is increasingly trying to appeal to all developers. Buying GitHub would get it even tighter with that crowd.
- Several media outlets have reported the deal is all but done, which also is what a source tells Axios.
- Another source close to the situation; however, says that there is a lot of misinformation floating about (which may refer to a reported $5 billion price-tag, as opposed to the deal itself).
The backdrop: Founded in 2008, San Francisco-based GitHub only raised outside funding twice, most recently at a valuation of around $2 billion. Investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, IVP and Thrive Capital.
