You can't fault social network ResearchGate for a lack of ambition.
Intended to help researchers better connect to one another, the startup aims to do nothing less than create "a complete total mindset change of all the scientists in the world," says co-founder Ijad Madisch.
As Forbes' Tomio Geron reports this week, it will now have $35 million worth of help to do so.
The company has closed a Series C financing round led by Bill Gates and Tenaya Capital, providing it with funds to pursue its goal of opening up and accelerating scientific research.
The site, which currently counts 2.9 million users, lets scientists post information about their work and skills, allowing them to more easily identify potential collaborators. Madisch also "wants scientists to publish raw data from their research on" the site, Geron writes, noting that this could potentially let them "get feedback in real-time to their research, instead of waiting months or years for research to be published in top journals."
Of course, convincing researchers to eschew the top journals for an open-source social network platform is no easy task, as Madisch admits. Also potentially a challenge for site — making money.
"The company hasn't focused heavily on generating revenue yet," Geron notes.