Check out some of the latest technologies to win funding from In-Q-Tel, the venture investment arm of the CIA and other intelligence agencies. That's the first step toward use by agents and analysts.

Elena Malykhina, Technology Journalist

November 21, 2012

10 Slides

Remember the Semi-Submersible, the Digital X-Ray Detector Panel, or the Dragonfly Insectothopter? They're artifacts in the CIA museum, a collection of spy gadgets, weapons, and memorabilia that goes back 100 years.

U.S. intelligence agencies have long depended on research and development in new technologies to support their surveillance work and analysis. Today's spy gear in many cases is surprisingly accessible. In-Q-Tel, the venture investment arm of the CIA and other intelligence agencies, regularly backs companies whose products are commercially available, including some consumer technologies.

Since being formed in 1999, In-Q-Tel has invested in dozens of startups and other tech companies. In the first 10 months of 2012, the company has announced 17 tech investments. They include Contour Energy Systems, the maker of next-generation battery technology; Mersive, a supplier of "ultra high-resolution" displays (pictured above); and Reversing Lab, developer of the mysterious-sounding "decomposition technology" for computer security.

Cloud computing platforms are another area of investment. So far this year, In-Q-Tel has partnered with cloud services startup Cloudant, cloud management specialist Adaptive Computing, and Huddle, developer of a cloud-based content management system.

Some In-Q-Tel investments go to technologies that can be used in the field, such as a recent deal with Claremont BioSolutions, which uses cell phone technology in disposable devices for taking and analyzing DNA samples. The devices transport the DNA sample through a chamber where cells are dissolved and nucleic acids extracted in a few minutes. The idea is to enable molecular diagnostics in the field, what Claremont BioSolutions calls "prep on a chip."

On the consumer front, In-Q-Tel disclosed in June an investment in Looxci, the maker of a "wear and share" video camera that starts at $150. The devices, which can be helmet-mounted for sports activities, are of interest to the Department of Homeland Security. In-Q-Tel also has a deal with Walleye Technologies to manufacture microwave-based "see-through-walls" devices.

According to the Office of Director of National Intelligence, the top U.S. intelligence authority, total spending for the national intelligence program, which includes activities of the CIA and other organizations in the U.S. Intelligence Community, was $53.9 billion in fiscal 2012.

Here's a look at some of the latest technologies to get In-Q-Tel backing, a first step in making them widely available to U.S. intelligence agents and analysts.

Credit: Mersive

About the Author(s)

Elena Malykhina

Technology Journalist

Elena Malykhina began her career at The Wall Street Journal, and her writing has appeared in various news media outlets, including Scientific American, Newsday, and the Associated Press. For several years, she was the online editor at Brandweek and later Adweek, where she followed the world of advertising. Having earned the nickname of "gadget girl," she is excited to be writing about technology again for InformationWeek, where she worked in the past as an associate editor covering the mobile and wireless space. She now writes about the federal government and NASA’s space missions on occasion.

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