Nonprofit · EIN 83-4036254
PUBLIC INVENTION
Tax-exempt · AUSTIN, TX 78704
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990-EZ | $59,248 | $231,397 | -$172,149 | $84,656 | $0 | $84,656 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $406,897 | $134,931 | $271,966 | $265,409 | $0 | $265,409 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990-EZ | $166,981 | $170,007 | -$3,026 | $12,504 | – | $12,504 |
Financial details: 990-EZ for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $13,073
- Program service revenue
- $38,320
- Investment income
- $3,855
- Net gain from sales of assets
- $4,000
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $100
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $0
- Professional fees and payments to contractors
- $169,676
- Printing, publications and postage
- $1,524
- Other expenses
- $60,097
- Program services (functional)
- $175,428
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $265,474
- Total assets, end of year
- $84,656
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $0
- Net assets, end of year
- $84,656
- Cash, savings and investments
- $84,656
- Gross receipts
- $59,248
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990-EZ for the year ended December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert L Read | President, Founder | 55 | $0 |
| Christina Cole | Bookkeeper | 2 | $0 |
| Stephanie Liu | Vice President | 2 | $0 |
| Victoria Jaqua | Director | 1 | $0 |
| Marc Jones | Secretary | 1 | $0 |
| Sabia Abidi | Director | 1 | $0 |
| Yagmur Yegin | Director | 1 | $0 |
| John gibbons | Director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 1 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert L Read | President Trustee or director, Officer, Key employee, Former | 55 | $0 |
990-EZ for the year ended December 31, 2023: 8 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert L Read | Preseident | 55 | $0 |
| Marc T Jones | Director | 1 | $0 |
| Stephanie Liu | Vice-President | 1 | $0 |
| Sabia Abidi | Director | 1 | $0 |
| John K Gibbons | Director | 1 | $0 |
| Sarah Benson-Konforty | Director | 1 | $0 |
| Avinash Baskaran | Director | 1 | $0 |
| Victoria Jaqua | Director | 1 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 1709 NORRIS DR, AUSTIN, TX 78704-2807
- In care of
- % ROBERT READ
- Mailing address (990-N for 2019)
- 1709 Norris Drive, Austin TX 78704
- Principal officer (990-N for 2019)
- Robert Read, 1709 Norris Drive, Austin TX 78704
- Signed the 990-EZ
- Robert L Read, President
- Phone
- (512) 913-6103
- Website
- https://pubinv.org
Mission
Public Invention relieves the poor and distressed and the underprivileged through the advancement of science. Our mission is to "invent in the public, for the public" by creating free-libre, open-source, and humanitarian technologies. We focus on developing accessible, non-proprietary inventions that improve human health, education, and quality of life while bypassing traditional patent-and-profit models. n particular, Public Invention creates teams of volunteers who produce humanitarian open source inventions and machines usable by all. Our method is creating teams of volunteers who collaborate to "work in the light". Many of our projects focus on global health, such as our ventilator, ventilator tester, and our work for NASA creating a digital control system for a ceramic oxygen generator made by for-profit firm. Often our projects use microcontrollers, such as the Krake, a genarl purpose alarm device, but sometimes we make pure-software systems, such as Global Distributed Tracking.
Program accomplishments
- Global Distribute Tracking (GDT) is fully encrypted, free-of-charge and free software website that tracks an asset by keeping an amend-only history of the asset. This includes quality tests and chain-of-custody. Innovativelly, it does not require authentication by its users, and can be used world-wide with anyone with a smart phone. It is already in use tracking tourniquets and external fixators, and is under consideration by MSF (Doctors without Borders).Expenses $90,058
- NASA is developing a ceramic oxygen generator for filling space suits and preparing oxidants for return trips; we have build a digital control system for it. This year we documented a major phenomena that may make the whole system simpler in the future. This system has few moving parts and may have a huge impact providing thereapeutic oxygen in a point-of-care system in rural clinics.Expenses $45,268
- EcoPot is a more efficient cooking pot. One billion people still gather firewood for cooking, which is labor-intensive, adds to deforestation, and produce indoor pollution. A pot that required less wood would have a major impact on the lives of one billion people, mainly women. Using computational fluid dynamics and small 3D-printed metal test pots, we are measuring boil times approcaching half that of traditional pots.Expenses $2,996
- The Krake is a general purpose alarm device---like a programmable smoke alarm. It is highly modular, allowing it to be added to other open source projects (like the Public Invention PolyVent) which require a sophisticated alarm system for safety. Backed by a general purpsoe software system (the Alarm Dialog Management System, ADaM), this wireless device is meant to be spun out to for-profit businesses free-of-royalties to local businesses anywhere in the world.Expenses $1,296
- LibreCorder is a machine-learning empowered point-of-care diagnostic system that combines open source image capture tools with modern AI diagnostic systems. We have submitted two papers on this system, which is live and expanding, and have applied for additional grants.Expenses $35,810
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | 990-EZ on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990-EZ on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 83-4036254
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 2019
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Science and technology (U05)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $84,656
- Income (IRS master file)
- $59,248
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990-EZ | December 2025 | $59,248 | $231,397 | $84,656 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2024 | $406,897 | $134,931 | $265,409 | IRS |
| 990-EZ | December 2023 | $166,981 | $170,007 | $12,504 | XML |
| 990-EZ | December 2022 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990-EZ | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990-EZ | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990-N for 2019 Officer: Robert Read | December 31, 2019 | ≤ $50,000 receipts | – | – | e-Postcard |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 83-4036254).
Questions about PUBLIC INVENTION
- What is the EIN of PUBLIC INVENTION?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of PUBLIC INVENTION is 83-4036254.
- Is PUBLIC INVENTION tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2019.
- Are donations to PUBLIC INVENTION tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does PUBLIC INVENTION file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of PUBLIC INVENTION due?
- The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did PUBLIC INVENTION last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990-EZ for the year ended December 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of PUBLIC INVENTION?
- The 990-N for 2019 names Robert Read.
- Who are the officers and directors of PUBLIC INVENTION?
- The 990-EZ for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 8 people; 0 received compensation from the organization.
- How much revenue does PUBLIC INVENTION have?
- On its 990-EZ for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $59,248, expenses of $231,397 and total assets of $84,656 at year end.
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