Technology people can truly own—private, durable, and local-first.
Tech of Our Own is building non-extractive consumer technology that gives people control of their devices, data, and intelligence. We start with OurBox, a local-first personal server and personal AI system you can own outright.
Vision
A world where people own their technology—their devices, their data, and their intelligence— without surveillance, lock-in, or dependency on extractive companies.
We want consumer technology to feel like tools you can trust: local-first, repairable, understandable, and built to serve human life for decades.
Mission
Tech of Our Own exists to build non-extractive consumer technology that makes people more capable, more private, and more free.
- Ship local-first products that keep personal data and computation under the user’s control.
- Build in public with open-source defaults, auditable security, and shared knowledge.
- Design for long life through repairability, upgrade paths, and long-term support.
- Refuse dependency business models: no subscriptions, no hostage mechanics, no data sales.
- Structure governance so users and workers are represented and benefit.
Who we are
Stakeholder-led company
We are a mission-locked organization that recognizes three stakeholder groups: users, workers, and the founder. Users and workers are constitutionally represented in governance and share in the company’s success.
Governed for longevity
Our constitution and board operations documents define non-negotiables, transparent governance, and long-term stewardship so the company cannot drift into extraction or lock-in.
What we do
OurBox, the first flagship
OurBox is our starting point: a local-first personal server and personal AI system that runs at home, keeps data private, and stays useful without a subscription.
Future product categories
The mission extends to any future product category where people need technology that respects them—phones, appliances, robotics, and beyond—while keeping ownership and autonomy intact.
Non-negotiables
No subscriptions. Ever.
We will not charge recurring fees for consumer features, access, updates, or core functionality.
Local-first forever
Core product functionality must work locally without reliance on TOOO-operated services.
No hostage mechanics
Users are never forced to pay ongoing fees to access their devices, data, or safety features.
User data is not a product
No sale of user data, no behavioral advertising, and no hidden telemetry.
Open source by default
Core software is open-source with auditable security and reproducible processes.
Right to repair
We design for durability, publish repair guidance, and support long-life product paths.
Exit to self-sufficiency
Interoperability and exportability ensure people can operate without us over time.
Governance model
Board of Stewards (7 seats)
- 3 seats elected by users.
- 3 seats elected by workers.
- 1 Mission Guardian seat protecting the mission lock.
Protected matters—like adding subscriptions, selling data, or weakening the mission lock—require approval from user stewards, worker stewards, and the Mission Guardian.
Board operating rules
- Meets at least every six months with clear quorum rules.
- Three standing committees: Security & Privacy, Audit & Sustainability, Governance & Community.
- Transparent reporting on elections, reserves, and major votes.
Founder stewardship period
10-year founding stewardship
The Founder serves as Founding Steward for 10 years, holding final authority over non-protected operational decisions to enable speed and ambition while honoring constitutional limits.
Limits still apply
Even during founder stewardship, protected matters and non-negotiables remain in force. The Board oversees protected decisions, dividend calculations, transparency obligations, and removal for cause.
Shared surplus & transparency
Annual dividend
Each year we publish a Dividend Pool: free cash flow minus required reserves and minimum reinvestment. The pool is split between founder (declining to zero over 30 years), users, and workers.
Plain-language reporting
We publish annual governance reports, reserve status, dividend distributions, and high-level financial summaries so members can see how the mission is being upheld.