In-Q-Tel
In-Q-Tel (IQT) is an independent, not-for-profit strategic investment firm established in 1999 to deliver cutting-edge technology to the CIA and the broader US intelligence community. Backed by government funding, it identifies and invests in early-stage startups whose technologies can address national security challenges. IQT has backed over 800 companies across frontier domains and helped launch firms including Palantir Technologies, Keyhole (later Google Earth), and MongoDB. It operates globally from offices in Arlington, London, Sydney, Munich, and Singapore.
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Portfolio
2 companies in our directory
Paragraf
Paragraf is a University of Cambridge spinout founded in 2017 by Simon Thomas (CEO), Professor Sir Colin Humphreys, and Ivor Guiney. The company commercialises graphene and other two-dimensional materials at scale using standard semiconductor fabrication equipment, with a proprietary direct deposition technique that produces device-quality graphene on 8-inch wafers without metal catalysts or transfer processes. Paragraf launched its first product in 2019, a graphene-based Hall-effect sensor offering 30x greater sensitivity than conventional silicon at one-tenth the power. The sensor portfolio has expanded to include molecular sensors for healthcare, agritech, food production, and chemical manufacturing. The company has raised over £140M across four rounds, including a $55M Series C in 2025 led by Mubadala.
Hadean
HiringHadean is a London-based deep tech company founded in 2015, developing spatial computing and AI simulation software for defence and resilience applications. Its platform powers large-scale synthetic environments for planning, training, and decision-making, with products spanning populAI (simulation and wargaming), dominAI (command and control), and optimAI (AI-driven intelligence). Customers include the UK Ministry of Defence, British Army, NATO, BAE Systems, Microsoft, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Palantir. The company raised a $30M Series A in 2022 led by Molten Ventures with participation from Epic Games, Tencent, In-Q-Tel, 2050 Capital, and Entrepreneur First, followed by a £2.1M investment from the British Business Bank in 2026 alongside Booz Allen Ventures.