FOSSEE

What FOSSEE does

FOSSEE (Free/Libre and Open Source Software for Education) is a non-profit educational initiative under India's National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT), Ministry of Education, Government of India, hosted at IIT Bombay. It promotes and develops a portfolio of 15+ free/libre and open source software tools for academia and research, spanning circuit design and PCB layout (eSim, NGHDL), numerical computation (Scilab with custom toolboxes, Python), CFD (OpenFOAM), chemical process simulation (DWSIM), structural steel design (Osdag), dynamic systems modeling (OpenModelica), programmable logic controllers (OpenPLC), embedded experiments (FLOSS-Arduino, SBHS), statistics (R), GIS (QGIS), 3D modeling (FreeCAD), computer graphics (FOCAL), and science pedagogy (SOUL). Supporting infrastructure includes the Yaksh online testing platform, cloud-hosted versions of multiple tools, and Python Textbook Companions.

The organization operates as a government mission project rather than a commercial entity. All software is distributed free of charge via direct website download and cloud platforms, with no licensing fees or paid tiers. Its go-to-market relies on Lab Migration services (migrating college labs from proprietary tools such as OrCAD, Simulink, MATLAB, ANSYS, and Aspen to FLOSS), Textbook Companion projects, Niche Software Activities, workshops, conferences, hackathons/marathons, podcasts, and a summer internship pipeline that channels students and faculty into contributing toolboxes, solved examples, and case studies. Primary users are Indian engineering colleges, their students and faculty, and to a lesser extent research institutions, with secondary usage by global individuals downloading the open-source stack. It is also worth noting that as of 10 August 2020 FOSSEE discontinued honorarium payments to contributors for Textbook Companion, Lab Migration, and Niche Software Activities due to a stated shortage of funds, with only e-certificates and website credits now offered.

Name

FOSSEE

Legal name

FOSSEE (Free/Libre and Open Source Software for Education)

Website

https://fossee.in

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FOSSEE is a government-funded non-profit at IIT Bombay that promotes and develops 15+ free/open source software tools (Scilab, Python, eSim, OpenFOAM, DWSIM, Osdag, OpenPLC, R, FreeCAD, etc.) for Indian engineering colleges, students, faculty, and researchers, supported by Lab Migration, Textbook Companion, and internship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open Source Educational Software

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Software Publishers (5132), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Computer Science, IT & Data Science (EDAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hardware & Embedded/IoT Programming (Microcontrollers, Raspberry Pi) (EDAMACAL), Tools & Platforms Training (Jira, Azure DevOps, MS Project, Smartsheet, etc.) (EDABAHAH)

Keywords

• Open source software
• Educational technology
• Scientific computing
• Circuit design simulation
• Numerical computation tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FOSSEE (Free/Libre and Open Source Software for Education) promotes and develops FLOSS tools for use in academia and research. The portfolio spans circuit design and PCB (eSim), numerical computation (Scilab), CFD (OpenFOAM), chemical process simulation (DWSIM), steel structure design (Osdag), dynamic system modeling (OpenModelica), programmable logic controllers (OpenPLC), embedded systems (FLOSS-Arduino), control systems labs (SBHS), statistics (R), GIS (QGIS), computer graphics (FOCAL), science education (SOUL), 3D modeling (FreeCAD), and general programming (Python), along with the Yaksh online testing platform and supporting services like Lab Migration and Textbook Companions.

Product overview

FOSSEE (Free/Libre and Open Source Software for Education) is a National Mission on Education through ICT initiative of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, promoting the use of FLOSS tools in academia and research. The portfolio consists of a comprehensive suite of open-source software tools for education: eSim (circuit design/PCB), Python (programming), Scilab (numerical computation), OpenFOAM (CFD), DWSIM (chemical process simulation), Osdag (steel structure design), OpenModelica (system modeling), OpenPLC (programmable logic controllers), FLOSS-Arduino (embedded systems), SBHS (control systems lab), R (statistics), QGIS (GIS), FOCAL (computer graphics), SOUL (science education), and FreeCAD (3D modeling). Supporting infrastructure includes Yaksh Online Testing platform, Scilab Toolboxes, Python Textbook Companions on Cloud, and services such as Lab Migration, Textbook Companion Projects, Niche Software Activities, Forum, and Workshops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• eSim: An EDA tool for circuit design, simulation, analysis and PCB design. Developed by FOSSEE team at IIT Bombay as a free/libre and open source alternative to OrCAD.
• DWSIM
• OpenFOAM
• OpenModelica
• OpenPLC
• Osdag
• FLOSS-Arduino
• SBHS
• FOCAL
• SOUL
• Yaksh
• Scilab Toolboxes

Products and services

• eSim An EDA tool for circuit design, simulation, analysis and PCB design developed by FOSSEE at IIT Bombay as a free/libre open source alternative to OrCAD; formerly known as Oscad/FreeEDA.
• Scilab A free/libre and open source software for numerical computation, including Xcos, an open source alternative to Simulink for dynamic system modeling and simulation.
• Python A general-purpose, high-level, powerful dynamic programming language used in a wide variety of application domains and supported through FOSSEE's Textbook Companion program.
• OpenFOAM A free/libre and open source Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) toolbox useful to solve complex fluid flows involving chemical reactions, turbulence and heat transfer, as well as solid dynamics and electromagnetics.
• DWSIM A free/libre and open source CAPE-OPEN compliant chemical process simulator that helps understand the behavior of chemical systems by using rigorous thermodynamic and unit operations models.
• Osdag A free/libre and open-source software which allows the user to design steel structures using a graphical user interface with 3D visualization of the designed component.
• OpenModelica A free/libre and open source environment based on the Modelica modelling language for modelling, simulating, optimising and analysing complex dynamic systems.
• OpenPLC A fully free/libre and open source Programmable Logic Controller creating opportunities for people to study its concepts, explore new technologies and share resources.
• FLOSS-Arduino An interface devoted to the control of Arduino using Free/Libre Open-Source Software, helping users perform embedded systems experiments on the Arduino Uno board.
• SBHS (Single Board Heater System) A lab-in-a-box setup useful for teaching and learning control systems.
• R A language and environment for statistical computing and graphics, promoted by FOSSEE.
• QGIS A free and open-source desktop Geographic Information System (GIS) application promoted by FOSSEE.
• FOCAL A free and open-source creative art library initiative by FOSSEE to promote Open Source Software in computer graphics.
• SOUL A collection of ICT software that can be used as teaching/learning tools by the community of educators and learners to teach/learn basic and advanced concepts in science subjects.
• FreeCAD A powerful, open-source 3D modeling tool designed for everyone from hobbyists to professional engineers and architects, promoted by FOSSEE.
• Yaksh Online Test A Python-Django based web application developed by FOSSEE team to conduct online programming and MCQ based quizzes, testing practical skills of students in Python, C, C++, Java, Scilab and Bash.
• Lab Migration Services Service to migrate labs that use proprietary software to FLOSS-only labs, coordinating with colleges to save on commercial software licenses; currently offered for R and DWSIM.
• Textbook Companion Project An activity that aims to port solved examples from standard textbooks using FLOSS software, creating a learning resource database.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IIT BombaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOSSEE is hosted at IIT Bombay. The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay is the parent institution providing the research environment and academic infrastructure for the FOSSEE project.
• Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOSSEE is part of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India. This government backing provides institutional legitimacy and funding support.
• NMEICT (National Mission on Education through ICT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNMEICT is the parent national mission under which the FOSSEE project operates to promote the use of FLOSS tools in academia and research across India.
• VLSI System Design Corp. Pvt. LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in organizing the Mixed Signal Circuit Design and Simulation Marathon using eSim. Collaborates with FOSSEE and IIT Bombay for circuit design competitions.
• C2S (Chips to Startup)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in eSim marathon events, supporting the initiative to promote open-source EDA tools and foster innovation in circuit design.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• QGIS.org (QGIS Project): Community developers of QGIS, the open-source GIS application FOSSEE promotes under its portfolio. Shares FOSSEE's open-source educational tooling mission and contributor-driven release model.
• OpenFOAM Foundation / ESI Group: Upstream developer and distributor of OpenFOAM, the CFD toolbox FOSSEE promotes for solving complex fluid flows, chemical reactions, turbulence, and heat transfer. They share FOSSEE's mission of providing open-source simulation tools to academia and research.
• GNU Octave: Free software numerical computation environment serving as a high-level open-source alternative to MATLAB — directly paralleling FOSSEE's promotion of Scilab. Targets the same higher-education STEM audience with a similar FLOSS philosophy.
• Scilab Enterprises: Scilab Enterprises develops the numerical computation tool Scilab (and Xcos as a Simulink alternative) — FOSSEE's most prominently promoted FLOSS tool. They are a co-promoter/partner to FOSSEE for engineering education in India and operate the same open-source educational software mission.
• KiCad: Open-source EDA suite for schematic capture, PCB layout, and circuit simulation — a sister tool to FOSSEE's eSim. Both target engineering colleges seeking free alternatives to proprietary EDA tools like OrCAD.

Broad incumbents

• Dassault Systèmes: Developer of SOLIDWORKS, CATIA, and other proprietary CAD/CAE platforms. Competes against FOSSEE-promoted FreeCAD for engineering student and lab budgets — the dominant commercial CAD incumbent in higher education.
• ANSYS: Provider of ANSYS Fluent and other commercial CFD/multiphysics tools that OpenFOAM (promoted by FOSSEE) substitutes for in academia and research. Represents the high-cost proprietary incumbent FOSSEE's research-institution segment seeks to displace.
• MathWorks: Proprietary incumbent behind MATLAB and Simulink — the toolchain FOSSEE's Scilab/Xcos stack explicitly substitutes for in Indian engineering education. Dominates the same CS/engineering-education niche with full commercial backing.
• Cadence Design Systems: Developer of OrCAD and other proprietary EDA tools that FOSSEE's eSim is positioned as a 'free/libre alternative to'. Dominant commercial EDA vendor whose license costs drive FOSSEE's Lab Migration pitch.

Others

• NumFOCUS: Non-profit supporting open-source scientific computing projects. Analogous ecosystem-builder to FOSSEE for the global FLOSS-in-research community — sister mission organization rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FOSSEE
• Facebookfacebook.com/FOSSEE-894448903953823
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fossee-iitb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 FOSSEE