Situation Report: CIA venture group funds video recorder firm
July 1, 2012 Leave a comment
By TIMOTHY W. COLEMAN | intelNews.org |
On June 27, In-Q-Tel, the venture arm of the Central Intelligence Agency and other members of the United States intelligence community, announced a strategic partnership with Looxcie, makers of the first ever “wear and share” videocam recorders. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In-Q-Tel, created in 1999, is the foremost strategic investor on behalf of the US Intelligence Community. Originally called “Peleus”, In-Q-Tel was initially associated with the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology (DS&T). Interestingly enough, the “Q” in In-Q-Tel’s branding is apparently derived from a fictional character in the James Bond movies referred to as “Q”. As many movie fans will recall, “Q” was responsible for outfitting Bond and other 00s with the famed and awe-inspiring gadgetry and technical equipment needed for missions. Having evolved from the CIA’s DS&T, whose primary purpose is to “create, adapt, develop and operate technical collection systems and apply enabling technologies to the collection, processing and analysis of information”, In-Q-Tel’s strategic investments in dual-purpose technology firms is hardly surprising. In fact, In-Q-Tel has a notable track record, especially given the fact that it is a government-run venture capital fund. Successful as it may be, In-Q-Tel represents itself quite humbly, formally explaining that it is a “not-for-profit organization […] created to bridge the gap between the technology needs of the Intelligence Community and new advances in commercial technology”. Read more of this post
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Israeli spy agency to launch anonymous technology investment fund
June 15, 2017 by Joseph Fitsanakis Leave a comment
On Wednesday, Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz said it spoke to several unnamed Israeli bankers, who confirmed that the Mossad was “putting the finishing touches” on the anonymous technology investment fund. The bankers also told the newspaper that the fund would be officially launched “at the end of this month”. Once launched, the fund will invest in Israeli-owned technology startups, using money from the Mossad’s budget, without any outside capital. But instead of getting its share of the financial profit, the Mossad will ask instead to own the rights to the startup companies’ end-products and to be able to use them in intelligence-related work, said Ha’aretz.
According to the Israeli newspaper, the move by the Mossad is partly modeled after In-Q-Tel, a not-for-profit venture capital firm that operates as the technology investment firm of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. Based in Arlington, Virginia, In-Q-Tel invests in hi-tech technology startups focusing on new technologies that may be of use to the US Intelligence Community. Ha’aretz said it contacted the office of the Israeli prime minister for information about the Mossad’s alleged investment fund, and was told that the prime minster was looking into the matter.
► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 15 June 2017 | Permalink
Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with In-Q-Tel, Israel, Mossad