Eben Upton was director of studies in computer science at St John's College, Cambridge, where he handled undergraduate admissions. He saw applicant numbers and hands-on skills fall year after year.
In 2008 he helped set up the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Model A and Model B names were a homage to the BBC Micro. By August 2011 the team had fifty alpha boards.
The Model B went on sale at $35 on 29 February 2012. The websites of both launch distributors crashed, and one reported more than 100,000 pre-orders on day one. Production later moved to a Sony plant in Pencoed, Wales.
Upton was awarded a CBE in 2016. The company listed in London in June 2024, and the Foundation's stake fell from 77.31% to 49.08%. More than 75 million units had sold by March 2026.