Help with the questions you'd normally pay an expert to answer.
Cogniv GmbH is a Berlin software company. We build software that answers the kind of question you'd normally pay an accountant for. You ask in plain words. The answer comes back the same way, with a link to where it came from.
Our first product is a UK benefits and tax assistant. It opens in beta this June 2026.
Cited answers
Every figure links to its source
EU-hosted
Your data stays in Europe under GDPR
Why
Most people never ask. So they end up paying for things they don't owe, or missing things they qualify for.
The rules that decide what you pay in tax and what you can claim in support are written by specialists, for specialists. Getting a clear answer to a specific question usually means a phone queue, an appointment waitlist, or a few hundred pounds for a professional.
Most people don't bother. They get the wrong answer or no answer at all. They feel awkward asking, so they look away.
Cogniv fills that gap. The software reads the rules and tells you what they mean for your situation. Every figure links to its source on gov.uk so you can verify it.
It won't replace your accountant or your caseworker. It helps you understand things first, so the conversation you do have with one is more productive.
What we commit to
Three rules we hold ourselves to.
Principle 1
We don't make things up.
If we can't cite where an answer came from, we don't show it. Software can have bugs and we'll have those like anyone else, but we won't fill gaps with confident-sounding guesses. That kind of mistake has already cost real people real money.
Principle 2
We aim for consistent answers.
If you describe the same situation a week later, the answer shouldn't have drifted. When we're not sure, we say so, rather than show you a number that wanders between conversations.
Principle 3
Every number has a source.
Every figure on screen links back to the public page it came from. You can check it yourself, send it to someone you trust, or take it to a professional for confirmation.
A UK benefits and tax assistant.
Tell it about your job, your household, what you earn. It tells you which benefits and tax rules apply to you, and every figure on screen has a link back to gov.uk. A dedicated product page launches with the beta.
Cogniv · Here's what applies to you
High Income Child Benefit Charge
AppliesPension Annual Allowance
Within limitMarriage Allowance
Not eligibleWhy the UK first
The UK has thresholds that cost you thousands if you cross them by a pound, and benefits that depend on each other in ways no single calculator handles. The rules are all on gov.uk where anyone can read them, which means we can show our work for every answer.
Get beta accessFree. One email when the beta opens.
About your data
Your data stays in Europe.
We're a German company. What you tell Cogniv is processed in the EU under GDPR.
- ✓Your data isn't for sale.
- ✓We don't share it with anyone outside Cogniv.
- ✓You can delete everything you've entered, any time.
Information, not regulated advice
Cogniv provides information about how the UK benefits and tax system works in your situation, with citations to gov.uk. It is not a substitute for regulated financial, legal, or tax advice. For regulated advice (for example, about pensions, investments, or specific tax planning) please consult a qualified adviser.
Built by an engineer
About Cogniv.
Michael Bejan
Founder & CEO
I spent five years at Amazon Web Services as an engineer and engineering lead, learning how to build things that don't break when real people start using them. That's what I'm doing here.
I started Cogniv because most AI sounds confident and gets the important stuff wrong. The people it hurts most are the ones who can't tell. So I'm building the opposite: something where you can see how we got to every answer, what sources we used, and check the whole chain yourself if you want to.
5+
Years at AWS
B.Sc.
Computer Science, KIT
Berlin
Headquarters
2026
Founded
Small team. The first thing I'm shipping is the UK benefits and tax assistant, in beta this June 2026. More products will follow on the same foundation. I'll announce the next one once the first is in users' hands.
First product · UK benefits & tax
Want first access? Leave your email.
We'll email you once, when the beta opens this June. We won't email again unless you ask us to. It's free.