The partnership between 45Drives and Lime Technology, Inc. will introduce the 45HomeLab >< Unraid Signature Series, a new line of servers purpose-built for self-hosters and homelab enthusiasts launching in Spring 2026. These systems are jointly engineered by the 45HomeLab and Lime Technology teams, 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, directly from 45HomeLab manufacturing facilities located in the United States and Canada.
The partnership brings together two companies with more than two decades of experience designing infrastructure that prioritizes durability, flexibility, and user control. Both organizations share a belief that storage and compute platforms should remain open and adaptable over time, supporting growth and change without vendor lock-in. This alignment is significant as it addresses growing concerns about proprietary systems that limit user autonomy and force costly upgrades.
Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives, stated that the strategic 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. Tiffany Jones, CEO of Lime Technology, added, "Unraid was created to give people long-term freedom over their hardware and their data. That philosophy aligns closely with how 45Drives approaches infrastructure. 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 of server platforms 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 45HomeLab and Unraid have built a strong and highly engaged community within the homelab space and have established themselves as respected brands among technical users. 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 companies to deliver tightly integrated, validated systems while gathering real-world feedback that will inform future expansion into professional and creative markets.
Both companies are rooted in builder culture, serving hands-on users who value performance, transparency, and control. Drive expansion, new workloads, and changing use cases are expected - not treated as edge cases. Hardware designed to last pairs naturally with software built to evolve on the same system for years. 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.
This partnership matters because it represents a shift toward infrastructure solutions that prioritize user sovereignty and long-term value over planned obsolescence. For homelab enthusiasts, IT professionals, and small businesses, this means access to systems that can grow organically with their needs rather than requiring complete replacements. The integration addresses the fragmentation often experienced when combining hardware and software from different vendors, providing a cohesive solution with joint engineering support. More information about the partnership is available at https://unraid.net/blog/45homelabxunraid.
