Mendeley, a reference management software, has undergone significant transformations since its inception. Founded in 2007 by three German PhD students, the software quickly gained traction in the academic community. This article explores the historical development of Mendeley, highlighting its key milestones and the impact of its acquisition by Elsevier in 2013.
The Founding and Early Development
Mendeley was founded in November 2007 in London by Paul Foeckler, Victor Henning, and Jan
Reichelt. The company was named after the Austrian biologist Gregor Mendel and the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, reflecting its scientific roots. The founders, all PhD students, aimed to create a tool that would simplify the management and sharing of research papers.
The first public beta version of Mendeley was released in August 2008. This early version allowed users to manage their research papers and generate bibliographies for scholarly articles. The software quickly gained popularity, thanks in part to its user-friendly interface and robust features. Mendeley's early success attracted investors, including individuals previously involved with Last.fm, Skype, and Warner Music Group, as well as academicians from Cambridge and Johns Hopkins University.
Recognition and Growth
Mendeley's innovative approach to reference management did not go unnoticed. In 2009, the company won several prestigious awards, including Plugg.eu's "European Start-up of the Year 2009" and TechCrunch Europas' "Best Social Innovation Which Benefits Society 2009." The Guardian also ranked Mendeley sixth in its "Top 100 tech media companies" list. These accolades helped solidify Mendeley's reputation as a leading player in the reference management software market.
By 2012, Mendeley had become one of the repositories for green Open Access recommended by the American philosopher Peter Suber, a prominent advocate for open access. However, this recommendation was later revoked after Elsevier acquired Mendeley and licensed it as proprietary software.
The Controversial Acquisition by Elsevier
In April 2013, Mendeley was acquired by Elsevier, a Dutch academic publishing company, for a speculated price of €50 million (approximately $65 million). The acquisition sparked significant debate within the scientific community, particularly among advocates of open access. Many users felt that Elsevier's business model was at odds with Mendeley's original mission of open sharing.
Critics, including David Dobbs in The New Yorker, suggested that Elsevier's motives for acquiring Mendeley might have included gaining access to its user data or undermining an open-science icon that threatened its business model. Despite the controversy, the acquisition allowed Mendeley to expand its product line and continue developing its core reference manager application.
Mendeley's journey from a startup to a major player in the reference management software market is a testament to its innovative approach and the dedication of its founders. While the acquisition by Elsevier remains a contentious topic, Mendeley's impact on the academic community is undeniable.
