OPEN STANDARD
When a system tracks irreplaceable biological material, the people relying on it deserve to inspect how it works. OpenCryo's platform source code is available for inspection by your team, your auditors, and your regulators under the Business Source License; ask and we will arrange access. Closed systems ask you to trust a vendor. OpenCryo lets you verify.
Your specimen data belongs to your facility and your patients, not to a software vendor. OpenCryo uses an open data format. If you outgrow the platform, want to switch providers, or need to migrate, your data comes with you. No export fees, no proprietary formats.
OpenCryo consists of three layers, each serving a different purpose.
The OpenCryo Protocol is an open specification for cryogenic chain of custody data, freely available for anyone to implement. It defines how specimens are identified, tracked, transferred, and audited. The protocol is published under the Apache 2.0 license. Competing implementations are encouraged; they strengthen the standard.
The Platform Implementation is a complete, production-grade application that implements the protocol. Released under a Business Source License that protects commercial hosting while ensuring each version converts to the Apache License 2.0 four years after its release.
OpenCryo Cloud is a fully managed, hosted version for facilities that want digital chain of custody without managing infrastructure.
OpenCryo's architecture is designed so that independent installations can form inter-cluster relationships for specimen exchange. The data model uses globally unique identifiers with entity prefixes (87 distinct types) and never assumes a single installation is the entire universe.
Two clinics running their own OpenCryo installations will be able to share specimen data directly, with full chain of custody preserved across the boundary; this federation is on the roadmap for Q4 2026. Federation is not an afterthought; it is a first-class architectural requirement that influences every design decision.
The protocol specification is Apache 2.0: use it, implement it, build on it, without restriction. The platform implementation uses a Business Source License that permits free self-hosting and internal use while reserving commercial hosting rights. Each version automatically converts to the Apache License 2.0 four years after its release. This structure protects the sustainability of OpenCryo Cloud while ensuring the codebase can never be locked away.
