<s>
Express.js	B-Language
,	O
or	O
simply	O
Express	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
back	B-Architecture
end	I-Architecture
web	B-Application
application	I-Application
framework	I-Application
for	O
building	O
RESTful	B-Protocol
APIs	I-Protocol
with	O
Node.js	B-Language
,	O
released	O
as	O
free	B-License
and	I-License
open-source	I-License
software	I-License
under	O
the	B-License
MIT	I-License
License	I-License
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
designed	O
for	O
building	O
web	B-Application
applications	I-Application
and	O
APIs	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
been	O
called	O
the	O
de	O
facto	O
standard	O
server	O
framework	O
for	O
Node.js	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
author	O
,	O
TJ	O
Holowaychuk	O
,	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
Sinatra-inspired	O
server	O
,	O
meaning	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
relatively	O
minimal	O
with	O
many	O
features	O
available	O
as	O
plugins	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Express	O
is	O
the	O
back-end	B-Architecture
component	O
of	O
popular	O
development	O
stacks	O
like	O
the	O
MEAN	B-Application
,	O
MERN	O
or	O
MEVN	O
stack	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
the	O
MongoDB	B-Application
database	O
software	O
and	O
a	O
JavaScript	B-Language
front-end	B-Architecture
framework	O
or	O
library	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Express.js	B-Language
was	O
founded	O
by	O
TJ	O
Holowaychuk	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
release	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Express.js	B-Language
'	O
s	O
GitHub	B-Application
repository	O
,	O
was	O
on	O
22	O
May	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
StrongLoop	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
IBM	O
in	O
September	O
2015	O
;	O
in	O
January	O
2016	O
,	O
IBM	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
place	O
Express.js	B-Language
under	O
the	O
stewardship	O
of	O
the	O
Node.js	B-Language
Foundation	O
incubator	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Express.js	B-Language
is	O
used	O
by	O
Fox	O
Sports	O
,	O
PayPal	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
and	O
IBM	O
.	O
</s>
