Spain invests in open-source AI design platform Penpot
Public funding will help Kaleidos expand its AI ready interface design platform.
The Spanish Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service has announced a €1.92 million investment in Kaleidos to accelerate development of its open-source interface design platform, Penpot, as part of a €6.9 million public and private funding round.
According to the Ministry, the investment is intended to strengthen European digital sovereignty by supporting an open-source alternative to dominant foreign interface design software. Penpot combines design and software development in a single platform while supporting collaborative workflows and generative AI applications.
Founded in 2011, Kaleidos originally developed Penpot as an internal innovation project. The company plans to use the funding to expand its commercial operations and paid services. It says the platform treats design as code, enabling integration with multiple AI tools rather than a single proprietary ecosystem.
The investment is being made through the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation’s Next Tech facility, supported by the EU Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. According to the ministry, the initiative is intended to promote innovation, open-source technologies and Europe’s digital autonomy while reinforcing Spain’s role as the project’s base.
Why does it matter?
The investment illustrates how governments are increasingly using industrial policy to strengthen digital sovereignty by supporting open-source alternatives to dominant proprietary technologies. Rather than relying solely on regulation, European countries are also investing directly in technologies they see as strategically important for innovation and technological resilience.
The focus on an AI-compatible, open-source platform also reflects growing demand for tools that combine collaborative software development with flexible AI integration. Supporting interoperable platforms could help reduce vendor lock-in while encouraging a more diverse and competitive European digital ecosystem.
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