It's no secret the Central Intelligence Agency has an investment firm that funds startups that could have a big impact for the Agency.
If there is a company out there doing intelligence research, it's likely that In-Q-Tel, the CIA's personal investor, either looked them up or made a check out to them.
It's all to ensure that the Agency remains on the forefront of tech. Not long ago, In-Q-Tel invested heavily in a company called Keyhole. Never heard of them? Maybe you know their work, a little project eventually known as Google Maps.
So, want to know what's next for technology? Keep an eye on these 25 companies.
3VR is a video surveillance company that is changing the game
The company 3VR Inc develops software enabling organizations to mine data from video.
In-Q-Tel first invested in the company in 2005. 3VR works with leading banks, governments, law enforcement and retailers at the moment.
They also own CrimeDex, which is basically the place where loss prevention and law enforcement professionals hang out online.
Adaptx creates digital pens that speed up field data collection.
Of course the CIA invested in this company. They make pens with gadgets hidden in them.
Adaptx first received In-Q-Tel funding in 2008. They design special digital pens that expedite data entry. For instance, handwritten markup on maps would be automatically integrated into the CIA's system. Field journal notes can be automatically backed up digitally. That data can be sent over a cellphone connection.
This is on of many gadget companies the CIA has bought into.
Basis Technology synthesizes the foreign chatter
The CIA is obviously extremely interested in what is going on in the rest of the world.
They are one of the largest employers of talented linguists, but that gets very expensive. So it's no surprised they're interested in Basis Technology, which provides software for text analytics in over twenty languages.
They work primarily in applied natural language processing, deriving meaning from the ways people actually use language. In-Q-Tel has been invested in the firm since 2004.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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