Facebook aquires DoC Academics start up company "Monoidics"

The acquisition of Monoidics will allow Facebook to improve the speed at which it can verify that the apps are secure and bug-free.

Dr Cristiano Calcagno, a Lecturer here in the Department of Computing and founder and Chief Technology Officer of Monoidics has just agreed along with his colleagues a deal which will see the transfer of assets of Monoidics to Facebook. Terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed but are believed to be substantial.

Pending closing conditions, Monoidics’ engineers and tech staff will join Facebook’s London office. Facebook will apply the Monoidics automatic formal verification and analysis software to its mobile development process with the aim of reducing the risk of pushing out non-secure buggy apps.

Monoidics’ Infer Static Analyzer helps developers deliver bug-free code with a focus on memory safety and security. It turns bug detection into a mathematical algorithm, generating a correctness proof that guarantees software has no memory leaks or illegal pointer references. It works on all sizes of apps, and can recognize what parts of a piece of software have been updated so it doesn’t redundantly re-scan approved code. Meanwhile, Monoidics’ X-Ray system can visualize software to highlight areas of risk so bug-crushing teams know what to investigate. Monoidics clients included ARM semiconductor, Airbus and Mitsubishi Electric.

A statement from Monoidics reads:

We are excited to announce that Facebook has agreed to acquire Monoidics assets and that our technical team will be joining their growing office in London once the deal has fully closed.

In 2009 we started this company with the goal of making the best automatic formal verification and analysis software in the industry. We’ve gone from theoretical ideas in logics of programs all the way to a company with a world-class engineering team, real customers and an office right in the midst of London’s Silicon Roundabout. It’s been incredible journey. . . we’ve loved every minute of it!

However, we have always looked for ways we could do even more, and when we met members of Facebook’s engineering team, we realized how much we have in common: a relentless focus on quality, a desire to move fast and try new things, and a passion for making an impact. Right away we knew this was our chance to take what we’ve built to the next level. Joining the Facebook team opens up a world of new opportunity for our technology and for our individual and collective scientific expertise.

We’d like to thank everyone who has joined and supported us on this journey: our team, our customers, our advisers, the team at QuantumWave Capital, our fellow developers and researchers, and particularly our friends and families.

We’re excited to see what’s next!