45Drives, a leader in open source storage solutions from homelab to enterprise, announced a strategic partnership with Lime Technology, Inc., the makers of Unraid OS. The collaboration 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 selected, built, validated, and tested to ensure tight integration with Unraid OS. An Unraid Lifetime license will come pre-installed on all systems, manufactured in facilities located in the United States and Canada.
The partnership brings together two companies with more than two decades of experience in 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 strategic partnership reflects how we think about infrastructure across all 45Drives divisions,” said Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives. “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. 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.”
“Unraid was created to give people long-term freedom over their hardware and their data,” said Tiffany Jones, CEO of Lime Technology. “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 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. 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 45Drives and Lime Technology 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.
Discover more about the partnership and be the first to know when pre-orders go live by signing up here: https://unraid.net/blog/45homelabxunraid.
