Umbraco Shines on Sustainability and Growth in Third Annual Impact Report

If you feel like our world is in trouble, you're not alone.

I don’t need to cite any sources to reinforce this sentiment. Just open any news app on your phone and you’ll be treated to some of the worst parts of reality, from environmental crises to social injustice. Heck, our thirst for ChatGPT is borderline criminal when you consider that generating a 100-word email consumes a 500-ml bottle of water.

At the same time, hope springs eternal. We see it every day in random acts of kindness. Sometimes, it’s even expressed in the work of large organizations, where the real scale and potential of altruism can be felt.

If you look hard enough, you’ll be reminded that individuals, businesses, and communities are making a positive impact on our planet. Celebrating these achievements is one small way we can contribute to the growth of good.

While many technology companies are vocal proponents of human-centered causes like sustainability and equality, some are a little better at putting their words into action. 

And then there’s Umbraco.

For this Danish content management system provider, the mantle of “The Friendly CMS” goes beyond how its users feel about its products and services. It’s constantly punching up when it comes to growth, not just on the business side of the ledger but also with its impact on this miraculous blue marble we call Earth – and the people living across it.

But being friendly is precisely how this remarkable company, a pioneer in the pantheon of modern CMS platforms, has always established its differentiation. As Umbraco community member Hudson Maul observed while designing mockups for the company’s website back in 2006: “Everything about Umbraco is friendly. The UX, the community, and the pricing.”

A big part of that friendliness also lies with Umbraco’s investment in being open source. 20 years ago, the .NET platform first embraced this democratized posture, a move that ignited a global pool of more than 250,000 builders to rally behind its brand, building more than a million websites on the platform. That cohort was emphatically vocal during this year’s CMS Critic Awards, helping Umbraco earn coveted awards in multiple categories.

There are many other ways that Umbraco is doubling down on its goals, and it’s all documented in its third annual Impact Report. Written with thought and intention, this comprehensive overview is all about transparency, synthesizing the company’s business and financial performance with its commitment and responsibility to the CMS industry and the world at large. 

I did a deep-dive analysis of Umbraco's 2023 report and found it both informative and enlightening. While I was familiar with some of the environmental data trends, it challenged me to think differently about the weight of the internet, and how content management and cloud technologies are contributing to the increase in CO2 emissions. As the report crystallized, even making small adjustments to our habits – and to how we build and maintain websites – can make a difference.

Of course, we all have to do our part. And it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that having a viable business is key to supporting these kinds of initiatives. But being good stewards of our world is good business, and Umbraco is illustrating that.

I’ve tried to summarize a few of the standouts from the latest report. It was a big year for the CMS (one that included a new CEO taking the wheel) so there’s a lot to glean. As such, I recommend perusing it yourself. It’s a great primer for how any company can convey the right balance of messaging around doing business – and doing good. 

Growth built on openness 

2024 was, by all financial measures, a banner year for Umbraco. The company experienced significant growth, with revenue increasing by 38% from 2023. This was driven largely by the successful implementation of a few key initiatives and the continued investment in enhancing services and expanding reach. 

The report is chock full of visual metrics highlighting 2024's growth track in key areas. One chart zeroes in on its Platinum Partner performance, which culminates in one professional Umbraco site being produced every hour worldwide. Another illustrates that a quarter of Umbraco's business is now represented by the U.S. market, where it continues to eye greater opportunity.

Umbraco's business breakdown by region. Source: Umbraco 2024 Impact Report

Umbraco Cloud was also a game changer, increasing in popularity among partners and end clients and contributing to the bottom line. Growth was also fueled by the acquisition of new partners, direct clients, and strong engagement from its existing network.

Given the rapid pace of change we’re all seeing – due in no small part to the rise of artificial intelligence – Umbraco has reinforced its posture around flexibility, openness, and innovation to meet this new reality. As such, the company is focusing on four key areas to guide future transformation: generative AI, search, personalization, and orchestration.

The report goes into deeper detail in each of these areas, but it’s worth noting how Umbraco views the essential role of personalization – powered by AI – as it evolves beyond recommendation engines and dynamic content. As they contend, enterprises that embrace hyperpersonalization, AI-driven decision-making, and real-time content adaptation will stand out in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.

However, there's a dark side to this data gold rush, with many enterprises ending up in “analysis paralysis.” As the report reflects, personalization tools can be complex and overwhelming, and there’s a need to strike a balance with everything. This is where the company’s investment in thought leadership, support, and mindshare is proving valuable.

To realize its ambitions in these areas, Umbraco acquired uMarketingSuite last August – a popular add-on tool for advanced marketing analytics, customer insights, A/B testing, and personalization. The acquisition enabled Umbraco to offer a first-party alternative to web analytics and profiling, content variant testing, and broader personalization. In November, it was fully integrated into its system and rebranded as Umbraco Engage.

Two other major product launches occurred in 2024. In May, Umbraco 14 came to life with a modern, fully re-architected back office designed for customization and extensibility. Just a few months later, Umbraco 15 followed, built on the latest Microsoft .NET 9 core. This included HybridCache, which delivers highly efficient content handling for large enterprise websites. 

“Our commitment to flexibility, openness, and innovation ensures that businesses, developers, and content teams can build the digital experiences they need, without being locked into predefined solutions,” said Filip Bech-Larsen, Umbraco’s CTO. “Rather than dictating how innovation happens, we’re building a platform for innovation, where new technologies can be explored, integrated, and adapted as they mature."

A new CEO guiding the vision 

One of Umbraco's biggest changes in 2024 was the shift in command. Last September, ad tech veteran Mats Persson was tapped to guide the company’s next phase of international growth as it looked West to the addressable U.S. marketplace. 

Persson assumed the reins from Kim Sneum-Madsen, who had served as Umbraco’s eponymous “Chief Friend Maker” since 2016 and provided ambassadorial duties to the community at large. In 2019, he ascended to CEO, navigating Umbraco through the unprecedented challenges of a pandemic and its subsequent digital acceleration – tripling headcount and bringing Umbraco Cloud to fruition.

Mats Persson, CEO of Umbraco. Source: Umbraco 2024 Impact Report

I spoke to Persson shortly after he joined Umbraco from Cavai, an award-winning global interactive advertising cloud. We talked about many things, but he zeroed in on the value and freedom that open source brings to the table, and where the opportunities exist for Umbraco in a noisy market space.

“I’ve spent decades working with proprietary software enterprises and start-ups,” he said. “So I am looking forward to applying my experience within an open source CMS company that allows digital organizations the freedom to build exactly what they need. Umbraco is also a truly international company and that’s where I bring particular value, having worked in the UK, US, and Nordics.”

Umbraco will most certainly face challenges. 2025 has proven to be anything but predictable as trade wars and economic headwinds change the calculus. But the company’s established footprint, growing partner network, loyal community, and open source heritage will be key advantages as it faces any turbulence.  

“The strategic foundation laid before my tenure has continued to guide our growth,” he remarked. “I have focused on strengthening our strategic direction, enhancing Umbraco’s product portfolio, and refining our operations, with a clear emphasis on our partners and direct clients. We’re continuing to do what we do best, and raising the bar.”

Strengthening sustainability

I’ve already touched on Umbraco’s unwavering commitment to reducing its impact on the planet, and how this is building traction from 2023’s report. To get a bit more granular surrounding the details, the company has elected to follow the United Nation's published Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

If you’re not familiar, the SDGs encompass 17 stated goals. These cover urgent and existential challenges like eliminating hunger and poverty, but they also include a number of additional categories with deep social and environmental implications. 

Umbraco has aligned around five specific targets that address sustainable infrastructure, climate action, responsible consumption, gender equality, and partnerships. Last year, the company took its first steps in this journey and has chronicled its contributions. According to Persson, Umbraco’s open source community has been a major asset in achieving these UN goals. 

Umbraco has adopted five targets from the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Source: Umbraco 2024 Impact Report

“Umbraco’s open-source community is our superpower,” he commented. “Beyond code contributions, members are helping to shape the future of Umbraco by championing sustainability, diversity, and accessibility: ensuring that the Umbraco CMS platform evolves in a way that benefits everyone.” 

Along those lines, developers and lead engineers from six agency partners continued to steer the Umbraco community’s Sustainability Team, which led to the publication of the Best Practice Guidelines and a sustainability dashboard. These instruments are helping partners show clients how to measure and reduce any CO2 emissions associated with their Umbraco Cloud projects.

In 2024, Umbraco further reduced its CO2 footprint in three key areas, starting with its operational considerations. This included mitigating emissions from physical offices, services, and suppliers. It also focused on its “knowledge impact” by sharing insights designed to help its community and clients reduce their own CO2 output.

Business travel continues to be a major carbon contributor, and Umbraco has taken it seriously. This year, the company plans to reduce business flight emissions by 10% per employee over 2024. It also plans to offset flights to its user events by embracing more hybrid or remote participation.

The company also focused on optimizing its products to help lower energy consumption and improve hosting sustainability. For example, the release of Umbraco 15, built on .NET 9, benefits from the aforementioned HybridCache technology. This will help large, complex, load-balanced sites with high traffic and dynamic content reduce their CO2 by caching content more efficiently – and using less power.

A thriving community with global reach

Umbraco’s open source community continues to be a wellspring of innovation, and is described as being one of the friendliest and most collaborative in the world. Beyond code contributions, members have a voice in shaping the future of Umbraco by championing diversity, sustainability, and accessibility – ensuring the platform evolves in a way that benefits everyone.

When it comes to its vision of open source, Umbraco has endeavored to be open to anyone. That means all users are invited to contribute to its software, regardless of gender, ethnicity, learning differences, or socio-economic status. This further promotes the inclusion of people who are often under-represented in the IT industry.

Umbraco is constantly connected to its community, holding meetups in 60 countries and major events held in the UK, US, Australia, Denmark, and Sweden. Codegarden 2024 was Umbraco’s biggest in-person event yet, bringing together an impressive 832 attendees in Odense and 844 online participants from around the world. 71 speakers took the stage, delivering advanced tech insights, best practices, and future-focused discussions. 

Umbraco has also continued to celebrate its community of talent. Along with its Umbraco Champions Program, it publicly recognizes the top contributors with its Most Valuable Person (MVP) status. Last year, the number climbed to 100, with 23 new MVPs and 77 renewed.

We all like swag, but how much do we need? And what impact is it having on our planet? In what has become an endearing tradition, Umbraco has been bucking the proclivity towards merchandise and giving contributors the choice to have a tree planted instead. The idea is taking root: Last year 10,384 trees were planted in recognition of each community contribution. 

Breathe that in. 

Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion

In a world where DEI practices are under intense scrutiny, many businesses are doubling down on their commitments and citing the validation of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As Umbraco stated in its report, ensuring a safe and welcoming community is key to its success as the company looks to attract both dedicated contributors and those curious about Umbraco. 

Fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace continued to be central to Umbraco’s mission in 2024. This is best illustrated through its talent acquisition: The company’s 140 full-time and 20 part-time employees represent 26 nationalities across a diverse range of ages from 21 to 58. Additionally, 54% of Umbraco’s new hires in 2024 were female and 41% of the Codegarden 2024 speakers were also female.

Umbraco's employee age ranges. Source: Umbraco 2024 Impact Report

More broadly, Umbraco’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community Team supported Umbraco event organizers within its ecosystem, ensuring more equitable gender representation in speaker lineups and much more. 

There are a number of great stories from 2024 that further embody Umbraco’s commitment to people. For example, Luminary – an Umbraco Platinum Partner – provided its Umbraco Fundamentals training to dozens of students at St Benedict’s College in Sri Lanka last January, supporting the UN SDG. The company also hosted nine interns and offered a coding class to local schoolchildren to support the next generation of developers and builders.

Why it matters

We only have one planet – and even though we’re all living on it together, it feels like we’re further apart than ever. That’s why it’s heartening to see companies like Umbraco reinforce their commitment to these kinds of vital programs. They know it’s good for business, and they’re standing by their convictions.

As I said before, this compendium transcends what you might expect from the average annual report. It focuses on transparency and telegraphs how Umbraco's efforts are translating into business growth. By using a collective community voice, it’s also taking a leadership role on critical issues and modeling what responsibility looks like.

On the impact side of the ledger, the report is sounding the alarm around our environment while prescribing a pathway to meet the challenges ahead. Saving our planet is, of course, contingent on taking action – and companies like Umbraco are endeavoring to be bolder in its execution. Bottom line: we have to do better when it comes to preserving our resources, and innovation will unlock the efficiencies to get there. 

Just as I noted in the previous Impact Report, it’s good to see that most of the leading enterprise CMS and DXP vendors are publicly promoting their ESG and DEI commitments. Acquia, for example, continues to execute its own sustainability goals. Last year, the company’s team in India adopted and helped plant 1,200 trees as part of its commitment to environmental stewardship – which includes planting a tree for every new hire. 

It goes without saying that Umbraco's open source nature reflects its progressive thinking. Most of us in the tech game are motivated to achieve financial success, but some companies are balancing a force to capitalize with a need to democratize, and they're doing it successfully. It's entirely possible to grow your business and still give back – you just need to want it badly enough that it guides your mission.

With Umbraco, actions – not words – really stand out, particularly around its hiring and social programs. Substantive outcomes and quantifiable metrics matter, and they demonstrate just how committed a company is to walking its talk. 

And that’s exactly the kind of action we need to keep this world out of trouble. 

Looking for guidance on Umbraco? Talk to an expert.

Upcoming Events

The Composable Conference 2025

April 22-24 – Chicago, USA

Experience the future of composable and MACH principles in “The Windy City” and dive even deeper into the innovative world of MACH architecture and its benefits for your business. Building on the momentum of MACH THREE, this conference will provide your teams with the expert, impartial guidance needed to craft a winning transformation strategy and leverage the latest advancements in automation and Al to maximize efficiency and drive your organization forward. This event is ideal for executives, business leaders, technologists, and everyone in between who is looking to harness the power of composable. Secure your spot today.

CMS Summit 25

May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, Germany

Don't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, so book your seats today.

CMS Connect 25

August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, Canada

We are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, so book your seats today.