Kudos, which helps researchers maximise the reach and impact of their publications, has announced the completion of its first funding round. The company's services intersect with several topical issues including research impact, evaluation and metrics, citizen science, open access, social media and the globalisation of research. It has therefore attracted a wide range of investors ranging from industry specialists to more general business angels.
It is expected that the investment of £0.5m will boost development, sales and marketing as Kudos expands its target markets and works to maximise engagement among its over 40,000 users. The rapid completion of this first funding round reinforces the status of Kudos as 'one to watch'.
The Kudos board of Melinda Kenneway, David Sommer and Charlie Rapple will be expanded to include Callum Campbell, who co-founded and built up the publisher Law Business Research before investing in Kudos.
Kudos provides a platform for researchers to explain and share their work for wider audiences, and to measure the effect of these actions on a range of metrics including full text usage, altmetrics, and citations. Kudos is unique in bringing together multiple metrics in one platform, providing tools and guidance for improving performance, and mapping the two so that researchers, institutions and publishers can clearly see which activities and channels are most effective for different kinds of publication.
