The big question is whether ResearchGate will make enough money to keep its investors happy.

ECONOMIST: More connective tissue may make academia more efficient

ResearchGate, which Madisch cofounded in May 2008, counts 1.8 million scientists from 193 countries as members.

FORBES: How Ijad Madisch Aims To Disrupt Science Research With A Social Network

Madisch cites three reasons they should, and in particular, three reasons he think scientists should use ResearchGate.

FORBES: ResearchGate Wants To Be Facebook For Scientists

ResearchGate has 80 employees, mostly in Berlin, including data scientists from places like Google and Amazon.

FORBES: How Ijad Madisch Aims To Disrupt Science Research With A Social Network

They will probably also like a new feature ResearchGate is planning to introduce in April: a feedback system which lets users rate each other's contributions.

ECONOMIST: More connective tissue may make academia more efficient

Now Madisch oversees a small but growing social network for scientists called ResearchGate, based in Berlin, Germany and backed by several U.S venture capital firms.

FORBES: How Ijad Madisch Aims To Disrupt Science Research With A Social Network

Madisch has chosen not to disclose the amount of money raised because he wants to focus on what ResearchGate can help accomplish more than anything else.

FORBES: How Ijad Madisch Aims To Disrupt Science Research With A Social Network

Some of that may already have come from the Max Planck Society, which runs many of Germany's best research campuses and had ResearchGate build it a private network.

ECONOMIST: More connective tissue may make academia more efficient

ResearchGate is signing up 4, 500 new members a day.

FORBES: How Ijad Madisch Aims To Disrupt Science Research With A Social Network