No - it’s the kernel image - the actual operating system, rather than a service that runs on top of it.
If you just want to restart your ssh service after updating the packages, then “systemctl restart sshd” is all that’s needed, although you should probably reboot whenever the package manager suggests as a general good habit.
I think you have to be exceptionally strong to resist this sort of thing. You can justify sponsorship in a hundred ways - not least to yourself. But in every case, it changes everything. That, of course, is why companies spend money influencing the influencers.
Buyer beware, as always.