More than seven years have passed since the introduction of contemporary containerization, yet it continues to demand a sophisticated toolkit and a thorough understanding of container functionality. The DockerSlim project, an open-source initiative developed several years ago, originated from a desire to simplify this process for software developers.

Slim.ai, a new company aiming to create a commercial offering based on the open-source project, today announced a $6.6 million seed funding round led by Boldstart Ventures, with participation from Decibel Partners, FXP Ventures and TechAviv Founder Partners.

John Amaral, co-founder and CEO of the company, states that he and fellow co-founder and CTO Kyle Quest have collaborated for years. However, it was Quest who initially created and maintained DockerSlim. “Our collaboration centered around a project Kyle developed called DockerSlim. He is the original author, the inventor, and until the formation of this company, the sole maintainer of that community,” Amaral clarified.

When Quest initially built DockerSlim in 2015, he was working extensively with Docker containers and sought a method to automate several of the more intricate tasks associated with their management. “My intention was to address my own challenges and the issues my team faced when working with containers. Containers represented an exciting new technology, but required significant specialized knowledge to construct production-ready applications, a level of expertise not always present on every team,” he explained.

He initially designed the tool to enhance container images, but his focus expanded to encompass other stages of the DevOps lifecycle, including authoring, building, deployment, and operation. As he explored these areas, he recognized the potential for establishing a commercial enterprise built upon the open-source project.

Quest emphasizes that while the open-source project serves as a foundation, he and Amaral envision numerous opportunities for expansion. “Integrating it into a developer’s workflow requires consideration of various systems, including different container registries and cloud platforms. […] A solution capable of addressing these needs is essential, and achieving this solely through an open-source tool presents challenges, creating an opportunity to deliver enhanced value through a commercial product,” Quest stated.

Ed Sim, founder and general partner at Boldstart Ventures, a seed investor, believes the company is introducing innovation to a technology sector that has seen limited progress, while also empowering developers with greater control. “Slim can move these processes earlier in the development cycle and equip developers with the tools to resolve key questions, enabling them to build containers, deploy them to production, and then allow DevOps teams to manage them effectively,” he said.

Currently comprised of 15 individuals including the founders, Amaral highlights the importance of building a diverse and inclusive company, which is why one of his first hires was a head of culture. “One of the first few people we brought on board was our head of culture. We have dedicated this role within our company, and she is an exceptional and dedicated individual focused on fostering a positive culture. To me, culture and diversity are intrinsically linked,” he said.

The company is still in the initial phases of product development. Simultaneously, they continue to support the open-source project and cultivate a community around it, hoping to leverage this as a catalyst for interest in their forthcoming commercial product, anticipated to be available later this year.