The partnership between 45Drives and Lime Technology, Inc. will introduce the 45HomeLab >< Unraid Signature Series, a new line of servers for self-hosters and homelab enthusiasts launching in Spring 2026. These systems are jointly engineered 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 from manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada.
Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives, stated that the partnership reflects how the company thinks about infrastructure across all divisions. "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," Milburn said. "Tightly integrating it into 45Drives platforms gives customers a trusted, validated path to build and grow their systems without sacrificing control or long-term flexibility."
Tiffany Jones, CEO of Lime Technology, emphasized the alignment between the companies' philosophies. "Unraid was created to give people long-term freedom over their hardware and their data. That philosophy aligns closely with how 45Drives approaches infrastructure," Jones said. "Together, we're giving builders and professionals a validated platform that can evolve with their needs instead of being replaced as requirements change."
The 45HomeLab >< Unraid Signature Series marks the first stage of the strategic 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. These systems carry forward the same architectural philosophy, direct-wired design, and long-term serviceability standards used in enterprise deployments, tailored for advanced home users and technical enthusiasts.
Both organizations share more than two decades of experience designing infrastructure that prioritizes durability, flexibility, and user control. They believe storage and compute platforms should remain open and adaptable over time, supporting growth and change without vendor lock-in. By starting with 45HomeLab, both companies are aligning with a highly engaged technical community that values performance, flexibility, and ownership. This initial phase allows the companies to deliver tightly integrated, validated systems while gathering real-world feedback that will inform future expansion into professional and creative markets.
Unraid OS was created in 2005 to solve real-world storage challenges and has grown into one of the most flexible and approachable NAS operating systems available. Developed by Lime Technology, Inc., a family-owned and operated company headquartered in San Diego, Unraid enables users to combine storage devices of varying sizes and types while maintaining full control over data, applications, and virtualized workloads. Discover more about the partnership at https://unraid.net/blog/45homelabxunraid.
