Did You Know The CIA Has a Venture Capitalist Wing?
How the US operates a non-profit investment firm to find new technologies
The man known simply as Q is one of the most endearing and interesting characters from the spy series James Bond. Q is a quirky inventor who comes up with all of the latest gadgets. Pen bombs. Cars that can turn invisible. The shoe knife. The laser watch. Many of these fictional gadgets still capture the imagination today. Even more interesting is the fact that the United States intelligence community has its own Q of sorts. Instead of a fantastical inventor, the CIA and other branches of the intelligence community have a venture capitalist firm.
The firm is called IN-Q-TEL or IQT for those in the know. IN-Q-TEL’s name itself is a nod to the classic James Bond character Q. This nonprofit entity explores new technologies and startups looking for the next great secret gadget. If they find something they like, they will invest in it in exchange for future considerations or rights to develop the technology further. The firm has been in existence since 1999 and continues to be funded as an important branch of R&D for the US government.
IQT has invested in everything from mundane DVR technology to things like high powered lasers and mini piezo generators, whatever those are. They have…
