Upcoming Kubestronaut celebrations in China and Japan to honor global program growth

Hong Kong, China– 10 June, 2025 – The Cloud Native Computing Foundation® (CNCF®), which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software, today announced continued momentum for its Kubestronaut and Golden Kubestronaut programs across Asia.

According to Portworx, a member of CNCF, in its The Voice of Kubernetes Experts Report 2024, 80% of organizations plan to build most new applications on cloud native platforms within five years. Yet 75% still report Kubernetes adoption challenges due to a lack of skilled talent, underscoring the importance of certifications. The Kubestronaut program helps address this need by recognizing individuals who validate their skills through CNCF certification.

“The Kubestronaut program is about recognizing commitment and the passion these individuals demonstrate as they build their knowledge in the cloud native space,” said Chris Aniszczyk, CTO of CNCF. “In Asia especially, we’re seeing developers turning certification into a springboard for leadership and deeper engagement in the cloud native ecosystem.”

Since launching in November 2024, CNCF has recognized nearly 1,800 Kubestronauts across 100+ countries. Asia accounts for 280 of the total Kubestronauts, including 29 in China and 63 in Japan, with other Kubestronauts hailing from Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, and Bangladesh. 

Celebrations to recognize the newest Kubestronauts are planned at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon China during a private breakfast for Ambassadors and Kubestronauts, and at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Japan during the Japan Community Day co-located event on Sunday, 15 June. Attending participants will receive official jackets during these celebrations to acknowledge their efforts and hard work.

“The energy from the community here in Asia is incredible,” said Christophe Sauthier, Cloud Native Training and Certification Lead at CNCF. “We’re seeing first-hand how developers across the region are embracing certifications to accelerate their careers and contribute to the broader cloud native movement.”

Golden Kubestronauts advance further in their learning by completing all 13 CNCF certifications plus the Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS) certification. Since its launch in April, the program has seen steady growth in Asia. Of the 54 Golden Kubestronauts worldwide, nearly 30% are from Asia, with participants from China, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Bangladesh, and others. Golden Kubestronauts are celebrated with branded gear, such as a commemorative backpack and beanie, a ThriveOne subscription for continued professional development, and ongoing discounts on CNCF certifications. Additionally, they receive a free annual ticket to a Kubernetes Community Days (KCD) of their choice, 50% off KubeCon + CloudNativeCon registration for life, and a featured listing on the Kubestronaut website.

Beyond individual recognition, the Kubestronaut and Golden Kubestronaut programs strengthen the CNCF certification ecosystem and support the continued growth of the cloud native industry. By incentivizing professionals to pursue the full range of CNCF certifications, the programs expand the certified talent pool, increase engagement in CNCF’s training and events, and further establish CNCF as the industry standard for cloud native education. 

For more on the Kubestronaut program and to see the full list of recognized individuals, visit cncf.io/training/kubestronaut.

Additional Resources

About Cloud Native Computing Foundation

Cloud native computing empowers organizations to build and run scalable applications with an open source software stack in public, private, and hybrid clouds. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosts critical components of the global technology infrastructure, including Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Envoy. CNCF brings together the industry’s top developers, end users, and vendors and runs the largest open source developer conferences in the world. Supported by more than 800 members, including the world’s largest cloud computing and software companies, as well as over 200 innovative startups, CNCF is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation. For more information, please visit www.cncf.io.

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Media Contact: 

Kaitlin Thornhill

The Linux Foundation

pr@cncf.io