The strategic partnership between 45Drives and Lime Technology, Inc. will result in the 45HomeLab >< Unraid Signature Series, a new line of servers specifically designed for self-hosters and homelab enthusiasts scheduled for launch in Spring 2026. These systems represent a joint engineering effort where hardware components are carefully selected, built, validated, and tested to ensure tight integration with Unraid OS. Every system will come with an Unraid Lifetime license pre-installed directly from manufacturing facilities located in the United States and Canada.
Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives, explained that this collaboration reflects the company's broader infrastructure philosophy. The company designs systems to be owned, expanded, and adapted over many years, and the open-source Linux foundation of Unraid OS aligns closely with that principle. Tightly integrating the operating system into 45Drives platforms provides customers with 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 philosophical alignment between the two organizations. Unraid was created to give people long-term freedom over their hardware and data, a goal that matches how 45Drives approaches infrastructure. Together, they are providing builders and professionals with a validated platform capable of evolving with their needs rather than requiring replacement as requirements change.
The 45HomeLab >< Unraid Signature Series constitutes the first stage of this partnership, establishing a validated and fully supported hardware foundation for Unraid users. 45HomeLab delivers premium, North American–manufactured homelab systems built upon 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, now tailored for advanced home users and technical enthusiasts.
Both companies bring more than two decades of experience designing infrastructure that prioritizes durability, flexibility, and user control. They share a belief that storage and compute platforms should remain open and adaptable over time, supporting growth and change without imposing vendor lock-in. 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 delivery of tightly integrated, validated systems while gathering real-world feedback to inform future expansion into professional and creative markets.
Unraid OS, created in 2005 to solve real-world storage challenges, has grown into one of the most flexible and approachable NAS operating systems available. Developed by Lime Technology, Inc., a family-owned company based 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. Further details about the partnership are available at https://unraid.net/blog/45homelabxunraid.
