About Bernstein
Leveling the IP playing field through cryptography and blockchain.
Our mission
Bernstein's mission is to democratize IP protection by bringing innovators and creatives the peace of mind that their IP rights are easy to claim and defend, and their inventions and artworks are safely stored.
Our story
Bernstein is a blockchain-based intellectual property protection platform. Creators, startups, and companies use it to certify digital assets with immutable proof of existence, ownership, and integrity - without ever exposing confidential content.
Bernstein traces its origins to Clipperz, the pioneering zero-knowledge password manager created by Marco Barulli and Giulio Cesare in 2007. Clipperz is one of the first web applications in the world to perform cryptographic operations directly in the browser - years before the W3C WebCrypto API existed and before Stanford's JavaScript crypto library became a widely used reference. This radical commitment to an architecture where "the server learns nothing" later becomes the technical DNA of Bernstein.
In 2016, Marco moves to Munich to launch Bernstein and lay its technical foundations. The idea is simple - apply the principles of zero-knowledge and modern cryptography to intellectual property protection, using the blockchain as a public and immutable registry.
That same year, at a Bitcoin meetup in Munich, he meets Paul Reboh. The two quickly recognize a strong alignment, both technically and strategically. Marco brings deep expertise in zero-knowledge architecture and product vision; Paul brings more than a decade of full-stack experience and software architecture in the banking sector, along with strong technical execution and systemic thinking.
What begins as a simple conversation soon evolves, by the end of 2016, into a founding partnership that leads to the development of the Bernstein platform as it exists today.
Our technology
The tools we use to protect your intellectual property.
Strong cryptography
Your files are hashed and encrypted using industry-standard algorithms, ensuring that your intellectual property remains confidential and tamper-proof.
Blockchain technology
The Bitcoin blockchain serves as a public, immutable registry for your timestamps and certificates - valid worldwide and recognized by courts.
Decentralized web
Technologies like IPFS ensure your certified files are safely stored and retrievable, without relying on any single point of failure.
Founding team
A bunch of individuals with diverse backgrounds - Italian, French, French-German - who found common ground in a shared dream of democratizing IP protection around the globe. Probably why they worked so well together.
Marco Barulli
Founding father of Bernstein, Marco is also the creator of Clipperz, one of the first zero-knowledge web applications. With Bernstein, he applied these principles to the protection of intellectual property before moving on to other projects.
Paul Reboh
Initially CTO, now CEO. Paul built Bernstein's core technology - including the zero-knowledge architecture and the platform used today. He now leads the company's strategy, operations, and ongoing development of the platform.
Jean-Maxime Riviere
OG Head of Sales at Bernstein. JM drove the company's early commercial growth, building relationships with law firms, accelerators, and enterprises across Europe, and establishing the first partnerships and distribution channels.
Though their paths have diverged, the three founders remain close
- a testament to the shared values that gave birth to Bernstein.
Why Bernstein?
Bernstein is the German word for "amber" - tree resin that time, pressure, and temperature transform into gemstones, often preserving organic elements intact for millions of years.
Similarly, Bernstein's web app helps create digital gemstones that preserve and protect your sparks of genius and creativity using strong cryptography, blockchain technology, and the emerging technologies of the decentralized web.
Encryption is a powerful defensive weapon for free people. It is hard to think of a more powerful, less dangerous tool for liberty.
— Esther Dyson, EFF
Connect with us
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