What OpenELIS Foundation does

OpenELIS Foundation is a Jefferson City, Missouri-based non-profit (founded 2010) that develops and supports OpenELIS, an open-source Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) built for U.S. state and territory public health laboratories. The product surface consists of a core Laboratory Component for sample management, test definition, QC, worksheets, result validation, and reporting; a client-facing Web Portal for electronic test ordering, result access, notifications, and state-level reportable-condition reporting; and a standalone Instrument Interface that ingests data from lab instruments, translates it, and feeds results back into the LIMS. Specialized modules extend the platform into newborn screening with integrated short-term follow-up (co-developed with Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory), enhanced inventory management with barcode and vendor-order workflows, and configurable patient matching with real-time NPI registry provider validation. Standards support spans HL7 v2 and FHIR for ELR/ETOR, LOINC for test names, and SNOMED CT for result values, aligning the platform with the CDC Data Modernization Initiative and USCDI requirements.

The Foundation earns revenue without charging a license fee (no per-seat or upgrade fees for any number of sites) by providing project-priced implementation services — installation, configuration, training, instrument interfacing, and cloud deployment — and optional annual maintenance subscriptions and cloud infrastructure via partners such as InductiveHealth Informatics. Go-to-market is a hybrid of sales-led and community-led motion: a public website with demo booking and contact form, active participation in APHL and HIMSS conferences, and a Service Desk responding within 24 hours plus User Group meetings and user-driven change management. Customer mix is concentrated in U.S. public-health agencies — Missouri State Public Health Laboratory, South Carolina Public Health Laboratory, Guam Public Health Laboratory, and American Samoa Public Health Laboratory — with secondary reach into environmental, animal, and NBS labs, and indirect global presence in Asia, India, and Africa delivered through independent local software partners. The organization operates with approximately seven full-time staff funded in part by federal grants such as the COVID-19 ELC grant and transitioned executive leadership in December 2024 from founder Gary Jones to Shondra Johnson.

Name

OpenELIS Foundation

Legal name

Open ELIS Foundation

Website

https://openelis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Information Management Systems

NAICS

Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Laboratory Informatics & Reporting (LIMS/ELR) Public Health Networks (HLAJAIAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health & Reference Lab LIMS (HLACAMAF), Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) (HLAGAJAA), Quality Management & Regulatory Compliance (CLIA/CAP/ISO) for Labs (HLACAMAH)

Keywords

• Laboratory information management
• Open source LIMS
• Public health lab software
• Electronic lab reporting
• Newborn screening software

Headquarters

HQ city

Egg Harbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Implementation Services: OpenELIS Foundation provides support services for implementations including initial system installation, setup, training, ongoing support, and customization. Implementation costs are calculated based on factors such as number of tests to be configured, training needs, implementation support, instrument interfacing, electronic reporting needs, and whether the client will be deployed in the cloud.
2. Ongoing Maintenance and Support: The Foundation provides an ongoing maintenance program after implementation completion. Regular software updates are provided along with descriptions of changes. Support includes regular/scheduled conference calls to assist users.
3. Cloud Infrastructure Services: Cloud implementations provide infrastructure support for laboratories in need of those services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OpenELIS Foundation develops and supports an open-source Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for public health laboratories. The system comprises a core laboratory component for lab staff activities (sample management, test definition, result validation, QC, instrument interfacing, reporting), a client-facing web portal for electronic test ordering and result access, and an instrument interface software that bridges lab instruments with OpenELIS. The Foundation provides implementation, training, customization, data migration, and ongoing maintenance services to public health labs.

Product overview

OpenELIS Foundation offers an open-source Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) comprising three main product components: (1) the Laboratory Component as the core system for laboratory staff handling sample management, test definition, result validation, QC, instrument interfacing, and reporting; (2) the Web Portal as a client-facing interface for electronic test ordering, result access, and notifications; and (3) the Instrument Interface Software (under development) enabling LIMS administrators to configure connections between OpenELIS and testing instruments. Additional specialized modules include the Newborn Screening Module with logic-driven sample intake and automatic result interpretation, the integrated Short-term Follow-up Module for tracking follow-up care, the Enhanced Inventory Module with barcode scanning and vendor management, and Patient Matching and Provider Table Lookup features for data quality. The system supports clinical, environmental, animal, and newborn screening testing domains with no license fee for single or multiple site implementations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OpenELIS Laboratory Component The core laboratory component supporting the activities of laboratory staff, closely matching testing and reporting processes. Handles sample management, test definition, result validation, QC definition, instrument interfacing, billing interface, and comprehensive reporting including management, QC plot, turnaround, and ad-hoc reports for public health laboratory staff.
• OpenELIS Web Portal Client web portal allowing submitters to order tests electronically, access results, sign up for notifications, and monitor sample status. Includes component for Public Health Departments to access statewide results for reportable conditions and Newborn Screening Follow-up. Supports web ordering for clinical tests with customizable forms.
• Instrument Interface Software Standalone application bridging lab instruments and the OpenELIS system. Accepts data files from instruments, reads and translates data, and feeds results back into OpenELIS. Configurable by LIMS administrators without requiring developer intervention, with automated polling, run definitions, translation lists for plate-based testing, logic streams for data processing, and QC validation.
• Newborn Screening Module Module developed in collaboration with Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory for newborn screening testing. Features quick entry screen with printable scannable labels, automatic calculations for collection and transfusion age, automatic QA event triggering, scriptlet-powered result interpretation, and automatic result report generation and dispatch.
• Short-term Follow-up Module Integrated module for tracking vital screening and follow-up care in the first six months of life. Functions as a project management tool for newborn follow-up staff with color-coded case tags indicating urgency, customizable tags and filters, case history logs, configurable notifications, integrated confirmatory test tracking, and searchable closed cases.
• Enhanced Inventory Module Comprehensive inventory management featuring Inventory Manager with tabs for inventory summary, low stock, expiring items, and orders. Includes barcode scanning, inventory receipt with storage location assignment, inventory transfer between locations, vendor management, and internal order generation for laboratory supply tracking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Guam Public Health Laboratory processes approximately 10,000 specimens annually using OpenELIS
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• InductiveHealth Informatics (IHI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2020InductiveHealth Informatics worked with OpenELIS developers and Guam's Office of Technology to build an environment based on required security protocols. IHI hosts the OpenELIS system for the Guam implementation.
• Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory at The University of IowacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe U.S. version of OpenELIS was developed by the State Hygienic Laboratory at The University of Iowa, which continues to provide software development support along with OpenELIS Foundation developers with regular releases. The Iowa SHL development team collaborated on the Newborn Screening module development and continues to assist with support of clients. Ongoing support after implementation is provided through OpenELIS Foundation staff in addition to utilizing staff at the State Hygienic Laboratory.
• Guam Office of Technology (OTECH)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOTECH manages the Government of Guam's network infrastructure and worked with IHI and OpenELIS developers to build the environment for the Guam Public Health Laboratory implementation.
• APHL AIMS (Association of Public Health Laboratories Information Messaging Services)supportingTechnology or IntegrationAPHL AIMS staff worked with OpenELIS developers to build a cloud environment tailored to the American Samoa lab's needs for the implementation project.
• SmartBearsupportingTechnology or IntegrationOpenELIS Foundation uses SmartBear TestComplete, an automated testing tool, to automate parts of the testing process including regression testing. This enables recording test scenarios once and reusing with new parameters, saving manual effort and enabling faster releases.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/openelisfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openelis-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about OpenELIS Foundation