Patchstack Rejected as WordCamp Europe 2025 Sponsor Due to Lack of "Significant" WordPress Contributions
Patchstack CEO, Oliver Sild, revealed on X (formerly Twitter) an email from WordCamp Central explaining their rejection as a WordCamp Europe 2025 sponsor. The email, penned by Felipe Santos, outlined a revised sponsorship process.
[Image: Screenshot of email from WordCamp Central]Santos detailed a shift from a first-come, first-served model to one prioritizing company contributions and relationships with WordPress. He emphasized that "sponsoring WordCamps is a privilege" and encouraged Patchstack to pledge to Five for the Future to demonstrate commitment. Eligibility would be reconsidered after "significant contributions" were made.
Sild countered that the applied-for sponsorship tier still had open slots and that accepted companies also lacked Five for the Future pledges. Patchstack, a prominent WordPress security firm, secured $5 million in Series A funding in 2024. They identified 76% of known WordPress security vulnerabilities, becoming the largest CVE Naming Authority by volume in 2023. Their Zero-Day Bug Bounty Program awarded a record-breaking $14,400.
Sild explained that Patchstack previously contributed to Five for the Future until their designated employee left. He cited other contributions: reporting vulnerabilities, ensuring ecosystem security, and operating a managed VDP platform (developed with the EU). "Over 50% of all new security vulnerability disclosures in the WordPress ecosystem were found & reported by our community of security researchers," Sild shared, adding that Patchstack handled all validation and triage for free (4566 vulnerabilities in 2024 alone).
Notably, Five for the Future isn’t mentioned in the WordCamp Sponsorship Handbook, Agreement, or WordCamp Europe’s Call for Sponsors. Sponsorships for the 2025 event remain open.
Sild’s post drew widespread criticism and community support. Various community members expressed outrage and disappointment with the decision and process.
Matt Mullenweg called the email "crappy," promising to investigate. He acknowledged its inaccuracy and thanked Sild and Patchstack for their contributions to WordPress.
[Image: Matt Mullenweg’s comment]WordCamp Europe, previously criticized for diversity issues, faces its first major sponsorship controversy. The organizing team deferred to WordCamp Central, which manages sponsorships. (Updates from Patchstack and WordCamp Central are pending.)
Update: Disappointed, Sild stated WordCamp EU was Patchstack’s "home base," requiring altered plans for their 20-person team. He confirmed continued involvement in various European WordCamps and potential side events or a new developer conference. Sild noted other companies sponsoring without Five for the Future involvement, receiving no clarification despite inquiries, including about Matt’s comment on the email’s inaccuracy. Patchstack subsequently pledged to Five for the Future, sponsoring three contributors for four hours weekly across various teams.
Full Text of the Email Received by Oliver Sild & Team:
[Full email text as in original]Source Link
