diff --git a/api/server/.gitignore b/api/server/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2edcb90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/server/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# Compiled class file
+*.class
+
+# Log file
+*.log
+
+# BlueJ files
+*.ctxt
+
+# Mobile Tools for Java (J2ME)
+.mtj.tmp/
+
+# Package Files #
+*.jar
+*.war
+*.nar
+*.ear
+*.zip
+*.tar.gz
+*.rar
+
+# virtual machine crash logs, see http://www.java.com/en/download/help/error_hotspot.xml
+hs_err_pid*
+
+# Maven
+target/
+pom.xml.tag
+pom.xml.releaseBackup
+pom.xml.versionsBackup
+pom.xml.next
+release.properties
+dependency-reduced-pom.xml
+buildNumber.properties
+.mvn/timing.properties
+.mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.jar
diff --git a/api/server/pom.xml b/api/server/pom.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d46caae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/server/pom.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+
+<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
+    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
+
+    <groupId>org.softwareheritage.graph</groupId>
+    <artifactId>graph</artifactId>
+    <version>1.0-ALPHA</version>
+
+    <name>graph</name>
+    <url>https://www.softwareheritage.org/</url>
+
+    <properties>
+        <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
+        <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
+    </properties>
+
+    <dependencies>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>junit</groupId>
+            <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
+            <version>4.11</version>
+            <scope>test</scope>
+        </dependency>
+    </dependencies>
+
+    <build>
+        <pluginManagement><!-- lock down plugins versions to avoid using Maven defaults (may be moved to parent pom) -->
+            <plugins>
+                <!-- clean lifecycle, see https://maven.apache.org/ref/current/maven-core/lifecycles.html#clean_Lifecycle -->
+                <plugin>
+                    <artifactId>maven-clean-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <version>3.1.0</version>
+                </plugin>
+                <!-- default lifecycle, jar packaging: see https://maven.apache.org/ref/current/maven-core/default-bindings.html#Plugin_bindings_for_jar_packaging -->
+                <plugin>
+                    <artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <version>3.0.2</version>
+                </plugin>
+                <plugin>
+                    <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <version>3.8.0</version>
+                </plugin>
+                <plugin>
+                    <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <version>2.22.1</version>
+                </plugin>
+                <plugin>
+                    <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <version>3.0.2</version>
+                </plugin>
+                <plugin>
+                    <artifactId>maven-install-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <version>2.5.2</version>
+                </plugin>
+                <plugin>
+                    <artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <version>2.8.2</version>
+                </plugin>
+                <!-- site lifecycle, see https://maven.apache.org/ref/current/maven-core/lifecycles.html#site_Lifecycle -->
+                <plugin>
+                    <artifactId>maven-site-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <version>3.7.1</version>
+                </plugin>
+                <plugin>
+                    <artifactId>maven-project-info-reports-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <version>3.0.0</version>
+                </plugin>
+                <plugin>
+                    <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <configuration>
+                        <archive>
+                            <manifest>
+                                <mainClass>org.softwareheritage.graph.App</mainClass>
+                            </manifest>
+                        </archive>
+                        <descriptorRefs>
+                            <descriptorRef>jar-with-dependencies</descriptorRef>
+                        </descriptorRefs>
+                    </configuration>
+                    <executions>
+                        <execution>
+                            <id>make-assembly</id> <!-- this is used for inheritance merges -->
+                            <phase>package</phase> <!-- bind to the packaging phase -->
+                            <goals>
+                                <goal>single</goal>
+                            </goals>
+                        </execution>
+                    </executions>
+                </plugin>
+            </plugins>
+        </pluginManagement>
+    </build>
+</project>
diff --git a/api/server/src/main/java/org/softwareheritage/graph/App.java b/api/server/src/main/java/org/softwareheritage/graph/App.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb1c3e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/server/src/main/java/org/softwareheritage/graph/App.java
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package org.softwareheritage.graph;
+
+public class App
+{
+    public static void main(String[] args)
+    {
+        System.out.println("Hello world!");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/api/server/src/test/java/org/softwareheritage/graph/AppTest.java b/api/server/src/test/java/org/softwareheritage/graph/AppTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cbd766b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/server/src/test/java/org/softwareheritage/graph/AppTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package org.softwareheritage.graph;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class AppTest
+{
+    @Test
+    public void shouldAnswerWithTrue()
+    {
+        assertTrue(true);
+    }
+}