IO Global
IO Global, formally Input Output Global (IOG), founded in 2015 by Charles Hoskinson and Jeremy Wood with headquarters in Zug, Edinburgh and Colorado, is the engineering firm behind Cardano. Its core work includes Ouroboros proof-of-stake research, Plutus smart contracts and the Hydra scaling suite, plus identity via Atala PRISM and sidechains including Midnight for privacy. Headquartered across Zug, Edinburgh and Longmont with a globally distributed research team, IOG blends peer-reviewed academic publication with production engineering, releasing formally verified code and specifications. The company stewards Cardano development alongside Emurgo and the Cardano Foundation in a tripartite governance model. Emphasizing formal methods and long-term roadmaps, it contributes to governance via Voltaire. Expect a research-intensive culture that prizes formal verification, principled design and patient, methodical shipping of durable blockchain infrastructure.