OpenSSL Foundation

What OpenSSL Foundation does

The OpenSSL Foundation is a Delaware-incorporated non-profit organization established in 2014 that supports the community-run OpenSSL cryptographic library, the de facto open-source implementation of TLS/SSL protocols used to secure internet communications worldwide. Headquartered in Dover, Delaware with a lean staff of approximately 11 employees, the foundation enables access to online privacy and security tools as a "fundamental human right" and coordinates the broader OpenSSL ecosystem alongside the community-maintained OpenSSL Library and the OpenSSL Corporation. Its core technical work spans general-purpose cryptography, TLS/SSL protocol implementation, and an active initiative to integrate post-quantum cryptographic algorithms in preparation for "Q-Day" — the point at which quantum computers can break current encryption methods.

The foundation operates a community-led go-to-market model rather than a commercial sales motion. It distributes the OpenSSL Library freely through open-source repositories and mirrors with no licensing fees, and funds operations entirely through donations, grants, and charitable contributions from individuals and corporate supporters. Named financial supporters include Cisco, Nominet, ST Fund, OpenSSL Corporation, and is*hosting (which joined the Code Protectors Program in July 2026). Community engagement is driven through conferences (OpenSSL Conference, DevConf.CZ), scholarships, educational content, LinkedIn and YouTube channels, a community hub at openssl-communities.org, and a newsletter. The foundation's primary constituents are the global developer community and the organizations that depend on OpenSSL for securing infrastructure, with end-user reach measured in millions. No revenue, funding rounds, or paid products are disclosed, consistent with the non-profit mission model.

Name

OpenSSL Foundation

Legal name

OpenSSL Foundation

Website

https://openssl-foundation.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The OpenSSL Foundation is a Delaware non-profit that supports the community-run OpenSSL cryptographic library, providing open-source TLS/SSL and post-quantum security tools used globally to protect internet communications. It is funded by donations and grants from corporate and individual supporters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation is funded entirely by gifts, grants, and financial contributions from supporters. Individual donors, organizations, and corporate partners contribute to fund development, operations, and mission activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OpenSSL Foundation enables access to online privacy and security tools by stewarding the OpenSSL Library, a community-run, open-source cryptographic toolkit implementing the TLS and SSL protocols plus general-purpose cryptography. The foundation funds this work through donations, grants, and Code Protectors Program contributions, and is actively developing post-quantum cryptography to future-proof internet security.

Product overview

OpenSSL Foundation operates as a nonprofit organization supporting the OpenSSL ecosystem, which consists of multiple interconnected entities. The primary offering is the OpenSSL Library, a community-run open-source cryptographic library that provides TLS/SSL protocol implementation and general-purpose encryption tools. The Foundation's role is to enable access to online privacy and security tools as a fundamental human right, funding this work through donations, grants, and financial contributions from supporters. The Code Protectors Program is a donation initiative that allows organizations to support critical open-source security maintenance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OpenSSL Library A robust, full-featured open-source toolkit implementing the Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocols, along with a full-spectrum general-purpose cryptography library. It is community-run and serves as the foundational security library for internet protection, used by software developers, system administrators, and organizations worldwide.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OpenSSL CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpenSSL Corporation is part of the broader OpenSSL ecosystem. The Foundation enables access to online privacy and security tools and works with OpenSSL Corporation as part of the shared OpenSSL Mission under the OpenSSL ecosystem umbrella.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Internet Security Research Group (Let's Encrypt): Non-profit that operates Let's Encrypt, the world's largest free TLS certificate authority built on top of OpenSSL. Highly comparable as a non-profit delivering open-source public key infrastructure / encryption infrastructure funded by sponsors and grants.
• Apache Software Foundation: Non-profit foundation stewarding widely deployed open-source infrastructure software. Comparable governance model (volunteer community, donated corporate sponsorship, foundation-led project governance) and similar donor-driven funding approach.
• OpenSSL Corporation: The commercial counterpart within the OpenSSL ecosystem that handles commercial licensing and contracts. Most directly comparable because it sits within the same OpenSSL Mission and serves many of the same downstream users, but operates under a for-profit charter rather than as a non-profit foundation.

Broad incumbents

• Mozilla Foundation: Non-profit foundation stewarding open-source internet security and privacy projects (Firefox, cert verification). Comparable mission framing (privacy as a public good) and similar reliance on donations and corporate sponsors, though operating at much larger scale.
• Free Software Foundation: Non-profit advocating for and stewarding free/open-source software. Comparable mission-driven framing and donation-based funding, but operates as an advocacy/grantmaking organization rather than directly maintaining production security libraries.
• Eclipse Foundation: Non-profit foundation hosting critical open-source infrastructure projects. Comparable as a vendor-neutral steward of donated code with corporate sponsorship, but focused on a broader developer-tooling portfolio.
• Linux Foundation: Largest non-profit consortium funding critical open-source infrastructure projects. Comparable as a non-profit foundation that channels corporate sponsorship to support mission-critical open-source projects, but covers a far broader portfolio.
• Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF): Linux Foundation sub-foundation stewarding open-source cloud infrastructure projects. Comparable non-profit foundation model with corporate sponsorship funding critical open-source infrastructure, but oriented toward cloud-native rather than cryptographic libraries.

Emerging players

• OpenBSD Foundation: Non-profit funding development of OpenBSD and related security-focused projects including LibreSSL (a fork of OpenSSL). Comparable security/open-source mission and donor-funding model, and a direct downstream competitor to OpenSSL via LibreSSL.
• Python Software Foundation: Non-profit stewarding a foundational open-source programming language and its security ecosystem. Comparable as a donation-funded foundation supporting a critical piece of internet infrastructure, though the primary asset is a language runtime rather than a crypto library.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OpenSSLFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openssl-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about OpenSSL Foundation