What an incredible journey it’s been! As we sit here reflecting on FuriLabs’ path from our humble beginnings in October 2023 to where we are today, we can hardly believe how far we’ve come. When we started this journey to create a truly open Linux smartphone experience with FuriOS, we knew the road ahead would be challenging. From those early development days to launching our website in June 2024 and beyond, we’re absolutely thrilled to share just how much we’ve accomplished together.

Defying the Statistics

Let’s be honest, the startup world is brutal. Studies show that roughly 90% of startups fail within their first year, with many citing funding issues, market problems, or team conflicts as primary reasons. Yet here we are, nearly two years after we began this journey in October 2023, not just surviving but thriving! From those early days building our first phone concepts to launching our website in June 2024, we’ve proven that focused determination can overcome incredible odds.

Building Something Real, Sustainably

One of our proudest achievements is completing our first year’s taxes, a milestone that might sound mundane but represents something profound. We’ve built a real, sustainable business without relying on external investors or crowdfunding campaigns. Every step forward has been earned through genuine market validation and community support. That’s not just rare in today’s startup ecosystem, it’s practically revolutionary.

Even more remarkable?

We released many new features like battery life improvements and a custom camera app. On top of that we navigated this entire year, with it’s huge stresses, without any internal team conflicts or people issues.
Our small but mighty team has remained focused, collaborative, and passionate about our mission. In an industry where founder disputes and team implosions are common cautionary tales, we’re proof that aligned vision and shared values can create something truly special.

The FLX1 Journey: Learning and Evolving

Our first device, the FLX1, completely sold out! While it was based on a slightly modified ODM design (similar to some Gigaset models), it served as the perfect proof of concept. We intentionally kept quantities small, learning invaluable lessons about manufacturing, customer needs, and market dynamics. When business realities and availability constraints made continuing that line impractical, we didn’t see it as a setback, rather, we saw it as our graduation.

Enter the FLX1s: Our Next Evolution

The FLX1 experience paved the way for something even better: the FLX1s. Working with a new ODM, we’ve moved beyond mass-produced designs that we had no control over, to create something uniquely ours. Yes, economies of scale mean we had to make some tough choices about certain features from the FLX1, but the result is a sleeker, more modern device that truly represents our vision.

Community: Our Secret Weapon

Perhaps our greatest achievement isn’t hardware at all, it’s the incredible community that’s grown around FuriLabs. We’ve fostered a space that’s non-toxic, genuinely helpful, and refreshingly informative. In a world where online communities often devolve into arguments and negativity, ours has become a beacon of collaborative problem-solving and mutual support. This community isn’t just using our products; they’re actively shaping the future of open mobile computing.

Supply Chain Mastery and Global Reach

Behind the scenes, we’ve solved complex challenges that would have derailed less determined companies. Our current ODM partnership eliminates the supply chain uncertainties that plagued our first device. We’ve mastered the intricacies of global shipping, developed deep manufacturing expertise, and built processes that scale. These might not be glamorous achievements, but they’re the foundation everything else is built on. While we can never predict every challenge the future might bring, we’re confident that the solid groundwork we’ve laid means supply chain disruptions won’t be the roadblock that stops our momentum.

The Future is Blazing Bright

As we ship the FLX1s in November 2025 and prepare for what comes next, we can finally shift from survival mode to growth mode. The foundation is solid, the community is thriving, and the possibilities are endless. We’re not just participants in the mobile Linux ecosystem anymore. We are actively shaping its future.

Future feature enhancements that seemed impossible twelve months ago are now not just possible but inevitable. We’ve proven that a small, focused team with a clear vision can compete with giants and win by being genuinely different, genuinely better.

Thank You, and Here’s to Year Three!

To everyone who believed in us, purchased a device, contributed to our community, or simply cheered us on, this success belongs to all of us. We started this journey because we believed smartphones could be more open, more private, and more user-controlled. One year later, we’re not just proving that belief was right, we’re making it reality.

The statistics said we’d probably fail. The industry said mobile Linux would never work. The skeptics said we’d never ship.

They were wrong. We’re just getting started.

Here’s to year three, and to changing the world one FuriOS device at a time!

Ready to be part of the revolution? The FLX1s is shipping soon, and trust us , you don’t want to miss this one.