Wikiganda

What Wikiganda does

Wikiganda (legally MTÜ Wikiganda, reg no. 80624602) is an Estonia-registered nonprofit organization, incorporated in March 2023 and headquartered in Tallinn, that operates as a digital watchdog for Wikipedia. The organization writes and maintains professionally researched, 'stable-by-design' English and Russian Wikipedia articles on sensitive topics where volunteer coverage is thin or contested — including Russia's war in Ukraine, public health (tobacco, HIV/AIDS), environment and climate, and open science — and monitors Wikipedia for manipulation by corporations, governments, and paid editors. Since spring 2022 the team has devoted approximately 75% of its time to war-related coverage, monitoring more than 200 Russian Wikipedia articles and covering more than 80 topics.

The organization's core product is wikify.io, a Wikipedia monitoring platform that identifies unusual or potentially malicious editing activity, searches for editors with interests in specific controversial topics, analyzes contributions in real-time, and tracks editors across language versions, with machine learning used to automate detection of editing patterns. Beyond wikify.io, Wikiganda runs three other offerings: (1) professional Wikipedia article writing and editing services, (2) investigative publications into manipulation networks — most notably a 2019 Prigozhin-linked network expose published with Meduza, a 2020 tobacco-industry paid-editing investigation with Proekt Media, and 2024 publications with iStories, Radio Ozodlik, and Paper — and (3) a collaboration and training program that educates NGOs, activists, and subject-matter experts on Wikipedia editing, source verification, and community dynamics.

The team consists of seven people (five content authors and two developers), with an average age of 31 and 6-16 years of Wikipedia experience each, distributed across Austria, Georgia, Indonesia, Italy, Russia, and Estonia. Revenue is donation-based (one-time and recurring via Stripe), with no consistent funding sources, no public revenue disclosure, and no funding rounds recorded. Distribution is primarily through Wikipedia itself, with the Russian Wikipedia articles on the war in Ukraine reaching several million readers monthly and health and environmental articles reaching more than 1 million and 530,000 views respectively in 2022.

Name

Wikiganda

Legal name

MTÜ Wikiganda

Website

https://wikiganda.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wikiganda is an Estonia-registered nonprofit that writes and defends Wikipedia articles on sensitive topics (war, public health, environment, open science) and operates wikify.io, a machine-learning tool for detecting manipulation, serving Russian-speaking and global English audiences and collaborating with NGOs and independent journalists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wikipedia Content & Integrity Services

NAICS

Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Knowledge Management & Wikis (BPAMAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF), Risk Intelligence, Threat Monitoring & Crisis Response (Harmful trends, coordinated abuse) (BPAAALAN), Digital/Online Investigations & OSINT (Non-cyber) (BPAKAEAF)

Keywords

• Wikipedia article writing
• Disinformation detection tools
• Wikipedia integrity services
• Open knowledge research
• Wikipedia investigation reports

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Wikiganda is a nonprofit without consistent funding sources. They accept one-time and recurring donations via Stripe, and also accept funding to launch new projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wikiganda is a nonprofit organization that writes comprehensive Wikipedia articles on sensitive topics such as war, public health, environment, and open science in English and Russian. It also operates wikify.io, a Wikipedia monitoring platform designed to detect and counteract disinformation campaigns and manipulation networks on Wikipedia, and conducts investigations into coordinated editing activity.

Product overview

Wikiganda operates as a digital watchdog organization that protects Wikipedia from disinformation through two complementary offerings: a Wikipedia monitoring platform called wikify.io for detecting malicious editing patterns, and professional Wikipedia article writing services focused on sensitive topics. The organization also conducts investigative journalism into Wikipedia manipulation networks and provides training programs for collaborators. The core product combines technology (wikify.io monitoring tool) with content expertise (article writing, investigations, and training) to combat propaganda and manipulation on Wikipedia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• wikify.io

Quantifiable outcome

• Monthly audience of several million readers for Russian Wikipedia articles on war in Ukraine
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Important Stories (iStories)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 April 2024Collaborated on publication 'The Great Wikipedia Edit War' - a story about attempts to manipulate Wikipedia content published in English in April 2024.
• Radio OzodlikminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Published story about Uzbek propagandists cleaning Wikipedia in Uzbek language in 2024.
• PaperminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Published joint publication about 'Ruwiki' - the state-censored fork of Wikipedia launched with money from state-owned VTB Bank, in Russian in August 2023.
• openDemocracyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 April 2023Provided detailed comment on harassment and intimidation campaign against wikipedians in Russia and Belarus following Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in April 2023.
• Proekt MediaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 March 2020Contributed to investigation of dirty practices in paid editing of Wikipedia articles, including documentary about disinformation desk and black hat PR in Russian Wikipedia in March 2020.
• MeduzaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 July 2019Published feature 'Revenge of the Editors' based on investigation of influence network focused on whitewashing state officials, slandering opposition leaders, and manipulating electoral procedures in Wikipedia in July 2019.
• wikify.iocoreTechnology or IntegrationWikify.io is a Wikipedia monitoring tool developed by Wikiganda to identify unusual, potentially malicious activity. It allows searching for editors with interest in specific controversial topics, analyzing their contributions in real-time, and tracking them across Wikipedia.
• NGOs, Activists, and ExpertscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWikiganda collaborates with NGOs, activists, and subject matter experts to launch joint wiki-projects, provide training on Wikipedia editing, and develop articles on important topics. They help partners use Wikipedia's outreach potential for public good.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Proekt Media: Russian independent investigative outlet that produced a documentary with Wikiganda on paid Wikipedia editing. Comparable in investigative depth and Russian audience focus.
• Meduza: Russia-focused independent media outlet that published joint investigations with Wikiganda on Wikipedia manipulation. Comparable as a Russian-language independent investigative media countering state propaganda, but operates from Latvia.
• Important Stories (iStories): Russian independent investigative outlet that collaborated with Wikiganda on 'The Great Wikipedia Edit War'. Comparable investigative methodology and Russian-language audience focus; operates from outside Russia.

Direct peers

• Meedan: Nonprofit building digital content verification tools (Check) and training programs for journalists and fact-checkers. Comparable in building both technology and training programs aimed at content integrity.
• First Draft / Information Futures Lab: Organization focused on training journalists and civil society to counter disinformation and verify information. Comparable in providing training/collaboration services to NGOs and experts alongside watchdog research.
• openDemocracy: Independent investigative news outlet that has collaborated with Wikiganda on Russia/Belarus disinformation coverage. Directly comparable in countering authoritarian propaganda through investigative journalism.
• EU DisinfoLab: European counter-disinformation research organization that investigates and exposes influence operations, including networks connected to Russian state actors. Highly comparable in research-driven exposure of manipulation networks.
• Bellingcat: Open-source investigative collective that has exposed Russian state actors, propaganda operations, and disinformation networks. Most directly comparable peer in combining OSINT methodology, adversarial-investigation posture, and impact-driven nonprofit funding.
• Center for Information Resilience: Nonprofit producing open-source investigations and counter-disinformation reporting on conflicts including Ukraine/Russia. Closely comparable in mission, geographic focus, and impact-driven investigations.

Others

• Wikimedia Foundation: Operator of Wikipedia and adjacent free-knowledge platforms. Adjacent ecosystem relationship: Wikiganda's entire output depends on Wikimedia infrastructure and policies, while Wikiganda contributes content and integrity work back to the ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wikiganda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wikiganda