http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_20826233/spy-agency-fund-targets-bay-area-technology
Excerpt:
Silicon Valley in years past has supplied surveillance satellites,
missiles and electronic warfare gadgets to the government. But more
recently, a dazzling array of other innovations has grabbed the interest
of the country's covert operatives. Nearly a third of the 87 companies
listed in the portfolio of In-Q-Tel, an investment fund for the CIA and
other secretive branches of the federal government, are based here.
"Silicon Valley has a rich history of attracting great minds and producing
cutting-edge results," said Chris Darby, the fund's CEO and a former vice
president at Santa Clara chipmaker Intel (INTC). Noting that one of the
fund's three offices is in Menlo Park, he added, "It's important for us to
maintain relationships in the startup and investment communities to
understand future trends and help keep our partners informed about what's
on the horizon."
In-Q-Tel doesn't reveal how much money it gives companies, though Darby
said of the more than 180 firms it has financed since its inception in
1999, most typically receive $1 million to $3 million. While the websites
for companies financed by the group suggest that many have technology that
can be used to analyze personal data -- an issue of concern to privacy
rights advocates -- Darby declined to discuss which technologies the
intelligence community has adopted from Silicon Valley.
Executives with several of the Bay Area companies it has financed also
were hesitant to talk. Some declined to be interviewed. Others said they
either didn't know how their innovations were being used or were
prohibited from commenting.
Todd Davies *** email: [email protected]
Symbolic Systems Program *** phone: 1-650-723-4091
Stanford University *** fax: 1-650-723-5666
Stanford, CA, 94305-2150 *** web: www.stanford.edu/~davies
USA *** office: 460-040C
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