The archive · Developer & Business Tools · Product decision · 2023–2026
SSOReady bets free MIT SAML tooling wins devs; YC W24 launch later re-filed as Tesseral
YC W24 startup gives SAML/SCIM middleware away MIT-licensed to win developers first; Launch HN 317 pts, 1.5k stars, later re-filed as Tesseral.
SSOReady
What the business is
SSOReady builds open-source SAML and SCIM middleware: two API calls (get a redirect URL, redeem an access code) add enterprise single sign-on and directory sync to any app, via cloud hosting or self-hosting, with an Enterprise plan adding SLA support, custom domains and a management API.
How it started
Ulysse (ucarion) worked on SAML authentication at Segment and stayed obsessed with it, writing his own SAML implementation in Go during the COVID pandemic 'to entertain myself'. With cofounder Ned he started SSOReady (YC W24, founded 2023) on the blunt thesis that almost no one was making SAML easy for developers, and the 2024-07-30 Launch HN gave the product away entirely free and MIT-licensed, focused 'solitarily on becoming developers' first choice for SAML SSO'.
What happened
The Launch HN drew 317 points and 98 comments, and the sharpest exchange came from WorkOS's founder, arguing from the incumbent side that developers ultimately pay for uptime and support rather than code. SSOReady kept shipping: SCIM directory sync, a hosted admin UI, full self-hosting, and an Enterprise plan with SLA'd support, custom domains and a management API; the repo reached 1.5k stars, 66 forks and 355 commits by the 2026-09-04 crawl, with a README arguing MIT licensing is insurance against ever inflating security-software prices.
How it ended up
SSOReady as a launch is no longer listed active: by 2026-09-05 YC's company page for the startup is titled Tesseral — 'the open source platform for managing identity in business software' — with SSOReady under Previous Launches and Status Inactive, while the ssoready/ssoready repo and docs remained online at the 2026-09-04 crawl. The record shows no shutdown announcement, acquisition, funding round or revenue figures.
Background
Ulysse worked on SAML authentication at Segment, stayed obsessed with the protocol, and wrote his own SAML implementation in Go during the COVID pandemic for fun. With cofounder Ned he launched SSOReady through Y Combinator's Winter 2024 batch on the thesis that almost nobody was making SAML easy for developers: 'There just aren't a lot of great options out there.'
The product was deliberately radical on price and license: the entire codebase went out MIT-licensed and free, because the founders were 'focused solitarily on becoming developers' first choice for SAML SSO' and expected to monetize later with extra features for large companies with complex needs. Developers never touch SAML itself — two API endpoints (initiate a login, redeem an access code) add single sign-on to any stack, and SCIM directory sync came next.
The 2024-07-30 Launch HN drew 317 points and 98 comments; the most pointed exchange came from WorkOS's founder, who argued developers ultimately pay for managed uptime, not code. SSOReady still expanded into SCIM, a hosted admin UI, self-hosting and an Enterprise plan with SLA support, custom domains and a management API, reaching 1.5k stars, 66 forks and 355 commits on GitHub by the 2026-09-04 crawl.
As of 2026-09-05 YC files the company under its successor name Tesseral — an open-source identity platform for business software — and lists SSOReady as a previous launch with Status Inactive; the original repo and docs remained online. No shutdown announcement, funding round, revenue or customer figures appear in the record, so whether the free-SAML bet converted into paid enterprise revenue is not verifiable from these sources.
What has to be true
- Dated platform traction: the 2024-07-30 Launch HN drew 317 points and 98 comments, with the founders answering developer questions and the WorkOS founder engaging on open-source versus managed auth.
- A verifiable trajectory: the repo went from launch to 1.5k stars, 66 forks and 355 commits by the 2026-09-04 crawl, adding SCIM, self-hosting and an Enterprise plan along the way.
- A sharp stated bet: give the SAML middleware away MIT-licensed and free to become developers' first choice, monetizing later with enterprise extras — the founder's own words, not a hindsight summary.
- A documented outcome: YC's profile now files the startup under Tesseral with SSOReady listed as a previous launch and Status Inactive, as of 2026-09-05.
What can be applied
MIT-licensing the commodity buys developers' trust, but a SAML-only free tool must grow a paid surface — SCIM, management API, broader identity — or the company outgrows its own brand.
Aftermath
As of 2026-09-05 YC lists SSOReady's launch as Inactive and files the startup under its successor name Tesseral, described as 'the open source platform for managing identity in business software'; the ssoready/ssoready repo, docs and pricing pages remained online at the 2026-09-04 crawl with 1.5k stars, 66 forks and 355 commits. The record contains no shutdown announcement, acquisition, funding round, revenue or customer disclosures, so whether the free-and-open-source SAML bet converted into paid revenue is not verifiable from these sources.
Sources
- Launch HN: SSOReady (YC W24) – Making SAML SSO painless and open source (317 points, 98 comments)
- ssoready/ssoready — open-source SAML & SCIM dev tools (1.5k stars, 66 forks, 355 commits)
spotted an error? The archive wants to know.
Your turn
You just read one. Describe what you are building, and see who is betting on the same thing.
Free account · 3 free questions · no card