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mission
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about
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our history

IQT is the most trusted leader in accelerating the transition of groundbreaking technologies from the private to the public sector to advance the national security and economic prosperity of America and its allies. Set up in 1999 by the CIA as an independent, not-for-profit strategic investment firm, we’ve spent a quarter century building unparalleled expertise that we draw on to help startups adapt their highly innovative products in ways that both maximize mission impact for our government partners and enhance the companies' commercial success.

From our origins as a U.S.-centric organization focused on information technology, we’ve grown into a global investment platform that spans a wide range of frontier technologies, from biotechnology to microchips, and from AI to space systems. We’ve also developed many enduring strategic relationships and now work with over a dozen different U.S. government partners, as well as with the United Kingdom and Australia. We share our deep global insights into the venture capital-backed technology ecosystem with these partners and are constantly evolving our operations to ensure we are at the leading edge of tech-driven innovation.
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IQT offices around the globe

TYSONS, VA
MENLO PARK, CA
CAMBRIDGE, MA
LONDON
SYDNEY
SINGAPORE
MUNICH
Munich
48.1548812
11.4592648
Singapore
1.3139987
103.7616781
Sydney
-33.8481338
150.7668271
London
51.5285257
-0.2667437
Cambridge, MA
42.3142442
-71.1263382
Menlo Park, CA
37.476398
-122.1963601
Tysons, VA
38.9165035
-77.2697619

faqs

Shedding light on some commonly asked questions.

General IQT Information

Is IQT a government entity?
No. IQT is a not-for-profit with 501(c)3 designation in the United States. It’s not a government entity nor a part of the CIA.
Who are IQT’s government partners?
IQT’s unique approach pairing high-tech problem solvers with government challenges has produced countless impactful solutions for the CIA; DIA; FBI; NGA; NRO; NSA; DHS (including CBP and other DHS components); U.S. Cyber Command; the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC); and the U.K. and Australian national intelligence communities. We recently welcomed the Office of Naval Research (ONR), U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Space Force as new government partners and look forward to supporting their missions too.
What types of investments does IQT make?
After identifying a promising company, IQT has two primary tools for building a relationship: a technology development agreement or an equity-only investment, both of which where IQT receives a small equity stake and status as a board observer.

Technology development agreements typically involve an investment between $500,000 and $3 million, and are structured as development and licensing agreements aimed at addressing the needs of the U.S. national security community. Equity-only investments typically range between $250,000 and $500,000. These investments serve as a critical window into new technologies and as an on-ramp towards future technology transfer opportunities leveraging IQT’s unique and powerful model.
Does IQT invest in international companies?
Absolutely. There are no geographic boundaries on foresight and innovation, and we have investments in companies based across the globe, including the UK, EMEA, Asia-Pacific, and Canada.
Does country of origin affect the likelihood that IQT will make an investment—i.e. are there any countries IQT may not conduct business in?
As noted above, innovative technologies are being developed everywhere. We have never made an investment in a Chinese or Russian company. We abide by all federal laws and regulations, some of which preclude us from doing business with a small number of countries.
Why is it good to use U.S. taxpayer money to invest in private companies overseas?
Our nation’s national security agencies face an ever-growing and continuously evolving set of threats to our country’s security. They know that novel solutions and technologies that enable America to stay ahead of—and to counter—those threats are being developed in all corners of the world.   

‍IQT identifies and invests in emerging technologies that promise to have significant national security impact and commercial success. Via our modest investment approach, we can significantly reduce financial pressure on the government and the taxpayer by helping to adapt commercial technology and to deliver much-needed capabilities. By harnessing commercially available tech, government doesn’t have to foot the bill for the ground-up development of expensive, custom-built solutions.   

‍Importantly, IQT often invests alongside venture capital firms and other sources of private-sector investment, which means the initial and long-term development costs incurred by the national security communities—and by taxpayers--are much lower than they would be without this co-investing. 

contact

General Contact

info@iqt.org

Media Contact

media@iqt.org

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