We’re exploring an open-source, clinic-owned temperature monitoring system for vaccine fridges and medical refrigerators.
No subscriptions. No cloud lock-in. You own the device, the data, the firmware, and the reports.
Why we’re looking at this
Most vaccine fridge monitors fall into two camps:
- Basic loggers — cheap, but someone has to physically download data every week. No live alerts. No remote visibility.
- Cloud subscription systems — real-time alerts and dashboards, but you’re locked into a monthly fee and someone else’s servers. If the company disappears, your monitoring disappears with it.
There’s not much in between. We think there should be.
What we’re prototyping
An ESP32-based monitor that:
- Logs temperature every 5 minutes (Strive for 5 interval)
- Stores data locally on the device
- Generates weekly reports (PDF/CSV)
- Alerts via email and SMS when temperature breaches thresholds
- Runs fully local — no internet required for core logging
- Integrates with Home Assistant and MQTT if you want it to
- Has a local web dashboard you can pull up from any browser on-site
- Detects and logs power outages, probe failures, and door events
- Keeps logging during power loss with battery backup
The probe sits in a glycol-filled bottle inside the fridge (buffered reading, not just air temperature). The electronics stay outside where they belong.
Where we’re at
We have working ESP32 hardware, ESPHome firmware experience, and a local manufacturing pipeline from our existing HVAC controller products.
We don’t have a finished fridge monitor product yet. That’s where you come in.
Founding rollout partners wanted
We’re looking for a small group of clinics, pharmacies, labs, and health services to help shape this from the ground up.
As a founding partner, you get:
- Direct input into what features ship first
- Early access to pilot hardware at cost
- Priority access when the first production batch opens
- Recognition as a launch partner
In return, we get honest feedback from real sites. We iterate fast. You tell us what’s broken, what’s missing, and what actually matters day-to-day. We fix it.
What we’re asking
Right now, we’re just gathering interest. No commitment, no payment.
If you’re responsible for vaccine fridge monitoring at your site — or you know someone who is — we’d like to hear from you.
Specifically:
- How many fridges do you monitor?
- What do you use now?
- What’s the most annoying part of your current setup?
- Would local data ownership matter to your organisation?
- Do you need calibration certificates?
If there’s enough interest, we’ll build the first pilot batch and invite founding partners to test.
Want in?
Contact us and mention “vaccine fridge monitor” along with details about your setup.
We read everything. We reply to everyone.
Leave a Reply