[joergrech]

There are many ways to make a project open-source and still monetize on it. I've collected several approaches here: https://github.com/PayDevs/awesome-oss-monetization

Your case sounds like you could apply an Open SaaS with an AGPL License or create an OpenCore and service special functionality in your SaaS.

If the only concern of your customers is that you could have to close the company and they don't have the code/system anymore, you could create a special (Dual-)License that is GPL as long as your company exists but becomes MIT if you close your company.

[alhirzel]

Are there any examples of this special dual-license that you mention? (For example, going from AGPL to MIT triggered by the closure of a company.) This is an intriguing idea and I wonder if it has been tried.

[joergrech]

I don't know of an example but you should talk to a license lawyer and create a new license. Basically it's similar to "normal" Dual-licenses that say the code is GPL but you can buy a MIT license from the maintainer. In this new case either the license would state that the rights are the same as GPL until the company goes out of business (and then it would switch to MIT)