frentix
frentix GmbH is a Zürich-based software company that develops and operates OpenOlat, an open-source learning management system, and Selectus, an academic recruitment platform, serving universities, enterprises, and public-sector institutions primarily across the DACH region with hosting, professional services, and software licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What frentix does
frentix GmbH is a Swiss privately-held software and e-learning services company headquartered in Zürich, founded in 2006 by Florian Gnägi. The company develops and operates two core products in-house: OpenOlat, an open-source web-based Learning Management System used by educational institutions and enterprises globally for course management, e-testing, quality management, and web conferencing (via a native BigBlueButton integration); and Selectus, a recruitment and selection software targeted at universities for faculty hiring, project evaluation, and award procedures. The technology stack is built on Linux, Java, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Tomcat, and PostgreSQL, with CO2-neutral servers located in Switzerland.
The company monetizes through a hybrid open-source-plus-commercial-services model. The base OpenOlat LMS is freely available as open source, with revenue generated from managed hosting subscriptions (Swiss-located, multi-tier service-level offerings), professional services (consulting, implementation, training via OOteach, OOtalks, and OpenOlat Academy), custom software development, content and multimedia production, and Selectus licensing on subscription or on-premise terms. Customer segments include universities and higher-education institutions, vocational and secondary schools, enterprises (Avaloq, Ernst & Young, DESIGNA, Multicoisas Franchising with 2,000+ users), healthcare providers (Clienia, Universitätsspital Basel, BZG), and public-sector authorities, primarily in the DACH region but with global deployment.
frentix has been recognized repeatedly as a leading LMS provider in the German-speaking region through 17+ industry awards between 2012 and 2025, including three eLearning CHECK customer-voted recognitions as best LMS provider. The company operates as a bootstrapped, founder-led organization with no external funding, no M&A activity, and no disclosed parent or subsidiary entities, supported by a team of approximately 15 personnel including product management, software engineering, DevOps, sales, and learning technology specialists.
frentix firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- frentix
- Legal name
- frentix GmbH
- Website
- https://frentix.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- frentix GmbH is a Zürich-based software company that develops and operates OpenOlat, an open-source learning management system, and Selectus, an academic recruitment platform, serving universities, enterprises, and public-sector institutions primarily across the DACH region with hosting, professional services, and software licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
frentix industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Learning Management System (LMS) Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)
Keywords
Where frentix is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
frentix business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Open Source Software with Commercial Services: OpenOlat is offered as open source software with optional commercial services including hosting, support, consulting, and custom development.
- Hosting Services: CO2-neutral cloud hosting services for OpenOlat with various service levels, from fully managed hosting to technical support only.
- Professional Services: Consulting, implementation, project management, training (OOteach, OOtalks, OpenOlat Academy), and custom software development.
- Selectus Licensing: Recruitment software licensing for universities and institutions with on-premise or frentix cloud deployment options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Open Source (Community) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
frentix product offering
Product offeringCore offering
frentix develops, operates, and commercializes OpenOlat, an open-source web-based Learning Management System for teaching, learning, assessment, and communication, used by educational institutions and enterprises worldwide. It also develops and licenses Selectus, a recruiting and selection software tailored for academic appointment, project evaluation, and award processes. The company sells these alongside managed Swiss hosting, professional services, custom development, and multimedia content production.
Product overview
frentix is an eLearning and software company based in Zurich, Switzerland, offering a portfolio centered on two core products: OpenOlat (a web-based Learning Management System) and Selectus (a recruiting/selection software for academic institutions). OpenOlat serves as the primary platform offering LMS functionality with integrated modules for eTesting, web conferencing (BigBlueButton), quality management, course planning, and content production. Selectus operates as a separate product focused on faculty recruitment and institutional selection processes. The company also provides related services including managed hosting, software development, and multimedia content production. frentix develops and operates its products in-house, using core technologies including Linux, Java, JavaScript, PostgreSQL, and Tomcat.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OpenOlat: Open Online Learning and Training - a web-based platform for teaching, learning, assessment, and communication. Open-source learning management system (LMS) developed and maintained by frentix GmbH.
- Selectus
Products and services
- OpenOlat Learning Management System Web-based Learning Management System for teaching, learning, assessment, and communication. Offers course management, eTesting, quality management, absence management, web conferencing via BigBlueButton, course planning, and integration with enterprise SSO (Shibboleth, ADFS, LDAP, OAuth2). Used by educational institutions and enterprises worldwide.
- Selectus Recruiting and Selection Software Recruiting software that simplifies and structures selection processes at universities and institutions. Supports faculty recruiting (Berufungsverfahren), project evaluation, and award ceremonies. Optimized for the procedures and workflows of academic appointment committees, with on-premise or frentix cloud deployment options.
- OpenOlat Managed Hosting Service Managed cloud hosting service for OpenOlat with server location in Switzerland. Offers CO2-neutral operation, automated backups, high performance, and flexible support levels ranging from fully managed hosting to technical support only.
- Multimedia and Media Production Services Professional content production service that transforms client knowledge into web-ready multimedia formats. Engages educators, graphic designers, and screen designers to deliver instructional design, video, and interactive eLearning courseware for OpenOlat-based programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3-time winner of eLearning CHECK for best LMS provider in German-speaking region
Companies that use frentix
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
frentix technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature5 records
frentix partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- BigBlueButtoncoreBigBlueButton is integrated into OpenOlat as the web conferencing solution for webinars and online collaboration within the learning platform. This open source web conferencing system is natively embedded in the LMS.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
frentix competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- BigBlueButton: BigBlueButton is an open-source web conferencing platform that is natively integrated into OpenOlat. Ecosystem partner rather than competitor; comparable as an adjacent open-source education technology component that frentix bundles into its LMS offering.
Broad incumbents
- D2L (Brightspace): Brightspace by D2L is a major commercial LMS serving higher education and K-12 globally. Overlaps with OpenOlat in LMS functionality for universities and enterprises but operates as a proprietary incumbent with much broader international scale.
- Instructure (Canvas): Canvas by Instructure is a leading commercial LMS used by universities and schools globally. Overlaps with OpenOlat in higher education LMS functionality, but operates as a broad incumbent with much larger scale and proprietary (closed-source) positioning.
Direct peers
- Open edX: Open edX is an open-source learning platform originally developed by MIT/Harvard and now used by universities and MOOCs worldwide. Comparable to OpenOlat as an open-source course platform with hosted and self-hosted deployment options, though more MOOC-oriented.
- Moodle: Moodle is the dominant open-source LMS used worldwide by educational institutions and enterprises. Directly comparable to OpenOlat as an open-source LMS platform targeting universities and corporate training, with both offering commercial hosting and support services on top of a free community edition.
- Stud.IP: Stud.IP is an open-source LMS specifically designed for German-speaking higher education institutions. Directly comparable to OpenOlat as a DACH-focused academic LMS with community-driven development and institutional deployments.
- ILIAS: ILIAS is an open-source LMS developed in Germany and widely used in the DACH region, particularly by German-speaking universities and public institutions. Directly competes with OpenOlat in the same German-speaking higher education market with similar open-source + commercial services positioning.
- Sakai Project: Sakai is an open-source LMS developed by a consortium of universities for higher education. Directly comparable to OpenOlat as an academic-focused open-source LMS, though with a different community/governance model.
Emerging players
- Chamilo: Chamilo is an open-source LMS focused on emerging markets and developing countries. Comparable to OpenOlat as an open-source course platform, but with weaker commercial services layer and different geographic focus.
Regional players
- itslearning: itslearning is a European-based LMS primarily serving schools and educational institutions in Northern Europe. Comparable to OpenOlat in K-12 and higher education LMS functionality, but with a different regional focus and proprietary (closed-source) model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
frentix social profiles
Digital presencefrentix compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
frentix financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
frentix leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
frentix funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
frentix 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 frentix
What does frentix do?
frentix develops, operates, and commercializes OpenOlat, an open-source web-based Learning Management System for teaching, learning, assessment, and communication, used by educational institutions and enterprises worldwide. It also develops and licenses Selectus, a recruiting and selection software tailored for academic appointment, project evaluation, and award processes. The company sells these alongside managed Swiss hosting, professional services, custom development, and multimedia content production.
Is frentix a public or private company?
frentix is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was frentix founded?
frentix was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is frentix based?
frentix is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does frentix make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Open Source Software with Commercial Services are the primary driver. The others are hosting Services, professional Services and selectus Licensing.
Who are frentix's main competitors?
BigBlueButton is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are D2L (Brightspace) and Instructure (Canvas). Direct peers are Open edX, Moodle, Stud.IP, ILIAS and Sakai Project. Chamilo is listed as an emerging player. itslearning is listed as a regional player.
Does frentix have an API?
Yes. OpenOlat provides a REST interface for user import and data integration with external systems. The REST API enables integration with existing IT infrastructures and supports synchronization of user data, course data, and organizational information.
What industry is frentix in?
frentix's product category is Learning Management System (LMS) Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAL, Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAAAEAL, Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.