# In-Q-Tel

the CIA-affiliated nonprofit venture fund makes direct equity investments in dual-use biotechnology companies spanning gene therapy, lab-grown meat and drug discovery.


Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/companies/in-q-tel/
Updated: 2026-08-15

- Country: United States

## Verifiable facts

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Affiliation | Nonprofit venture capital firm created by and affiliated with the CIA and the broader U.S. intelligence and defense community | https://sociable.co/military-technology/in-q-tel-investments-gene-therapies-lab-grown-meat-drug-discovery/, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008SPIE.6954E..0TU/abstract, https://www.aol.com/meet-cia-backed-venture-fund-100000256.html |
| Research focus | Deep tech, including biotechnology (gene therapy, lab-grown meat, drug discovery, cellular science), AI and data analytics, cybersecurity, communications, quantum technologies, autonomous technologies, aerospace tech, and advanced materials/semiconductors | https://sociable.co/military-technology/in-q-tel-investments-gene-therapies-lab-grown-meat-drug-discovery/, https://www.iqt.org/library/organizing-deep-tech-at-scale-a-technology-architecture-approach, https://www.iqt.org/organizing-deep-tech-at-scale/ |
| Facility | IQT Labs | https://www.iqt.org/library/organizing-deep-tech-at-scale-a-technology-architecture-approach, https://www.iqt.org/organizing-deep-tech-at-scale/ |
| Grant | Receives approximately $100 million annually in U.S. taxpayer funding through contracts with the CIA and other government agencies | https://www.aol.com/meet-cia-backed-venture-fund-100000256.html, https://www.marketplace.org/story/2024/10/07/the-cia-runs-a-nonprofit-venture-capital-firm-whats-it-investing-in |
| Principal staff | Steve Bowsher (President and CEO), Yan Zheng (Chief of Staff), A.J. Bertone (Managing Partner) | https://www.aol.com/meet-cia-backed-venture-fund-100000256.html |
| Headcount | Approximately 100–250 employees | https://www.aol.com/meet-cia-backed-venture-fund-100000256.html |

Independent sources: aol.com, iqt.org, marketplace.org, sociable.co, ui.adsabs.harvard.edu

## Technologies

- [Defense bioeconomy](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/defense-bioeconomy/)