About us / About co-ops
Cividens is a global research and scholar community invested in building authentic connection, accountability, and trust. Our mission is to support researcher and scholar agency by advancing human accountability and unlocking essential resources in the digital world. Built by and for researchers and scholars. Governed by members. Trusted by all.
Why a cooperative?
A cooperative is a business, but a unique one: an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet common needs through a jointly owned, democratically controlled enterprise. Members — not outside investors — own and control Cividens. The membership elects the board, surplus revenues return to members based on use, and operations prioritize member needs over profit maximization.
We adhere to the seven internationally recognized cooperative principles, including voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy, education and training, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for community.
Our team
Cividens was founded by practitioners with decades of experience in research identity infrastructure — including founding roles at ORCID and national research and education identity federations, spanning software development, product strategy, governance, and secure systems architecture.