Because everyone should have access to knowledge wherever they are

In 2006, two people on different continents shared the same idea, though they hadn’t yet met. Both had noticed a problem with Wikipedia: while it was an incredible resource, not everyone could access it. For millions around the world, barriers like cost, geography, or connectivity made Wikipedia a luxury.

That same year, Renaud Gaudin began a new chapter in Bamako, Mali, where he worked on a project to install offline information kiosks in remote areas. He developed a Wikipedia reader and his early prototype quickly gained popularity across parts of West Africa.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Engelhart, living between Germany and Switzerland, was trying to help his mother, who lived in rural France, read the Wikipedia articles he had contributed to. Without an internet connection, she couldn’t access them. Emmanuel decided to create an offline version of Wikipedia and named it Kiwix. Alongside that, he helped develop openZIM, an open-source compression system that made storing and accessing large amounts of content possible.

Fate brought Renaud and Emmanuel together in 2007. Realising their projects shared the same mission; to make knowledge accessible to everyone, everywhere, they joined forces under the Kiwix name. Their collaboration attracted volunteers from across the world, uniting a community driven by the ideal that free information should reach beyond the limits of connectivity.

Over the years, countless contributors joined the effort, shaping Kiwix into the robust project it is today—many of whom remain part of the team. Several years later, as Kiwix grew from a volunteer-driven initiative into a more structured organisation, Stéphane Coillet-Matillon stepped in. Bringing expertise in management and communication, he became CEO, helping channel the project’s grassroots energy into sustainable growth, new partnerships, and wider global impact while honouring its roots.