Germany invests €500,000 in Flatpak as Europe takes another step toward digital sovereignty

Published Aug 27, 2026, 11:36 PM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary Germany's Sovereign Tech Agency invests €508,640 in Flatpak to fund two years of development. Funding targets security and sandboxing gaps—audio/mic separation, networking, and VPN Portals need work. Part of Europe's push for digital sovereignty; builds on earlier €1M KDE funding to reduce external dependence. Flatpaks are very much a "love them or hate them" kind of affair. Personally, after I used an atomic OS for a good part of half a year, I like them; they're easy to set up, come with no dependencies, and are simple to delete if you don't want them anymore. However, there is room for improvement, which is why the German Sovereign Tech Agency has just invested just over €500,000 to help it evolve into something bigger. Germany invests €508,640 into Flatpak development It's part of a larger plan to achieve digital sovereignty Over on the Modal website, the company has announced a €508,640 investment into Flatpak from the German Sovereign Tech Agency via its Sovereign Tech Fund initiative. The goal is to give the project an injection of funds over the span of two years, which will allow the team to reach out to experienced developers and bring them on board to work on Flatpak. So, why did the tech agency decide to invest? Well, they first cite issues with how Flatpak is going right now: Flatpak is a mature project and the best option that exists on GNU/Linux today, but its security and sandboxing features still trail behind those of well-funded proprietary platforms such as Android and iOS. Certain technical limitations persist, such as the inability to separate audio output from microphone access—and several critical areas, including networking and VPNs, still lack dedicated Portals. Second, this is part of a larger push to gain digital sovereignty. European countries want to cut ties with tech from outside of the continent to better protect themselves and their technology against a choppy political climate. We've already seen the Sovereign Tech Fund give €1 million to KDE to help flesh it out as a major competitor to Windows and iOS, and now with this investment into Flatpak, it might be enough to encourage Europe to take back their own digital dependence.