Specify Collections Consortium
Specify Collections Consortium is a nonprofit operating the Specify 7 open-source collections management platform for natural history museums, biological repositories, and research universities across 27 countries, funded by tiered institutional memberships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLawrence, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Specify Collections Consortium does
Specify Collections Consortium (SCC) is a U.S.-based nonprofit membership organization that develops and supports Specify, an open-source collections management platform used by natural history museums, biological repositories, and research universities worldwide. The consortium was established in 2018 after nearly three decades of U.S. National Science Foundation support for the original Specify Project (1988-2018), transitioning to a self-sustaining model funded by institutional membership fees. As of its most recent disclosure, SCC serves 470+ member collections across 27 countries, has facilitated publication of 19+ million specimens to GBIF, and operates with a core staff of approximately 16 plus rotating undergraduate developers, anchored at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum in Lawrence, KS.
The core product is Specify 7, a fully web-based, open-source platform (GPL 3.0) that supports taxonomic classifications, geographic data, associated media, transactions (loans, accessions, permits), and bulk data operations across disciplines including botany, ichthyology, herpetology, paleontology, ornithology, entomology, and geology. Notable technical components include WorkBench for spreadsheet-based bulk imports, Batch Edit for non-scripting record updates, the Specify Web Portal for collaborative digitization with remote partners, customizable interface schemas, OpenID-compliant Single Sign-On, WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility, and Docker-based deployment. Data publishing integrates with GBIF, iDigBio, and Atlas of Living Australia using Darwin Core standards. Specify Cloud, launched in 2018, provides fully managed hosting as an alternative to self-hosted Docker deployment.
SCC's revenue is generated entirely through institutional and collection memberships priced by tier and size. Institutional tiers range from Catalyst ($25,000+/year) through Foundation ($50,000+), Visionary ($100,000+), and Luminary ($150,000+), each conferring governance seats, support allocation, and cloud hosting storage proportional to contribution. Collection (affiliate) memberships are priced from $0 to $8,000 per year based on collection size, with a $500/year Student Membership tier for graduate researchers. Go-to-market relies on direct enterprise consultation meetings, free 30-day evaluation databases, demo instances, and community engagement via Speciforum and GitHub.
Specify Collections Consortium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Specify Collections Consortium
- Legal name
- Specify Collections Consortium
- Website
- https://specifysoftware.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Specify Collections Consortium is a nonprofit operating the Specify 7 open-source collections management platform for natural history museums, biological repositories, and research universities across 27 countries, funded by tiered institutional memberships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Specify Collections Consortium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Collections Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519), Libraries and Archives (519210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Archives, Libraries & Institutional Access Platforms (MPAJAMAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Metadata, Catalog & Semantic Layer for Data Platforms (HDAEABAJ), Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE)
Keywords
Where Specify Collections Consortium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lawrence
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Specify Collections Consortium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Institutional Membership: Annual membership fees from institutional members at four tiers (Luminary $150K+, Visionary $100K+, Foundation $50K+, Catalyst $25K+). Membership includes governance representation, support access, and cloud hosting allocation proportional to tier.
- Collection Membership: Annual affiliate memberships priced per collection based on size category: Tiny ($0-750), Small ($1,500), Medium ($3,000), Large ($6,000), Extra Large ($8,000).
- Student Membership: $500/year limited-term membership for graduate research projects with hosted collection access and final data export.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Luminary Membership - $150,000+ per year |
| Subscription | Annual | Visionary Membership - $100,000+ per year |
| Subscription | Annual | Foundation Membership - $50,000+ per year |
| Subscription | Annual | Catalyst Membership - $25,000+ per year |
| Subscription | Annual | Collection Membership (Affiliate) - $0-8,000 per year |
| Subscription | Annual | Student Membership - $500 per year |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Specify Collections Consortium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Specify Collections Consortium develops and distributes Specify 7, a fully web-based, open-source collections management platform licensed under GPL 3.0 that allows natural history museums, biological repositories, and research institutions to catalog specimen information including taxonomic classifications, geographic data, and associated media. The platform is offered either as a self-hosted Docker deployment or as a fully managed Specify Cloud hosting service, and is complemented by WorkBench for bulk data import, Specify Web Portal for collaborative digitization, and Batch Edit for mass record updates.
Product overview
Specify Collections Consortium offers a single unified open-source platform called Specify 7 for collections management, available either as a self-hosted solution (with Docker-based deployment) or as a fully managed cloud service called Specify Cloud. The core platform is complemented by WorkBench for bulk data import, the Specify Web Portal for collaborative digitization with remote partners, and Batch Edit for bulk record updates. All software is freely shared under the GPL 3.0 license. The platform supports scientific and research disciplines including botany, ichthyology, herpetology, paleontology, ornithology, entomology, geology, and many more.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Specify 7: The next generation of collections management - a fully web-based, open-source platform built for modern collections work.
- Specify Cloud
- WorkBench
- Speciforum
- Specify
Products and services
- Specify 7 Fully web-based, open-source collections management platform for natural history museums and biological repositories that handles specimen information including taxonomic classifications, geographic data, and associated media, with customizable workflows and institutional-grade security.
- Specify Cloud Fully managed cloud hosting service for Specify 7, with the SCC team handling provisioning, backups, security patching, software updates, and 24/7 uptime monitoring, available as a standard component of consortium membership.
- WorkBench Bulk data import tool that lets users map, validate, and import spreadsheets of specimen data directly into their Specify collection, supporting thousands of records with robust validation processes.
Quantifiable outcome
- 19+ million specimens published to GBIF
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Specify Collections Consortium
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Specify Collections Consortium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature8 records
Specify Collections Consortium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Specify CloudcoreIn 2018, the SCC launched Specify Cloud to enable organizations to run fully functional Specify instances without local hardware or dedicated IT support. Hosting includes timely installation of releases, database and digital asset backups, and constant monitoring.
- GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)coreSpecify supports robust data publishing to GBIF using Darwin Core standards. Over 19 million specimens are published to GBIF through Specify, making it a primary data aggregation partner.
- iDigBiocoreiDigBio is a national aggregator for biodiversity specimen data. Specify provides robust publishing tools for mobilizing collections data to iDigBio.
- Atlas of Living Australia (ALA)coreSpecify supports data publishing to the Atlas of Living Australia, enabling Australian institutions to mobilize specimen data to regional and national aggregators.
- University of Kansas Biodiversity InstitutecoreThe core SCC staff is based at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum in Lawrence, KS. The university hosts the primary development team and governance operations.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Specify Collections Consortium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Symbiota: Open-source biodiversity data portal platform used by herbaria and natural history collections. Directly comparable as it manages specimen data and publishes to GBIF/iDigBio for biodiversity research institutions.
- Arctos: Collaborative natural history collections management database used by multiple North American museums. Directly comparable as a consortium-based platform serving similar institutional users managing biological specimens.
- Axiell: Axiell (with its EMu/EMuMuseum platform) is the leading commercial competitor in museum collections management. Directly comparable as it serves natural history museums, art galleries, and archives with enterprise-grade CMS software globally.
- CollectiveAccess: Open-source collections management software used by museums, archives, and galleries. Directly comparable as an open-source alternative to Specify serving similar institutional users with customization capabilities.
- DINA: Diversity Information Network for Nature (DINA) is an open-source collections management system for natural history collections. Directly comparable as a community-driven platform targeting the same institutional users and disciplines.
- Gallery Systems: Gallery Systems develops TMS (The Museum System), a leading collections management platform used by major museums worldwide. Directly comparable as a competing CMS for natural history and cultural collections.
Broad incumbents
- OCLC: OCLC operates CONTENTdm and other library/archive services used by cultural heritage institutions. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the digital collections and library infrastructure space.
- Lucidea: Provider of collections and knowledge management software including Argus (for museums) and CuadraSTAR. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering CMS solutions across archives, libraries, and museums.
Emerging players
- Omeka: Open-source web publishing platform for digital collections used by small-to-mid museums and archives. Comparable as a low-cost open-source option for institutions digitizing collections, though less specialized than Specify.
Others
- GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Facility is the primary international aggregator for biodiversity data and a key Specify integration partner. Comparable as an ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, but shapes the addressable market for Specify's publishing features.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Specify Collections Consortium social profiles
Digital presenceSpecify Collections Consortium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Specify Collections Consortium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Specify Collections Consortium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Specify Collections Consortium 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 Specify Collections Consortium
What does Specify Collections Consortium do?
Specify Collections Consortium develops and distributes Specify 7, a fully web-based, open-source collections management platform licensed under GPL 3.0 that allows natural history museums, biological repositories, and research institutions to catalog specimen information including taxonomic classifications, geographic data, and associated media. The platform is offered either as a self-hosted Docker deployment or as a fully managed Specify Cloud hosting service, and is complemented by WorkBench for bulk data import, Specify Web Portal for collaborative digitization, and Batch Edit for mass record updates.
Is Specify Collections Consortium a public or private company?
Specify Collections Consortium is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Specify Collections Consortium founded?
Specify Collections Consortium was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Specify Collections Consortium based?
Specify Collections Consortium is headquartered in Lawrence, United States, in the North America region.
How does Specify Collections Consortium make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Institutional Membership is the primary driver. The others are collection Membership and student Membership.
Who are Specify Collections Consortium's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Symbiota, Arctos, Axiell, CollectiveAccess, DINA and Gallery Systems. Broad incumbents are OCLC and Lucidea. Omeka is listed as an emerging player. GBIF is listed as an others.
Does Specify Collections Consortium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Specify Collections Consortium.
What industry is Specify Collections Consortium in?
Specify Collections Consortium's product category is Collections Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAMAJ, Digital Archives, Libraries & Institutional Access Platforms, with a secondary code of HDAEABAJ, Metadata, Catalog & Semantic Layer for Data Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.