Irvine, CA, April 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BrightQuery, the largest government-sourced database of companies, today announced that it has joined the Computing Research Association (CRA), a premier nonprofit membership organization dedicated to advancing computing research and fostering collaboration across academia, industry, and government.
CRA represents nearly 300 member organizations spanning academia, industry, and government, including leading computing units at Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, and Johns Hopkins University; professional societies such as IEEE-CS and ACM; and global technology companies including Google, Microsoft, and IBM Research. It serves a central role in advancing computing research, informing policy, and strengthening the computing workforce.
In joining CRA, BrightQuery will bring its focus on responsible innovation, next-generation artificial intelligence, open data ecosystems, and improved interoperability to the broader computing research community.
Advancing Open Data and the Future of Computing Research
BrightQuery’s participation in CRA aligns closely with its mission to build a transparent, open, and verifiable global data infrastructure through its Open Data initiatives and entity graph platform.
As part of this collaboration, BrightQuery aims to:
- Advance Open Data Standards: Contribute to efforts that improve interoperability across datasets by standardizing entity identification for organizations, people, and locations
- Support AI-Ready Data Infrastructure: Enable more accurate and trustworthy AI systems through verified, provenance-driven data
- Bridge Industry and Academia: Provide real-world data frameworks that inform academic research and curriculum development
- Strengthen the Computing Ecosystem: Collaborate with CRA members to drive innovation across data science, AI, and large-scale computing systems
As a part of its broader efforts, BrightQuery is collaborating with the Linux Foundation to support open-source data ecosystems, including building a globally accessible database of companies and people to improve data transparency and connectivity.
Strengthening the Open Data Ecosystem
BrightQuery also seeks to engage with CRA’s network to advance its Open Data Foundation initiative, which aims to:
- Create an open, standardized framework for entity resolution across datasets
- Improve data accuracy and reduce fragmentation in global data systems
- Enable researchers, developers, and organizations to build on trusted, interoperable data
This effort is critical for enabling scalable, transparent AI systems and supporting innovation across industries.
Leadership Perspectives
“We’re pleased to welcome BrightQuery as a member of the Computing Research Association,” said Tracy Camp, Executive Director and CEO of CRA.“Advancing computing research requires strong collaboration across academia, industry, and government. We look forward to engaging with BrightQuery and the broader community to help strengthen the computing research ecosystem and expand the impact of computing innovation.”
“Joining CRA represents an important step in BrightQuery’s mission to bring transparency, accuracy, and interoperability to global data systems,” said BrightQuery CEO, Jose Plehn. “We are excited to collaborate with leading researchers, institutions, and technology companies to advance open data standards and support the next generation of AI and computing innovation.”
About the Computing Research Association (CRA)
The Computing Research Association is a nonprofit membership organization that brings together nearly 300 organizations from academia, industry, government, and professional societies. CRA catalyzes computing research by engaging stakeholders, informing policymakers, and promoting a responsible, inclusive, and innovative computing research ecosystem. For more information, visit cra.org.
About BrightQuery
BrightQuery delivers the most comprehensive, government-sourced view of global businesses, with coverage spanning 324 million organizations, 512 million locations, and 1.2 billion contacts across 222 countries. Specializing in private company data, BrightQuery sources information from over 100,000 federal, state, and local government agencies through official public filings. BrightQuery serves as the lead government data partner for the US National Secure Data Service (NSDS) and is a primary government data supplier for leading AI companies. BrightQuery is also a member of many AI and Open Source communities including: AI Alliance, Linux Foundation, Overture Maps Foundation, Agentic AI Foundation, FINOS, Computing Research Association, EDM Council, Data Foundation
For more information, visit brightquery.com.
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https://brightquery.com/
