Company Profile: Research Integrity Chain Ltd (RICH)

Background

Research Integrity Chain Ltd (RICH), founded on January 2, 2024, in London, United Kingdom, is a pioneering deep tech startup dedicated to safeguarding digital data and intellectual property (IP) rights for researchers, authors, and content creators. By leveraging blockchain technology, RICH offers a platform that provides immutable, verifiable records of content origination, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of digital assets. The company's mission is to prevent forgery and ensure the integrity of IP rights for every piece of data its users work with.

Key Strategic Focus

RICH's strategic objectives include:

Instant Data Protection: Providing immediate protection for digital content through blockchain-secured timestamps, offering court-admissible evidence of creation and ownership.

AI Collaboration Verification: Ensuring the authenticity of human contributions in AI-assisted projects by documenting workflows with tamper-proof precision.

Intellectual Property Management: Offering tools to manage IP rights with transparent, divisible certificates, facilitating clear ownership and licensing agreements.

Market Expansion: Targeting researchers, authors, and content creators globally, with a focus on markets in the US, UK, Canada, and the EU.

Financials and Funding

Since its inception, RICH has secured funding to support its growth and development:

January 2, 2024: Raised $250,000 in a funding round.

October 20, 2024: Received $25,000 in non-equity assistance.

February 1, 2025: Secured $250,000 in a pre-seed round from investor Mykola Paliyenko.

The capital is intended for platform development, market expansion, and enhancing technological capabilities.

Technological Platform and Innovation

RICH distinguishes itself through its innovative use of blockchain technology:

Immutable Records: Utilizes blockchain to create tamper-proof, verifiable records of content creation, ensuring data integrity.

Cryptographic Timestamps: Provides decentralized timestamps that serve as court-admissible evidence of content origination.

IP Asset Tokenization: Converts digital content into blockchain-based IP assets, facilitating transparent ownership and licensing.

AI Collaboration Verification: Documents human contributions in AI-assisted projects with cryptographically certified records, distinguishing human input from AI-generated content.

Leadership Team

Dmytro Shestakov: Co-founder and CEO, with a background in technology entrepreneurship and a dual PhD in Finance and Economics.

Andrew Matiukhin: Co-founder, contributing to the company's strategic direction and technological development.

Mykhailo Tiutin: Co-founder, involved in the operational and business development aspects of RICH.

Oleh Pun: Co-founder, focusing on technological innovation and platform architecture.

Leadership Changes

As of July 26, 2025, there have been no significant changes or appointments within RICH's leadership team.

Competitor Profile

Market Insights and Dynamics

The global intellectual property protection market is valued in the trillions of dollars, with increasing demand for solutions that safeguard digital content against forgery and unauthorized use. The rise of AI-generated content has further emphasized the need for tools that can verify human authorship and protect IP rights.

Competitor Analysis

RICH operates in a competitive landscape with several notable companies:

Medata: Provides cost containment and document management software for workers’ compensation and auto liability sectors.

Nitro Software Australia: Develops document workflow management platforms, focusing on PDF solutions.

New Horizons Software: Offers cloud-based and AI-driven practice management software.

Kipwise: Provides automated knowledge management software.

While these companies offer various data management and protection solutions, RICH's unique application of blockchain technology for real-time IP protection and AI collaboration verification sets it apart.

Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships

In May 2025, RICH partnered with Estonian technology company Vareger Group OÜ to enhance its blockchain platform. This collaboration aims to accelerate the development of RICH's solutions for protecting and licensing digital data and copyrights.

Operational Insights

RICH's strategic considerations include:

Technological Differentiation: Leveraging blockchain to offer unique, immutable records of content creation.

User Accessibility: Providing an intuitive platform that integrates seamlessly into existing workflows without requiring technical expertise.

Affordability: Implementing a pricing model based on actual computing resources consumed, making advanced IP protection accessible to a broader audience.

Strategic Opportunities and Future Directions

RICH's future roadmap includes:

Platform Enhancement: Integrating additional features for seamless workflow integration and enhanced user experience.

Market Expansion: Extending operations into the US, UK, Canada, and EU markets to reach a broader user base.

AI Protection Features: Developing systems to flag content as protected from unauthorized AI training, preventing proprietary information from appearing in AI outputs.