OpenCorporates launches plei – an open ID to close the global legal entity data gap

OpenCorporates, the world’s largest open database of legal entities, today announced the launch of the plei (proto legal entity identifier). This groundbreaking open identifier system will provide a universal, no-cost legal identifier for every legal entity in the world, regardless of size or jurisdiction.

Despite the success of the Global LEI system, coverage remains a significant hurdle for global use cases, particularly in supply chains and trade finance.

The plei is designed to complement the existing system by filling these gaps, ensuring the transparency and efficiency benefits of a standardized identifier are accessible to the private sector and the public at scale.

Bridging the Gap in Global Entity Identification

The plei utilises the ISO 17442 identifier format, the same standard used by the Global LEI. By basing identifiers on official proof of existence from primary registers, OpenCorporates ensures that the plei maintains high data integrity, and integrates seamlessly with the Global LEI System, creating open identifiers for all legal entities in a jurisdiction, not just those that have paid to get an LEI.

“Our mission has always been to promote corporate transparency and make company data work for the public good,” said Chris Taggart, Founder of OpenCorporates. “The plei allows the LEI framework to be utilized in scenarios where limited coverage previously made it impossible. We are providing a bridge that makes the entire ecosystem more robust, more inclusive, and significantly more affordable.”

Enabling the Digitalisation of Global Trade

A primary driver for the plei is the urgent need for digital transformation in international commerce with a standardised identifier that is widely accepted and scalable to represent the vast majority of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The plei is based on existing identity frameworks, leverages the largest open database of legal entities in the world and is available and scalable through its open availability enabled by OpenCorporates.

Stephan Wolf, Chair of Verifiable.Trade, emphasized the strategic importance of this launch: “Supply chain agility and transparency break down when businesses cannot be identified quickly and securely. The plei changes that on a global scale. By giving every company a standardised, free and open identifier, it unlocks automation, trust and inclusion for millions of SMEs, supports sustainability goals, and lays the foundation for verifiable, flexible, and scalable supply chains and financial services.”

Key Features of the plei system:

• Universal Coverage: Launching initially with all U.S. legal entities, the system will expand to include jurisdictions globally throughout 2026.
• Seamless Integration: For entities that already possess a Global LEI, that remains the primary identifier. If an entity with a plei later obtains a formal LEI, the plei system transparently updates the record.
• Reduced Friction: The plei lowers the barrier to official LEI registration. Promoting a plei to a full LEI requires substantially less administrative work than creating one from scratch.
• Accessible Data: Data will be available in the Common Data File (CDF) format and via major data platforms, ensuring it fits directly into existing financial and regulatory workflows.

A Sustainable, Public-Benefit Model

In alignment with OpenCorporates’ mission, the plei operates under an open license. The identifier will be free for the general public via a new dedicated portal, p-lei.com, and available in bulk for public-benefit users. To ensure long-term stability and integrity, the system will be overseen by a governance board. This board is tasked with ensuring the identifier remains open and dedicated to public benefit, a commitment already enshrined in the Articles of association of OpenCorporates, a certified B-Corp.

Availability

The plei is currently in alpha testing with select core users. Starting today, OpenCorporates is making a sample file available for public download. Stakeholders, developers, and transparency advocates are encouraged to test the data and provide feedback to shape the future of the system.

About OpenCorporates

OpenCorporates is the largest open database of companies in the world, providing access to primary-source data on over 200 million entities. Its mission is to make company information more accessible, more discoverable, and more usable for the public benefit.

Disclaimer: OpenCorporates and the plei is not affiliated with and operates independently of the Global LEI and Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF).