As outlined in a paper published by organization founder Reinhard Schaler: Information Sharing across Languages, The Rosetta foundation stated aims is to provide infrastructure for translation and localization.

The Rosetta Foundation launched its initiative at a special event in Dublin on 27 October 2011 with volunteers, partner organizations, and funders.

The president of the University of Limerick, Don Barry, announced the launch of The Rosetta Foundation on 21 September 2009, during his welcoming address to the AGIS '09 delegates.

AGIS, Action for Global Information Sharing, provided an opportunity for volunteers, localization specialists, and NGOs to come together.

The North American launch took place at the Localization World conference in Santa Clara, California, on 20 October 2009.

[3] On 18 May 2013, The Rosetta Foundation launched Translation Commons, or Trommons, an open, non-profit space for those offering free community language services.

The first preview of Translation eXchange (now SOLAS Match), a component developed as part of The Rosetta Foundation technology platform in collaboration with the Centre for Next Generation Localization (CNGL),[4] was given in a webinar by Reinhard Schaler and Eoin O Conchúir on 17 May 2011.