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SOFT ROBOTS THAT<\/u> can grasp delicate objects, computer algorithms designed to spot an \u201cinsider threat,\u201d and artificial intelligence that will sift through large data sets \u2014 these are just a few of the technologies being pursued by companies with investment from In-Q-Tel, the CIA\u2019s venture capital firm, according to a document<\/a> obtained by The Intercept.<\/em><\/p>\n Yet among the 38 previously undisclosed companies receiving In-Q-Tel funding, the research focus that stands out is social media mining and surveillance; the portfolio document lists several tech companies pursuing work in this area, including Dataminr, Geofeedia, PATHAR, and TransVoyant.<\/p>\n Those four firms, which\u00a0provide unique tools to mine data from platforms such as\u00a0Twitter,\u00a0presented at a February \u201cCEO Summit\u201d in San Jose sponsored by the fund,\u00a0along with other In-Q-Tel portfolio companies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The investments appear to reflect the CIA\u2019s increasing focus on monitoring social media.\u00a0Last September, David Cohen, the CIA\u2019s second-highest ranking official, spoke at length at Cornell University about a litany of\u00a0challenges<\/a> stemming from the new media landscape. The Islamic State\u2019s \u201csophisticated use of Twitter and other social media platforms is a perfect example of the malign use of these technologies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Social media also offers a wealth of potential intelligence; Cohen noted that Twitter messages from the Islamic State, sometimes called ISIL, have provided useful information. \u201cISIL\u2019s tweets and other social media messages publicizing their activities often produce information that, especially in the aggregate, provides real intelligence value,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The latest round of In-Q-Tel investments comes as the CIA has\u00a0revamped its outreach to Silicon Valley, establishing<\/a> a new wing, the\u00a0Directorate of Digital Innovation, which is tasked with developing and deploying cutting-edge solutions by directly engaging the private sector. The directorate is working closely with In-Q-Tel to integrate the latest technology into agency-wide intelligence capabilities.<\/p>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prod01-cdn07.cdn.firstlook.org\/wp-uploads\/sites\/1\/2016\/04\/Investmentprocess-1000x402.png\")
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