What Royal United Services Institute does

The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), founded in 1831 and registered as a charity in England and Wales (Charity number 210639), is the world's oldest defence and security think tank and the United Kingdom's leading institution in this category. Headquartered in Whitehall, London, with 101–250 employees, RUSI produces independent research, analysis, and convening activities across geopolitical competition, military sciences, cyber and emerging technology, terrorism, organised crime, and the intersection of finance and security. Its product portfolio comprises research publications (commentaries, insight papers, research papers, policy briefs), the RUSI Journal, five podcast series (Global Security Briefing, Talking Strategy, Suspicious Transaction Report, Bridging the Oceans, Mind the Gulf), and 200+ annual events, conferences and workshops, organised through thematic programmes such as International Security, Cyber and Tech, Military Sciences, Terrorism and Conflict Studies, Organised Crime and Policing Studies, and the Centre for Finance and Security.

RUSI serves UK and international government policymakers, defence ministries, NATO and other military officials, members (4,000+), and media organisations (BBC, CNN, Financial Times, Newsweek, Channel 4 News, Sky News, The Independent). Its monetisation rests on a subscription membership programme that bundles publications, members-only events, and expert networking; paid events and workshops; publication and journal sales; and competitive research grants from governments and institutional funders (e.g., a CAD 317,806 grant from the Government of Canada in March 2024 for a two-year study on radicalization potential in gaming platforms). Geographic reach is listed across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, Russia/Eurasia and Transatlantic Security, with partnerships including the Regional Institute for Security Studies (RISS) in Tbilisi.

The team is led by Director-General Rachel Ellehuus, with named Directors across CFS (Tom Keatinge, ex-J.P. Morgan), Cyber and Tech (James Sullivan, ex-Deloitte / UK National Crime Agency), Military Sciences (Matthew Savill, ex-Ministry of Defence), Terrorism and Conflict Studies (Dr Jessica White), and Organised Crime and Policing Studies (Cathy Haenlein). Oana Lungescu, formerly NATO's longest-serving Spokesperson (2010–2023), is a Distinguished Fellow. RUSI operates as a non-profit charity without a parent company and without proprietary technology products; its distribution is centred on rusi.org, the membership programme, podcast platforms, and high-credentialed events.

Name

Royal United Services Institute

Legal name

The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies

Website

https://rusi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1831

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Royal United Services Institute is the world's oldest defence and security think tank (founded 1831), producing independent research, the RUSI Journal, podcasts, and 200+ annual events for UK and allied governments, military officials, 4,000+ members, and international media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defence and Security Think Tank Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), National Security and International Affairs (9281), National Security (928110)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Operations & Counterterrorism (BPAIAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cyber Defense & Information Security (National Security) (BPAIAHAE), Security Audits & Compliance (ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOX) (BPAKADAC)

Keywords

• Defence research
• Security analysis
• Policy research
• Geopolitical analysis
• Threat intelligence

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitehall

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership programmes: RUSI generates revenue through membership programmes offering access to publications, events, and expert networks. The membership provides exclusive access to RUSI publications, events, and networking opportunities with research teams.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RUSI is an independent defence and security think tank that produces evidence-based research, analysis, and commentary on global security threats and publishes 75+ research reports annually. It convenes 200+ events, conferences, and workshops each year and operates a paid RUSI Membership programme providing access to publications, member-only events, and expert networks. Research is organised through thematic groups covering International Security, Cyber and Tech, Military Sciences, and the Centre for Finance and Security.

Product overview

RUSI (Royal United Services Institute) is a defence and security think tank offering a portfolio of research products and services. The core offerings include research publications (commentaries, insights papers, research papers, policy briefs), podcasts (Global Security Briefing, Talking Strategy, Suspicious Transaction Report), events and conferences, and the RUSI Journal. Research is organized through thematic groups covering International Security, Cyber and Tech, Military Sciences, and the Centre for Finance and Security. The institute does not offer a software product but provides evidence-based research, publications, and events to help build a safer UK and more secure world.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Publications

Quantifiable outcome

• 195 years of continuous operation as a leading defence and security think tank
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regional Institute for Security Studies (RISS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRUSI has an official partnership with RISS, a Tbilisi-based think tank. RISS Founder and Executive Director Natia Seskuria serves as Senior Research Fellow at RUSI leading the Evolving Security of Russia and Eurasia programme.
• Chatham HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatia Seskuria previously held an advisory role at Chatham House before joining RUSI. The relationship reflects collaboration in the broader UK think tank ecosystem on security studies.
• Harvard Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatia Seskuria previously held a Visiting Fellowship at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. The relationship supports research collaboration on Russia and Eurasia security studies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): Another leading London-based foreign policy and international affairs think tank, with a similarly broad research mandate, membership model, and event-driven engagement strategy, making it RUSI's closest UK peer on international affairs and convening.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): A direct competitor in defence and security analysis, publishing the Military Balance and Strategic Survey, convening high-profile security conferences, and serving overlapping government and military audiences globally.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): A major US-based defence and security think tank with comparable government-focused research, publications, and high-level convening, often partnering with or competing against RUSI in transatlantic policy debates.
• Atlantic Council: A US-based think tank focused on international security and transatlantic relations, with a comparable product mix of policy reports, events, and media engagement targeting the same UK/US/EU policy audience.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: A global foreign policy think tank producing high-quality analysis, convening events, and publishing reports on international security and geopolitics, competing with RUSI for media attention and policy influence.
• International Crisis Group: A think tank that combines global conflict analysis and field-based research, overlapping with RUSI's international security programme on regional conflict and policy advice to governments.

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: A much larger, US-headquartered policy research organisation with deep defence and national security work, overlapping substantially with RUSI on military sciences and cyber research and frequently winning similar government study contracts.
• Brookings Institution: A large, well-resourced US think tank with deep coverage of foreign policy and security, frequently cited in the same media outlets and policy discussions as RUSI but operating at significantly greater scale.

Emerging players

• Center for a New American Security (CNAS): A US-based defence and security think tank focused on US national security policy with similar policy-report and event-driven engagement, generally seen as a younger, more US-centric counterpart to RUSI.

Others

• Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House): While a peer organisation, Chatham House also occasionally functions as a co-collaborator in the UK think tank ecosystem (e.g., sharing advisers), so the relationship has both competitive and collaborative dimensions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RUSI_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RUSIONLINE
• Facebookfacebook.com/RUSI.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/77182
• Instagraminstagram.com/rusi_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Royal United Services Institute