What Sahana Software Foundation does

The Sahana Software Foundation (SSF) is a California-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops and distributes free/libre/open-source software for disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience. Its flagship product, Sahana EDEN, is a Python-based information management platform offering modules for organizational directories, resource and volunteer tracking, project and 4W (Who is doing What Where) visualization, and logistics/warehouse management. Adjacent solutions include SAMBRO (a multi-agency alerting and messaging broker built on the OASIS Common Alerting Protocol V1.2), SAFIRE for incident management, SHARE for relief coordination, and research-stage initiatives in mobile pictographs and voice (TTS/ASR) interfaces for low-literate and linguistically diverse populations.

The foundation traces its origins to software first developed by the Lanka Software Foundation in Sri Lanka following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami; SSF was spun off as an independent US entity in 2009. Its software has been deployed in over 30 countries by national governments (e.g., DHM Nepal, Maldives, Myanmar, Philippines, Bhutan), international NGOs (IFRC, German Red Cross), UN agencies, and grassroots networks. SSF monetizes indirectly through charitable donations and project grants (e.g., the UNESCAP Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness for the 2016 CAP on a Map program), and through implementation, customization, and training services delivered either directly or via implementation partners such as AidIQ.

SSF is governed by an elected board chaired by Martin Thomsen (Danish Emergency Management Agency), with operational and community leadership distributed across a global network of contributors. Distribution is open-source-first: software is available via direct download and code repositories, with no traditional sales motion, while standards-body partnerships (OASIS, WMO) and humanitarian-ecosystem alliances (LIRNEasia, Practical Action, Translators Without Borders) drive inbound demand from governments and agencies seeking CAP-compliant, interoperable alerting infrastructure.

Name

Sahana Software Foundation

Legal name

Sahana Software Foundation

Website

https://sahanafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sahana Software Foundation is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops free/libre/open-source disaster management software (notably Sahana EDEN and the CAP-based SAMBRO alerting platform), deployed by governments, UN agencies, and NGOs in 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open-Source Disaster Management Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crisis Management & Communications Support (Mass Notification) (BPABANAF), Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction & Resilience Programs (BPAGAAAK)

Keywords

• Disaster management software
• Humanitarian information systems
• Open source emergency response
• Early warning platforms
• Multi-agency situational awareness

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Sahana Software Foundation operates primarily through donations and grant funding. The foundation accepts charitable contributions to support software development and humanitarian missions.
2. Professional Services: The foundation offers implementation, training, and consulting services related to Sahana software deployment. Service providers like AidIQ have worked with organizations such as German Red Cross to deploy Sahana solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Sahana Software Foundation develops and distributes free/libre/open-source information management systems for emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and resiliency. Its flagship product, Sahana EDEN, provides modular tools for managing organizations, resources, projects (with 4W visualization), and logistics during humanitarian operations. The foundation also offers specialized solutions including SAMBRO for multi-agency early warning via the CAP standard, SAFIRE for incident management, SHARE for relief coordination, and pictograph-based communication tools for vulnerable populations.

Product overview

Sahana Software Foundation offers a suite of open-source disaster management software built around the Sahana EDEN platform as its core product. EDEN provides comprehensive information management for humanitarian operations with modules covering directories, resources, projects/4W visualization, and logistics. The foundation has developed specialized solutions including SAMBRO (Alerting and Messaging Broker) for multi-agency early warning using the CAP standard, SAFIRE for incident management, SHARE for relief coordination, and pictograph-based communication tools for linguistically challenged populations. The portfolio includes both active products deployed globally and legacy systems. The platform is used by national governments, international NGOs, UN agencies, and grassroots networks across over 30 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sahana EDEN Open-source information management system for disaster and humanitarian aid management. Provides modular tools covering Directories (organizations, offices, facilities, contacts), Resources (staff, volunteers, physical assets, inventories, supply catalogs), Projects/4W visualization (Who is doing What Where with charts, graphs, and maps), and Logistics (assets, inventories, warehouses, supply requests). Targeted at national disaster management organizations, international NGOs, and humanitarian responders.
• Sahana Alerting and Messaging Broker (SAMBRO)

Quantifiable outcome

• Deployed in over 30 countries by national governments, international NGOs, UN agencies and grassroots networks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Practical Action NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Practical Action Nepal supported the Nepal Flood Resilience Project (NFRP) which included SAMBRO deployment for HydroMet warnings. They support the Global Flood Resilience Programme (GFRP).
• LIRNEasiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIRNEasia is a research institute that works collaboratively with SSF on the SAMBRO project. Nuwan Waidyanatha, a LIRNEasia Research Fellow, serves as a Director on the SSF Board and leads the Standards and Interoperability Committee. The partnership has produced the SAMBRO warning and situational-awareness platform.
• Lanka Software FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLanka Software Foundation (LSF) originally created the first Sahana software in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Tsunami. At LSF's request in early 2009, the software project spun off to become the US-based Sahana Software Foundation.
• Sarvodaya Shramadana MovementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSri Lanka's largest humanitarian NGO, with whom Nuwan Waidyanatha works closely and advises on disaster management. They have partnered on pictograph comprehension testing with low-literate communities in Sri Lanka.
• AidIQminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA service provider that has worked with German Red Cross on Sahana deployments, particularly for refugee management systems. They have experience with data protection regulations around humanitarian data.
• Translators Without BordersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentioned in relation to pictograph use for communicating with refugees. Survey data cited shows 6% of women and 60% of African refugees are literate, highlighting the need for visual communication tools.
• OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards)coreTechnology or IntegrationOASIS maintains the CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) standard. Sahana SAMBRO is built on the CAP V1.2 OASIS standard for emergency alerting and interoperability.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• iMMAP (Information Management and Mine Action Programme): Provides information management services to humanitarian operations, including 4W mapping and inter-agency coordination, mirroring Sahana EDEN's core functionality for UN clusters and INGOs.
• NetHope: Humanitarian technology consortium serving international NGOs and UN agencies, with overlapping deployment partners (IFRC, German Red Cross, Oxfam) of Sahana. Comparable as a peer in delivering humanitarian ICT capacity to the same buyer base.
• Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT): Open-source community creating and using map data for humanitarian response and disaster preparedness. Comparable as a community-driven FOSS peer targeting the same disaster response and resilience user base as Sahana.

Emerging players

• RapidSOS: Emergency response data platform connecting smart devices to 911/public safety. Comparable as a tech-enabled alerting and situational awareness peer, though focused on developed-market public safety rather than international humanitarian response.
• Mapbox: Mapping and location platform widely used in humanitarian and NGO applications, including disaster response. Comparable on the visualization/geospatial layer underpinning Sahana's 4W and CAP on a Map features.

Broad incumbents

• ESRI (ArcGIS for Emergency Management): Dominant GIS platform with deep emergency management and disaster response extensions. Comparable as the de facto commercial alternative to Sahana EDEN's mapping/coordination modules, though proprietary and license-fee based rather than open source.
• Palantir Technologies (Foundry for Disaster Response): Data integration and situational awareness platform used by government and humanitarian agencies. Comparable as a higher-end alternative to Sahana EDEN for multi-agency coordination, with far greater scale and resources.
• Hexagon Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial (HxGN SDI): Provider of geospatial and safety infrastructure software including emergency management capabilities. Comparable as a commercial alternative in the same multi-agency situational awareness and alerting category as Sahana SAMBRO.

Others

• Lanka Software Foundation: Original creator of the Sahana software following the 2004 Tsunami and the entity from which SSF spun off in 2009. Most directly comparable as the lineage predecessor and a fellow FOSS humanitarian software organization in the same ecosystem.
• Inveneo: Nonprofit delivering ICT infrastructure and software to underserved humanitarian and development organizations. Comparable as a peer in the humanitarian FOSS/ICT ecosystem where SSF operates, though more infrastructure-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sahana_sert
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sahana-software-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sahana Software Foundation