We're excited to share some big news from our partners at the Ruby Association: the launch of the RubyGems.org Supporters Program in Japan.
Starting this October, the Ruby Association will serve as a local liaison for Japanese companies who wish to support RubyGems.org. This means their domestic sponsors can now contribute in Japanese Yen through a familiar organization, removing a real barrier that has kept many companies in Japan from supporting the infrastructure their teams rely on every day.
What This Means
RubyGems.org is critical infrastructure for the global Ruby community, and its long term sustainability depends on broad, diverse support. This partnership opens the door for Japanese companies, many of whom have used Ruby and Rails for years, to formally invest in the ecosystem that powers their work.
The program offers two tiers, RubyGems.org Supporters and RubyGems.org Supporters Plus, with fees payable in JPY. The inaugural period runs from October 2026 through March 2027, aligned with the Ruby Association's fiscal year, and includes an adjusted rate for that first partial cycle.
Funds raised through the program, minus a small administrative fee retained by the Ruby Association, will come directly to Ruby Central and go toward RubyGems.org's operations, infrastructure, and security. We're committed to sharing regular, transparent updates on how these funds are used.
Our Thanks
This program is the result of months of collaboration between our two organizations, and we're grateful to everyone at the Ruby Association who made this a reality. It reflects something we believe deeply: that RubyGems.org belongs to the whole global Ruby community, and its future should be supported by that whole community too.
If you're a company in Japan interested in joining, full details on benefits and how to apply will be available on the Ruby Association's website ahead of the October launch. You can read their full announcement here.
About the Ruby Association
The Ruby Association is a Japanese nonprofit that supports the growth and development of the Ruby language and its community. Based in Matsue, Japan, the birthplace of Ruby, the organization works closely with Ruby's creator, Yukihiro "Matz" Matsumoto, and runs programs spanning certification, grants, and community outreach both in Japan and internationally.
Thank you for supporting Ruby, wherever in the world you're building with it.