Our journey at Knowledge Barrierless Press began with a fundamental question that challenged conventional wisdom: Should knowledge be free, or should it be paid for? This dilemma long troubled the academic community, and traditional publishing models seemed to force a false choice—either burden the author or restrict the reader.
At the beginning of the year 2025, inspired by the rapid growth of open infrastructure and a profound belief in the dignity of knowledge creators, our founders set out to create a new kind of publisher. We did not seek to reject all existing models but to transcend them. The rise of platforms like OJS, ORCID, Figshare, and Preprints demonstrated that technology could drastically reduce the cost of publishing while increasing transparency. This opened a path toward a more equitable and sustainable system.
From the outset, we committed to a dual mission: to ensure that scholars receive fair recognition and compensation for their intellectual contributions, while also guaranteeing that knowledge remains a common heritage accessible to all. This balanced approach was not without its skeptics. Yet, by collaborating with researchers, librarians, and open science advocates, we developed a diversified framework that supports APC-free options, institutional partnerships, and community-funded publishing initiatives.
Now, we have grown into a platform that values integrity over profit, collaboration over competition, and inclusion over exclusion. What started as an experiment is now a thriving global community of authors, reviewers, editors, and readers who believe that academic publishing can—and must—serve the world.
We are proud of how far we have come, but we are even more excited about the future. With every published paper and every new partner, we are helping to redefine what scholarly communication can be.