AtomicJar, initially perceived as a promising early-stage startup that secured a substantial $25 million Series A funding in January, focused on developing a commercial container testing platform rooted in a widely-used open-source project. Positioned for potential success, the company unexpectedly opted to collaborate with Docker, the pioneer of container concepts, rather than pursuing independent growth.
In the latest development, Docker has revealed its acquisition of AtomicJar, integrating its 19 employees into a new testing division. While specific financial details were not disclosed, the acquisition successfully removed a well-funded startup with considerable potential from the market.
Docker’s CEO, Scott Johnston, explained that his company had been diligently constructing a comprehensive suite of build, test, and deploy services on the Docker platform to support developers in pre-production project phases. By acquiring AtomicJar, Docker essentially acquires the crucial testing component of this suite.
The fact that AtomicJar was built on top of Docker and ranked among the top 10 applications in the Docker marketplace undoubtedly played a role in the acquisition. Scott Johnston highlighted that AtomicJar’s Testcontainers consistently ranked among the top 10 in terms of pulls or downloads, boasting millions of monthly pulls and over 600,000 unique IP addresses.
AtomicJar’s co-founder, Sergei Egorov, noted that the startup addressed a significant testing challenge for developers by enabling testing against real versions of dependent software components, rather than mere representations. While Egorov initially had no intention of selling the company, the alignment of values and a compelling offer from Docker led to the decision to move forward with the acquisition.
Despite the challenging market conditions, Egorov emphasized that AtomicJar was well-funded to continue building independently. However, the opportunity for quicker liquidity, combined with strong product and cultural alignment with Docker, prompted the decision to join forces.
Ed Sim, managing partner at Boldstart, an early investor in AtomicJar, expressed enthusiasm for the sale, acknowledging that while his firm typically encourages founders to persevere, the decision ultimately rests with them. In the case of AtomicJar, Sim sees Docker gaining a solid company with a lean and efficient team that has already demonstrated significant open-source traction.
AtomicJar co-founder Richard North, the creator of the original Testcontainers open-source project, collaborated with Egorov in 2021 to establish the commercial company on top of the open-source project. The startup, which boasted users like Uber, Netflix, Spotify, and Capital One, raised a total of $29 million before its acquisition by Docker.
