OpenCRVS
OpenCRVS is a non-profit that builds open-source digital civil registration and vital statistics software for low-resource governments. It records births, deaths, marriages, and divorces, and is funded by development partners including NORAD, Co-Develop, and the Gates Foundation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What OpenCRVS does
OpenCRVS is a non-profit organization that develops and distributes open-source digital civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) software designed for low-resource government settings. The platform records life events including births, deaths, marriages, and divorces, issues official certificates, and operates as a vetted Digital Public Good aligned with UN SDG 16.9 (legal identity for all). The core technology is built on a microservices architecture with offline-first capability, FHIR-based data standards, and OAuth 2.0 authentication, and integrates with identity and social protection systems including MOSIP, OpenHIM, OpenSPP, and Metabase. Default product architecture is provided through a reference implementation ('Farajaland') that governments fork and configure for their legal and administrative contexts.
The organization generates no license revenue, distributing the software freely under the Mozilla Public License v2.0 and relying on grants and development partner funding from organizations including NORAD, Co-Develop, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its primary customers are national and local government civil registration authorities in Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Caribbean, with active or pilot implementations documented in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Morocco, the Philippines, and Uganda. Go-to-market combines direct government engagement through demonstration requests, a community-led open-source ecosystem on GitHub (117 stars, 105 forks), an Implementation Partner Programme for systems integrators such as Technoforte and BDO IT Consulting, and participation in industry events such as MOSIP Connect. Endorsements from the Digital Public Goods Alliance and ID4Africa provide institutional credibility, while the active community forum and documentation site support deployment at the country level.
OpenCRVS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OpenCRVS
- Legal name
- OpenCRVS
- Website
- https://opencrvs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- OpenCRVS is a non-profit that builds open-source digital civil registration and vital statistics software for low-resource governments. It records births, deaths, marriages, and divorces, and is funded by development partners including NORAD, Co-Develop, and the Gates Foundation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OpenCRVS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vital Records & Civil Registration (Birth/Death/Fetal Death Certificates) (HLAJAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Authentication (MFA/Passwordless/Biometrics) Platforms (BPAMAEAE)
Keywords
Where OpenCRVS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Markets served
OpenCRVS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Open-source software (no license fees): OpenCRVS is distributed as open-source software with no license fees or ties to specific vendors. Governments and implementing partners deploy and configure the software at no cost for the core platform.
- Development partner funding: OpenCRVS receives investment and funding from development organizations to support DPI development across regions. The organization is non-profit and relies on grants and investments to sustain development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Open-source platform with no licensing costs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
OpenCRVS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OpenCRVS provides an open-source, offline-first digital platform for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) that enables governments to register and manage records of major life events including births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. The platform is delivered as a Digital Public Good with no license fees, configurable for diverse country contexts via a country configuration module, and designed to interoperate with health, social protection, and national ID systems (including MOSIP).
Product overview
OpenCRVS is an open-source Digital Public Good providing a unified civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) platform designed for low-resource settings. The core offering consists of the OpenCRVS Core Platform for recording births, deaths, marriages, and divorces, complemented by Country Configuration modules that enable customization for any national context, and comprehensive documentation. The platform supports offline-first functionality, integrates with national ID systems including MOSIP, and is available under Mozilla Public License v2.0 with no vendor lock-in.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OpenCRVS Core Platform The main open-source digital platform for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS), designed specifically for low-resource settings and recognized as a Digital Public Good. It records births, deaths, marriages, and divorces, issues official certificates, integrates with health and national ID systems, and operates offline-first via a microservices architecture under the Mozilla Public License v2.0.
- Age Verification PoC with MOSIP A proof-of-concept age verification system co-developed with MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform) that enables officiants to authenticate the ages of individuals through national digital ID systems or civil registration platforms prior to ceremonies, helping prevent child marriage. Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal target 5.3.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1 in 4 children under 5 have their birth registered - OpenCRVS addresses this gap by making civil registration accessible
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use OpenCRVS
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
OpenCRVS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature6 records
OpenCRVS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, active and notable.
- MOSIPcoreMOSIP and OpenCRVS co-developed a proof-of-concept age verification system to help prevent child marriage by enabling officiants to authenticate ages through national digital ID systems or civil registration platforms. The system is aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal target 5.3 and is integrated in civil registry offices in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Morocco, and the Philippines.
- TechnoforteactiveTechnoforte is an implementation partner actively working on OpenCRVS deployments, including a project in Uganda with multiple technical contributions and feature implementations documented in GitHub discussions.
- Digital Public Goods AlliancecoreOpenCRVS is recognized as a vetted Digital Public Good by the Digital Public Goods Alliance. Lucy Harris, Co-Lead of DPGA, has provided endorsement highlighting the platform's role in providing essential services as part of a country's digital public infrastructure.
- ID4AfricanotableDr. Joseph Atick, Executive Chairman of ID4Africa, has endorsed OpenCRVS as one of the finest examples of Digital Public Goods capable of reforming the entire practice of CRVS in support of Mission 100.
- NewlogicnotableJeremi Joslin, Co-founder & CTO of Newlogic, has highlighted OpenCRVS as an exciting open-source solution that can significantly enhance efficiency and effectiveness when integrated with social protection platforms such as OpenSPP.
- BDO IT ConsultingnotableBDO IT Consulting has evaluated OpenCRVS and recommends it as a very good option for countries without IT systems to manage civil registries, praising the documentation, community, technology stack, and implementation team.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
OpenCRVS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OpenCRVS social profiles
Digital presenceOpenCRVS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OpenCRVS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
OpenCRVS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OpenCRVS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OpenCRVS
What does OpenCRVS do?
OpenCRVS provides an open-source, offline-first digital platform for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) that enables governments to register and manage records of major life events including births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. The platform is delivered as a Digital Public Good with no license fees, configurable for diverse country contexts via a country configuration module, and designed to interoperate with health, social protection, and national ID systems (including MOSIP).
Is OpenCRVS a public or private company?
OpenCRVS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was OpenCRVS founded?
OpenCRVS was founded in 2022. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is OpenCRVS based?
OpenCRVS is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does OpenCRVS make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Open-source software (no license fees) is the primary driver. The others are development partner funding.
Who are OpenCRVS's main competitors?
MOSIP is listed as an emerging player.
Does OpenCRVS have an API?
Yes. OpenCRVS provides multiple API integration points for interoperability. APIs require OAuth 2.0 authentication for client credentials. Key API types include: Event Notification clients for submitting full or partial event applications from external services such as health institutions or public portals; Record Search clients for performing advanced searches of civil registration records from trusted external e-Gov services; Webhook clients with business functionality and API endpoints; FHIR Location REST API for creating, reading, updating, or archiving administrative areas, civil registration offices, or health facilities; and National ID client APIs for MOSIP integration including registration integration and in-form authentication/verification with E-Signet. Developer documentation is at documentation.opencrvs.org.
What industry is OpenCRVS in?
OpenCRVS's product category is Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJAJAA, Vital Records & Civil Registration (Birth/Death/Fetal Death Certificates), with a secondary code of BPAMAEAE, Authentication (MFA/Passwordless/Biometrics) Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.