iHub
iHub is Radboud University's interdisciplinary research hub on Digitalization and Society, uniting 90+ scholars across humanities and sciences to study digitalization's societal effects and develop privacy-enhancing technologies like IRMA, PubHubs, and PEP.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersNijmegen, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What iHub does
iHub is Radboud University's interdisciplinary research hub on Digitalization and Society, headquartered on the 19th floor of the Erasmus-building in Nijmegen, Netherlands. The hub brings together 90+ current members, 24 collaborators, and a wider research community spanning computer science, philosophy, law, linguistics, educational sciences, behavioral and communication sciences, science and technology studies, organizational studies, and history. Its mission is to better understand the effects of digitalization on society and to help steer digital transformations in ways that keep public values central, organized around four value lines: Privacy & Digital Autonomy, Solidarity & Justice, Democracy & Freedom, and Expertise & Meaningful Work. The institute is co-directed by Professor Bart Jacobs (computer security and privacy) and Professor Tamar Sharon (philosophy, ethics, and digitalization), with Laura Hoekjan serving as Manager of Operations.
Through its in-house iLab laboratory, iHub develops research-grade technology prototypes addressing privacy, identity, and digital trust. Core technical assets include the IRMA/Yivi privacy-friendly identity management platform (supporting authentication, electronic voting via IRMA Vote, attribute-based encryption, and digital signatures), PubHubs (an open-source public value-driven social network built on the Matrix protocol), PostGuard (user-friendly encryption for the general public based on IRMA infrastructure), the Polymorphic Encryption and Pseudonymisation (PEP) repository for privacy-preserving medical data exchange, Twid for adding authenticity to social media messages, and the Sphere Transgression Watch for tracking Big Tech's expansion into societal spheres. Notable recognitions include the 2021 Spinoza Prize (Bart Jacobs) and Stevin Prize (José van Dijck), 2024 KNAW membership (Tamar Sharon), and 2026 NWO VICI grant (Tamar Sharon).
iHub operates as a non-commercial academic research institution with no commercial revenue stream. It is funded through competitive research grants from NWO, the European Research Council (ERC), EU Horizon programs, ECSEL Joint Undertaking, and foundations including SIDN Fonds, NGI Zero, and NLNet Foundation. Its primary stakeholder segments are Dutch and European public sector organizations (municipalities, Electoral Council, police, tax office) deploying its tools; healthcare institutions (Radboudumc, Verily Life Sciences) partnering on privacy-preserving medical research; the broader academic research community; and societal stakeholders engaged on public values in digitalization. The organization does not sell commercial products; instead, its research outputs are disseminated through academic publications, events, open-source software, and policy contributions.
iHub firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- iHub
- Legal name
- iHub - Interdisciplinary Research Hub on Digitalization and Society
- Website
- https://ihub.ru.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- iHub is Radboud University's interdisciplinary research hub on Digitalization and Society, uniting 90+ scholars across humanities and sciences to study digitalization's societal effects and develop privacy-enhancing technologies like IRMA, PubHubs, and PEP.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
iHub industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Interdisciplinary Digitalization Research
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (51321), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) (BPAMAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Identity & Access Management (SSO/MFA) for Education (EDAFALAI)
Keywords
Where iHub is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nijmegen
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
iHub business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Research Grants and Project Funding: iHub operates as an academic research institution funded primarily through research grants from organizations such as NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research), ERC (European Research Council), and European Union Horizon programs. Projects like AI4ALL, Digital Good, Building on Digital Identity, and Polymorphic Encryption receive specific project funding.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
iHub product offering
Product offeringCore offering
iHub is an interdisciplinary research hub that conducts academic research on how digitalization affects public values (privacy, freedom, solidarity, justice, expertise) and develops value-driven software prototypes through its iLab, including the IRMA/Yivi identity platform, IRMA Vote, PubHubs, PostGuard encryption, and the Polymorphic Encryption and Pseudonymisation (PEP) repository. Its outputs are peer-reviewed research, open-source technical prototypes, and applied collaborations with public-sector, healthcare, and academic partners rather than commercial products.
Product overview
iHub is an interdisciplinary research hub at Radboud University focused on digitalization and society, not a commercial product company. Its technical offerings consist primarily of research prototypes and proof-of-concept tools developed in its iLab. The main product family is the IRMA/Yiva identity platform, which serves as the foundation for applications like IRMA Vote (privacy-friendly voting). Other offerings include PubHubs (a value-driven social network), PostGuard (user-friendly encryption), and the PEP Repository (privacy-preserving medical data sharing). These are research-oriented prototypes aimed at demonstrating public values in digitalization rather than commercial products with full feature sets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- iLab: iLab is the experimental in-house laboratory of iHub, offering technical substrate for interdisciplinary research and developing value-driven proofs of concept and software prototypes.
Products and services
- IRMA (now rebranded as Yivi) A privacy-friendly identity management application that lets users collect verified attributes and selectively disclose them, supporting authentication, digital signatures, and electronic voting. It is distributed as an open-source mobile app and serves as the cryptographic foundation for several iHub prototypes and public-sector pilots.
- IRMA Vote A privacy-friendly, small-scale online voting system built on the IRMA identity platform that enables anonymous voting with digital signatures for integrity verification. It is designed for neighborhood plan votes and local public consultations and has been deployed with Dutch municipalities.
- PubHubs A public value-driven social network built on the open Matrix protocol that connects people across distinct community hubs (family, sports clubs, schools, neighborhoods, municipalities) with open, transparent data protection and reliable information flows.
- PostGuard An identity-based and attribute-based encryption tool designed to make cryptographic security usable by the general public, addressing the long-standing gap between the availability of strong encryption and its limited real-world adoption due to usability challenges.
- Polymorphic Encryption and Pseudonymisation (PEP) A privacy-friendly medical data sharing system that combines polymorphic encryption with distributed pseudonymisation and fine-grained access management, currently piloted for Parkinson's Disease research and the Healthy Brain Study with Radboudumc.
- Twid An experimental tool that uses IRMA-based digital signatures to add authenticity attributes to social media messages, helping verify source integrity as an anti-disinformation mechanism.
- Sphere Transgression Watch A digital research tool that tracks the expanding presence of Big Tech across different spheres of society over time and serves as a public archive for studying sphere transgressions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Tamar Sharon received NWO VICI Grant for DigiPub project on safeguarding public sector autonomy and integrity in digital transition
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use iHub
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
iHub technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
iHub partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Privacy by Design FoundationcoreCo-developer of IRMA identity platform used in identity wallet applications. Foundation behind the IRMA authentication system.
- Electoral Council of the Netherlands (Kiesraad)minorPartner in NWO KIC Building on Digital Identity project for identity wallet applications in democratic processes.
- Saxion University of Applied SciencescoreAI4ALL project led by Dr. A. Bonvanie of Saxion University, bringing together researchers from VU Amsterdam and Radboud University to explore how public organizations implement AI and align technology with public values.
- VU AmsterdamcoreProf. G. de Graaf from public administration at VU Amsterdam participates in AI4ALL project examining AI implementation in public sector organizations.
- RadboudumccorePartner in Polymorphic Encryption project and Healthy Brain Study for privacy-friendly medical research data sharing. Also involved in Parkinson Disease research data repository.
- Verily Life SciencesminorPartner in Polymorphic Encryption and Pseudonymisation project for medical research context.
- IvidominorHealthcare platform partner in Polymorphic Encryption project for privacy-friendly medical data exchange.
- Max Planck InstituteminorResearch partner in Polymorphic Encryption and Pseudonymisation project for medical research context.
- Municipality of GroningenminorPartner in NL-DigiBeter project and IRMA Vote deployment for neighborhood plan voting consultations.
- Municipality of AmsterdamminorPartner in NL-DigiBeter project and IRMA Vote deployment for local consultations.
- Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity (CeSCoS)minorResearch partner in Digital Good project focused on solidarity and justice in digitalization of health research.
- Public SpacescoreOrganization closely involved in PubHubs project, representing cooperation between cultural and broadcasting organisations focused on public values in digital world.
- University of ViennacoreHost of international research consortium for Solidarity in times of pandemic project, coordinating research across six European countries.
- Technical University of MunichminorResearch partner in European consortium for pandemic solidarity study.
- Oxford UniversityminorResearch partner in European consortium for pandemic solidarity study.
- LSEminorResearch partner in European consortium for pandemic solidarity study.
- King's College LondonminorResearch partner in European consortium for pandemic solidarity study.
- KU LeuvenminorResearch partner in European consortium for pandemic solidarity study through Life Sciences & Society Lab.
- DECODE Consortium PartnersminorEU Horizon 2020 funded project partners including City of Amsterdam, de Waag, UCL, Dyne, Thoughtworks, NESTA, Barcelona City Council, and others developing decentralized citizen-owned data ecosystem.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
iHub competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
iHub social profiles
Digital presenceiHub financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
iHub leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
iHub funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
iHub M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about iHub
What does iHub do?
iHub is an interdisciplinary research hub that conducts academic research on how digitalization affects public values (privacy, freedom, solidarity, justice, expertise) and develops value-driven software prototypes through its iLab, including the IRMA/Yivi identity platform, IRMA Vote, PubHubs, PostGuard encryption, and the Polymorphic Encryption and Pseudonymisation (PEP) repository. Its outputs are peer-reviewed research, open-source technical prototypes, and applied collaborations with public-sector, healthcare, and academic partners rather than commercial products.
Is iHub a public or private company?
iHub is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was iHub founded?
iHub was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is iHub based?
iHub is headquartered in Nijmegen, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does iHub make money?
One revenue line is on record: research Grants and Project Funding.
Does iHub have an API?
No public API is recorded for iHub.
What industry is iHub in?
iHub's product category is Interdisciplinary Digitalization Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAEAC, Identity Governance & Administration (IGA), with a secondary code of EDAFALAI, Identity & Access Management (SSO/MFA) for Education. Its NAICS code is 51321 and its SIC code is 7372.