Mendeley is a reference management software company founded in 2007 by PhD students Paul Foeckler, Victor Henning, and Jan Reichelt. It was designed to help researchers manage and share research papers and generate bibliographies for scholarly articles. The company is named after the biologist Gregor Mendel and the chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. Mendeley was acquired by Elsevier, a Dutch academic publishing company, in 2013.
Mendeley was established in London and released its first public beta version in August 2008. The company quickly gained recognition, winning several awards in 2009, including "European Start-up of the Year" and "Best Social Innovation Which Benefits Society" by TechCrunch Europas. The founders aimed to address the inefficiencies in academic research management and collaboration, which resonated well with the academic community, leading to rapid growth.
Before its acquisition, Mendeley raised $2 million in funding from investors, including Ambient Sound Investments and prominent individuals from the tech industry. When Elsevier acquired Mendeley in 2013, the deal was speculated to be valued between $69 million and $100 million.
Mendeley offers a suite of tools for managing research papers, including a desktop application, a web platform, and mobile apps. Key features include:
The acquisition by Elsevier allowed Mendeley to expand its product offerings and integrate more deeply into the academic publishing ecosystem. This move was controversial, with some users concerned about the potential impact on Mendeley's open-access ethos.
Mendeley continuously updates its software to enhance functionality and user experience. Recent updates have included improvements to the Mendeley Reference Manager and the introduction of new tools like the Mendeley Cite add-in for Microsoft Word.
Mendeley's culture is rooted in innovation and collaboration, with a focus on improving the academic research process. The company's vision is to make scientific research more open and collaborative, aligning with its origins as a tool developed by researchers for researchers.
Mendeley has a large and engaged user base, consisting of researchers, students, and academics worldwide. The platform supports a vibrant community where users can share research, collaborate on projects, and connect with peers in similar fields. The acquisition by Elsevier has provided Mendeley with additional resources to support its community and expand its reach.
