Litmaps Closes NZ$1.4m Oversubscribed Raise, Accelerating Global Momentum In Research Discovery

Wellington, NZ – AI-powered research discovery platform Litmaps has closed its latest fundraising round on a high note, oversubscribed at NZ$1.4 million. The raise reflects the growing global demand for tools that make research faster, smarter and more collaborative, with investors joining from the US, UK and Australia. The round was led by UK-based Scholarly Angels, founded by Publons’ Andrew Preston, and included participation from the Australian Private Investment Company No Brand.

The raise comes off the back of Litmaps’ acquisition of ResearchRabbit, marking a pivotal year for the Kiwi-founded startup. With a combined global user base of over two million researchers, Litmaps has cemented its place as one of the fastest-growing research discovery platforms worldwide.

“Closing this round oversubscribed is a real vote of confidence for the future of Litmaps,” says Axton Pitt, Co-founder and CEO. “With the integration of Litmaps and ResearchRabbit, we’re building a single platform that does the legwork for researchers by surfacing the insights that matter, faster. This is about maximising the value of every researcher’s time and helping them push the boundaries of knowledge.”

Litmaps is redefining how the scientific community both accesses and uses research. Instead of static search lists or clunky databases, Litmaps gives researchers a visual-first experience - turning citation networks into interactive maps that make it immediately clear what has been done in a field, and just as importantly, what hasn’t. By modelling a researcher’s existing knowledge and layering in AI-powered insights, the platform helps users discover new and relevant connections without the noise or hallucinations that plague many other tools. Built on trusted open metadata from sources like Nature, The Lancet, PubMed and arXiv.org, Litmaps ensures researchers are working with verified, reliable information.

Today, Litmaps is used by scientists at leading universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Imperial College London and Cambridge, as well as by AI labs, medtech startups and cutting-edge R&D teams. Its users describe it as a second opinion before stepping into the lab or operating theatre; a way to ensure no critical paper is missed; and to see the bigger picture at speed.

“We’ve built a product scientists actually want to use. It’s fun, intuitive and most importantly - trusted,” says Pitt. “When you're making decisions that affect your whole career or large investments in R&D, you need confidence. Litmaps gives users that confidence because its outputs are verified. It is not a black box and you can see this evidence visually.”

With fresh capital, Litmaps is now focused on delivering a single integrated platform that brings together the best of Litmaps and ResearchRabbit. The result will be a more intuitive hub with richer insights, faster discovery and a smoother user experience, designed to serve millions of researchers worldwide.

“Research is truly having a moment. Science and technology are converging in ways that mean rapid acceleration and possibility. Litmaps sits right at that intersection - helping to fuel momentum by giving researchers the clarity and tools they need to move discovery forward,” concludes Pitt. 

About Litmaps 

Litmaps is a Wellington-based software startup building the world’s most intuitive AI-powered platform for research discovery. With over 2 million users, Litmaps helps scientists, academics and R&D teams explore prior research through interactive visual maps, trusted citation data and validated AI insights. 

Learn more: www.litmaps.com

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