Our Blood Institute

What Our Blood Institute does

Our Blood Institute (OBI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional blood center headquartered in Oklahoma that collects, processes, and distributes blood components to hospitals and health systems across Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. The organization operates 17 fixed-site donor centers supplemented by mobile blood drives, and supplies whole blood, platelets, plasma, and related blood products to a distributed hospital customer base in its three-state service area. OBI also founded the Global Blood Fund in 2008 as an international initiative supporting blood availability in developing countries.

OBI has expanded its operational scope beyond traditional blood banking. It operates a cleanroom cell therapy facility with a three-year reaccreditation on its Cell Therapy Program, positioning the organization in cellular therapy manufacturing and processing for hospital customers. On the donor-acquisition side, OBI launched Donable, a peer-to-peer recruitment application, and runs the BioLinked donor registry program alongside community programs such as BloodHounds (a therapy dog initiative). The organization also partnered with OU Health for clinical collaboration, and has secured federal funding to support program expansion.

The business model is nonprofit, with revenue generated primarily through per-unit reimbursement from hospital customers for blood products and cellular therapy services, supplemented by community fundraising, grants, and federal funding. The go-to-market combines fixed donor centers and mobile drives on the supply side with hospital contracting and academic health system partnerships on the demand side. Customer segments include regional hospitals, academic health systems (e.g., OU Health), and the broader community donor base, with cell therapy representing an emerging higher-complexity revenue stream.

Name

Our Blood Institute

Legal name

Our Blood Institute

Website

https://ourbloodinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Our Blood Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional blood center operating 17 donor centers across Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, collecting and distributing blood products to hospitals and expanding into cell therapy services and digital donor recruitment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blood Banking Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology (Blood Bank) (HLAFAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ), Blood Bank, Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology (HLAHAAAH), Plasma Collection & Donor Services (Plasmapheresis Centers) (HLAIAHAH)

Keywords

• Blood donation services
• Nonprofit blood center
• Cell therapy manufacturing
• Donor recruitment
• Hospital blood supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Blood Products to Hospitals: Our Blood Institute collects blood donations and provides processed blood products (red blood cells, platelets, plasma) to hospitals and healthcare facilities across Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. As a nonprofit blood center, revenue is generated through service fees charged to hospital partners for blood products, testing, and related services.
2. Donable App Agent Payments: OBI pays Donable app agents $10 per successful blood donation recruited. Agents use the app to schedule donors and earn commissions on recruited donations. This is a cost center to OBI designed to increase blood supply.
3. Donor Reward Store: Points-based loyalty program where donors earn points for successful donations that can be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards, and promotional items. Points accrual capped at 40,000 maximum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Our Blood Institute collects, processes, tests, and distributes blood products (whole blood, platelets, plasma, and Power Red) across 17 donor centers and mobile blood drives serving Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. It supplies processed blood products to regional hospitals and operates advanced cell therapy manufacturing including a cleanroom facility supporting CAR T-cell therapies. The organization also runs donor engagement programs, a peer-to-peer recruitment app (Donable), a research registry (BioLinked), and the international charity Global Blood Fund.

Product overview

Our Blood Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit blood center offering blood donation collection services across Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas through 17 donor centers and mobile blood drives. The core offering centers on collecting whole blood, platelets, plasma, and Power Red donations. Supporting products include the Donor Express online pre-screening platform, the Donable peer-to-peer recruitment app (iOS/Android), the Donor Rewards Store loyalty program, and the BioLinked research registry. Specialized services encompass cell therapy manufacturing via a cleanroom facility and lab testing services. The organization also runs donor engagement programs including Thank the Donor, the BloodHounds therapy dog program, and the Blood Matters Blog educational content platform. International charitable work is conducted through Global Blood Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Donable: A peer-to-peer app that pays users for recruiting blood donors to OBI locations. Available on Android and iOS platforms.
• BloodHounds
• This Life Brought to You by Blood Donors
• Thank the Donor

Products and services

• Blood Donation Services Comprehensive blood collection services including whole blood, platelet, plasma, and Power Red donations across 17 donor centers and mobile drives in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas for healthy individual donors aged 16 and above.
• Mobile Blood Drives Off-site blood collection events hosted at businesses, schools, churches, and community locations with Drive Champion resources for coordinators seeking to organize drives.
• Donor Express Online pre-screening platform allowing donors to save time by answering questionnaire items before their donation appointment, integrated with the donor scheduling portal at yourbloodinstitute.org.
• Donable Peer-to-peer mobile app (iOS/Android) that pays users $10 per successful blood donation recruited to OBI locations, with payments processed via Stripe.
• Cell Therapy Program Advanced therapy manufacturing using donated blood components. Includes a cleanroom facility enabling CAR T-cell therapy and other cell therapies for Oklahoma patients, with 3-year reaccreditation following zero deficiency inspection.
• BioLinked OBI-founded startup and registry connecting donors with clinical research opportunities. Partners with Scripps Research on the All of Us Research Program, expanding the blood center network.
• Donor Rewards Store Online store where blood donors redeem accumulated points (capped at 40,000) for gift cards and promotional items, with points earned through donations.
• Lab Testing Services Blood testing services including fasting lipid panels and PSA screenings for donors, with results delivered through the donor portal, and reference lab support for hospitals.
• Global Blood Fund International charity founded by OBI in 2008 to improve access to safe blood transfusions in developing countries, providing aid in over 50 countries through grants, training, and equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• One whole blood donation can save up to three lives
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OU HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025OU Health collaborated with OBI on the cleanroom facility tour and cell therapy capabilities. Partners on research including hospice transfusion access studies at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center. Deep partnership for translating blood donation research into clinical applications.
• U.S. Representative Stephanie BiceminorOthers · 1 January 2024Congresswoman Stephanie Bice supported federal funding for OBI's cleanroom facility through appropriations committee. Construction completed in late 2025. Represents Oklahoma's Fifth Congressional District.
• Global Blood FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008International charity founded by OBI in 2008 to improve access to safe blood transfusions in developing countries. Has provided aid in 50+ countries through grants, training, and equipment including 50,000 blood bags, 2,000 portable donor beds, and 17 mobile donation vehicles. Donors can contribute to Global Blood Fund by opting out of OBI t-shirts when donating.
• Frontier CityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOklahoma theme park providing ticket incentives for blood donors. Part of Six Flags. Donors receive free theme park entries as rewards for successful donations during promotional periods.
• Six Flags Hurricane HarborminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWater park providing ticket incentives for blood donors. Part of Six Flags. Donors receive free water park entries as rewards for successful donations during promotional periods.
• Magic Springs Theme and Water ParkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArkansas theme and water park providing ticket incentives for blood donors. Donors receive free theme park entries as rewards for successful donations during promotional periods.
• Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization advocating for Senate Bill 2186 to improve hospice transfusion access. OBI supports this legislation alongside AABB and America's Blood Centers.
• America's Blood Centers (ABC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing independent blood centers. OBI collaborates on advocacy for improved hospice transfusion access through Senate Bill 2186.
• Oklahoma State UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity hosts multiple blood drives throughout the year at Student Union and campus locations. Targets student donors with themed promotions.
• Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity hosts blood drives at Student Union for student donors.
• Arkansas Children's HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner hosting joint blood drives to support pediatric patients requiring transfusions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bloodworks Northwest: Regional nonprofit blood center serving Washington and Oregon. Comparable as a multi-site nonprofit blood bank with hospital supply, mobile drives, and donor loyalty/incentive programs targeting community engagement.
• American Red Cross Blood Services: The largest U.S. blood collector and most direct comparable peer, operating donor centers nationally and competing for the same voluntary donor pool across OBI's service region. Both are nonprofit, hospital-supplying blood centers with mobile drives and apheresis capabilities.
• OneBlood: Large regional nonprofit blood center serving Florida and parts of the southeastern U.S. Directly comparable on multi-county fixed-center operations, mobile drives, apheresis collection, and hospital supply contracts.
• Versiti: Nonprofit blood center with explicit emphasis on cell therapy, transplant support, and diagnostic services. Closely parallels OBI's move from core blood banking into cell therapy manufacturing and research collaborations with academic medical centers.
• San Diego Blood Bank: Regional nonprofit blood center with cell therapy and research capabilities, comparable to OBI in operating fixed donor centers, mobile drives, and emerging cell-therapy/translational research programs.
• New York Blood Center (NYBC): Major nonprofit blood center with cell therapy and research capabilities that parallel OBI's cleanroom strategy. Directly comparable as a nonprofit blood bank pursuing advanced therapy manufacturing and translational research partnerships.
• Vitalant: One of the largest U.S. nonprofit blood centers, operating in roughly 30 states with overlapping mobile and fixed-center collection models. Compares closely on multi-state nonprofit blood collection, hospital supply contracts, and apheresis/platelet programs.
• LifeStream Blood Bank: California-based nonprofit community blood center comparable to OBI in donor-center operations, mobile drive programs, and hospital blood product supply contracts in a defined regional footprint.

Regional players

• Carter BloodCare: Texas-based nonprofit blood center that directly overlaps with OBI in the Texas market (OBI operates Wichita Falls). Highly comparable as a regional nonprofit blood center competing for donors and hospital contracts in overlapping Texas geographies.
• Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center: Texas-based nonprofit blood center operating in the Houston/Gulf Coast region. A regional peer with overlapping Texas geography, comparable donor-center operations, and similar hospital supply business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OurBloodInst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OurBloodInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/OurBloodInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/our-blood-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/ourbloodinstitute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Our Blood Institute