- Jolla, the team behind the Sailfish OS smartphone platform, has finally become profitable.
- The milestone was reached after almost 10 years in business.
Jolla was formed in 2011 after Nokia canceled its MeeGo smartphone platform in favor of Windows Phone, with the Sailfish OS platform emerging as a result. This has somehow endured beyond Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 to remain one of the few Android alternatives on the market.
Now, TechCrunch has reported that after almost 10 years, Jolla has become profitable in 2020. The company reportedly saw revenues grow 53% year-on-year and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) of 34%.
“Jolla is doing fine,” CEO and co-founder Sami Pienimäki was quoted as saying by the outlet. “I’m happy to see the company turning profitable last year officially.”
The company has offered its Sailfish OS smartphone platform to users for a few years now. Consumers can opt for a free trial or spend €49.90 on a version that comes with Android app support, predictive text support, software updates, and more. Jolla has also been licensing its smartphone platform to governments and businesses.
Related: The rise and fall of Android’s biggest competitors over the last decade
Its latest product is AppSupport for Linux Platforms, bringing Android app support to Linux-based platforms such as automotive infotainment systems and other embedded systems.
Harmony OS is another recent alternative mobile platform, but Pienimäki told TechCrunch that he doesn’t see Huawei’s platform as a rival.
“I wouldn’t necessarily see Huawei coming out with the Harmony OS value proposition and the technology as a competitor to us — I think it’s more proving the point that there is appetite in the market for something else than Android itself.”
Either way, we’re glad to see Jolla turning a profit in 2020. Sailfish OS might be a very niche proposition in the smartphone space and the company is diversifying its business, but healthy mobile OS alternatives are always welcomed.