OpenChain Project
OpenChain Project, a Linux Foundation non-profit, maintains ISO/IEC 5230 and 18974 international standards for open source license compliance and security assurance, serving a global community of over 1,000 companies across automotive, telecom, and technology sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What OpenChain Project does
OpenChain Project is a non-profit open source standards initiative hosted under The Linux Foundation, founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco. It maintains two formally published international standards — ISO/IEC 5230:2020 for open source license compliance programs and ISO/IEC 18974:2023 for open source security assurance programs — and serves a global community of over 1,000 companies across automotive, telecommunications, semiconductors, and enterprise technology. The organization operates with a small core team of 6 employees and is governed by a board, steering committee, and multiple working groups covering Specification, Education, SBOM, Telco, Tooling, and AI.
The core product portfolio consists of the two ISO/IEC standards, supported by free self-certification checklists, an extensive reference library on GitHub, and a Telco SBOM Guide (with an associated Python-based validator contributed by Nokia). A Cross-Industry SBOM Quality Guide is in development, and the SBOM Study Group continues active standards work. The project also runs an Ambassadors Program for global community engagement and organizes multiple community events annually. Revenue is generated via Platinum Memberships (board seats for user companies), the Partner Program (which authorizes vendors to provide third-party certification), and paid Linux Foundation training courses.
The business model is freemium: the standards themselves are distributed at zero cost through ISO and OpenChain GitHub repositories, enabling self-service adoption by any organization. Commercial monetization occurs at the governance and certification layer rather than through standard licensing, and the project's competitive positioning rests on its status as the only initiative maintaining formal ISO/IEC international standards specifically scoped to open source license compliance and security assurance.
OpenChain Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OpenChain Project
- Legal name
- OpenChain Project
- Website
- https://openchainproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- OpenChain Project, a Linux Foundation non-profit, maintains ISO/IEC 5230 and 18974 international standards for open source license compliance and security assurance, serving a global community of over 1,000 companies across automotive, telecom, and technology sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where OpenChain Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
OpenChain Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Platinum Membership: Board membership level for user companies (not vendors) providing a seat and vote on the governing board and steering committee.
- Partner Program: Partner program for vendor companies to engage with OpenChain, with official partners able to provide independent assessment or third-party certification.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Standards Access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
OpenChain Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OpenChain is a Linux Foundation project that maintains two international ISO/IEC standards — ISO/IEC 5230:2020 for open source license compliance programs and ISO/IEC 18974:2023 for open source security assurance programs. It supports adoption of these standards through free self-certification checklists, a public reference library on GitHub, paid Linux Foundation training courses, and industry-specific guidance such as the OpenChain Telco SBOM Guide and its Python-based validator tool.
Product overview
The OpenChain Project is a Linux Foundation initiative that maintains international ISO/IEC standards for open source supply chain management. The core offerings consist of ISO/IEC 5230 (the International Standard for open source license compliance) and ISO/IEC 18974 (the industry standard for open source security assurance). These standards are supported by free self-certification checklists, reference material libraries, and training courses. The project has expanded into SBOM quality management through the Telco SBOM Guide and associated validator tools. The overall portfolio functions as a unified standards framework where the two ISO/IEC standards serve as the foundational specifications, supplemented by implementation guides (like the Telco SBOM Guide), validation tools (validator), educational resources (training, reference library), and community programs (ambassadors, events).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OpenChain ISO/IEC 5230 The international standard for open source license compliance programs. Defines the key requirements a quality open source compliance program must meet, helping organizations manage licensing requirements for past, current, and future products or services.
- OpenChain ISO/IEC 18974 The industry standard for open source security assurance programs. Helps organizations check open source for known security vulnerability issues such as CVEs, GitHub dependency alerts, and package manager alerts.
- OpenChain Training Courses Paid training delivered through the Linux Foundation: 'Introduction to Open Source License Compliance Management' (LFC193) and 'Implementing Open Source License Compliance Management' (LFC194), aimed at organizations adopting the OpenChain standards.
- OpenChain Telco SBOM Guide Industry-specific guide (originally for telecom, adaptable cross-industry) defining what constitutes a quality Software Bill of Materials in supply chain management. Uses SPDX, NTIA Requirements, and telco industry experience.
- OpenChain Telco SBOM Validator Python-based validation tool to check SBOMs against the OpenChain Telco SBOM Guide requirements. Supports SPDX file validation with strict/non-strict PURL and URL checking options.
Quantifiable outcome
- 31% of large German companies already use or plan to adopt OpenChain ISO/IEC 5230 (PwC research)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use OpenChain Project
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
OpenChain Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature6 records
OpenChain Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered moderate and core.
- SCANOSSmoderateSCANOSS announced formal automation support for the OpenChain Telco SBOM Guide, the first commercial tooling provider aligning with OpenChain's SBOM quality work. Integration of guide requirements into SCANOSS tools.
- NokiamoderateNokia Open Source team contributed the 'openchain-telco-sbom-validator', a script to validate SBOMs against the OpenChain Telco SBOM Guide. Marc-Etienne Vargenau chairs the OpenChain Telco Work Group.
- SPDX ProjectcoreOpenChain works with SPDX (ISO/IEC 5962) which maintains the International Standard for Software Bill of Materials (SBOM). OpenChain Telco SBOM Guide uses SPDX format. Collaboration on SBOM-related management in the supply chain.
- OpenSSF (Open Source Security Foundation)coreCollaboration on Global Cyber Policy Working Group addressing EU Cyber Resilience Act. Integration with Open Source Project Security Baseline (OSPS Baseline). Both initiatives work on security-related practices and management.
- TODO GroupmoderateCollaboration on OSPOlogy Live events and Open Source Program Office topics. TODO Group focuses on OSPOs while OpenChain focuses on supply chain compliance.
- CHAOSSmoderateWorking together to improve business management of open source. CHAOSS focuses on Metrics while OpenChain focuses on compliance and security standards.
- The Linux FoundationcoreOpenChain is a Linux Foundation project. Part of the larger governance and management ecosystem for open source. Uses Linux Foundation for events, infrastructure, and administrative support.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
OpenChain Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Open Source Initiative (OSI): Non-profit advocacy organization that maintains the Open Source Definition (OSD). Conceptually adjacent as both organizations define and promote open-source norms, though OSI focuses on definition while OpenChain focuses on compliance processes.
- Software Heritage: Non-profit initiative archiving public source code for long-term preservation. Conceptually adjacent in supporting software supply chain transparency, though Software Heritage focuses on archival while OpenChain focuses on compliance processes.
Broad incumbents
- Synopsys Black Duck: Established commercial SCA and license compliance solution. Black Duck provides paid compliance tooling that complements OpenChain standards with implementation, audit, and enforcement capabilities.
- Snyk: Commercial security and developer tooling platform offering SCA, license compliance, and vulnerability scanning. Snyk is a broader incumbent in the software supply chain security and compliance space.
- FOSSA: Commercial software composition analysis and license compliance platform. FOSSA operates as a paid implementation layer on top of open-source compliance standards like OpenChain, targeting enterprise supply-chain use cases.
- Mend (formerly WhiteSource): Commercial software composition analysis platform offering license compliance and security scanning. Operates alongside OpenChain standards as a paid implementation and enforcement layer for enterprises.
Direct peers
- TODO Group: Sister Linux Foundation project focused on Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs). OpenChain co-hosts OSPOlogy Live events and partners on OSPO-related open source governance and compliance topics.
- SPDX Project (Linux Foundation): Sister Linux Foundation project maintaining ISO/IEC 5962 for Software Bill of Materials. OpenChain Telco SBOM Guide uses the SPDX format and the two projects collaborate closely on SBOM-related supply chain management.
- OpenSSF (Open Source Security Foundation): Sister Linux Foundation initiative focused on open-source security. OpenChain collaborates with OpenSSF on the Global Cyber Policy Working Group for the EU Cyber Resilience Act and integrates with the OSPS Baseline.
- CHAOSS Project: Sister Linux Foundation project on open-source metrics. CHAOSS focuses on health and contribution metrics while OpenChain focuses on compliance processes, with active cross-project collaboration.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
OpenChain Project social profiles
Digital presenceOpenChain Project compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
OpenChain Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OpenChain Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
OpenChain Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OpenChain Project 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 OpenChain Project
What does OpenChain Project do?
OpenChain is a Linux Foundation project that maintains two international ISO/IEC standards — ISO/IEC 5230:2020 for open source license compliance programs and ISO/IEC 18974:2023 for open source security assurance programs. It supports adoption of these standards through free self-certification checklists, a public reference library on GitHub, paid Linux Foundation training courses, and industry-specific guidance such as the OpenChain Telco SBOM Guide and its Python-based validator tool.
Is OpenChain Project a public or private company?
OpenChain Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was OpenChain Project founded?
OpenChain Project was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is OpenChain Project based?
OpenChain Project is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does OpenChain Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Platinum Membership is the primary driver. The others are partner Program.
Who are OpenChain Project's main competitors?
Others on record are Open Source Initiative (OSI) and Software Heritage. Broad incumbents are Synopsys Black Duck, Snyk, FOSSA and Mend (formerly WhiteSource). Direct peers are TODO Group, SPDX Project (Linux Foundation), OpenSSF (Open Source Security Foundation) and CHAOSS Project.
Does OpenChain Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for OpenChain Project.