45Drives, a leader in open source storage solutions from homelab to enterprise, announced a strategic partnership with Lime Technology, Inc., the makers of Unraid OS. The collaboration will introduce the 45HomeLab >< Unraid Signature Series, a new line of servers designed for self-hosters and homelab enthusiasts, launching in Spring 2026. These systems are jointly engineered by both teams, with hardware components carefully selected, built, validated, and tested to ensure tight integration with Unraid OS. An Unraid Lifetime license will come pre-installed on all systems, directly from 45HomeLab manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada.
This partnership brings together two companies with over two decades of experience designing infrastructure that prioritizes durability, flexibility, and user control. Both organizations share a belief that storage and compute platforms should remain open and adaptable over time, supporting growth and change without vendor lock-in. "This strategic partnership reflects how we think about infrastructure across all 45Drives divisions," said Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives. "We design systems to be owned, expanded, and adapted over many years. The open-source Linux based foundation of Unraid OS aligns closely with that philosophy."
Unraid OS, created in 2005, is known for its flexibility, allowing users to combine storage devices of varying sizes while maintaining control over data, applications, and virtualized workloads. Tiffany Jones, CEO of Lime Technology, stated, "Unraid was created to give people long-term freedom over their hardware and their data. That philosophy aligns closely with how 45Drives approaches infrastructure. Together, we’re giving builders and professionals a validated platform that can evolve with their needs."
The 45HomeLab >< Unraid Signature Series marks the first phase of the partnership, establishing a validated and fully supported hardware foundation for Unraid users. 45HomeLab delivers premium, North American–manufactured homelab systems built on the enterprise heritage of 45Drives’ Enterprise division, carrying forward the same architectural philosophy, direct-wired design, and long-term serviceability standards. By starting with 45HomeLab, both organizations are aligning with a highly engaged technical community that values performance, flexibility, and ownership. This initial phase allows the companies to deliver tightly integrated systems while gathering real-world feedback for future expansion into professional and creative markets.
Both 45Drives and Lime Technology are rooted in builder culture, serving hands-on users who value performance, transparency, and control. Drive expansion, new workloads, and changing use cases are expected. Hardware designed to last pairs naturally with software built to evolve on the same system for years. Discover more about the partnership and be the first to know when pre-orders go live by signing up here.
About 45Drives: 45Drives designs and manufactures open, high-performance storage and server solutions for builders, businesses, and institutions worldwide, focusing on transparency, open-source principles, and long-term ownership. About Lime Technology, Inc.: Founded in 2005, Lime Technology is the creator of Unraid OS, the most flexible and easy-to-use NAS operating system on the market, developed in San Diego, California and supported by a global community of users and contributors.
