Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
The Central Intelligence Agency is the U.S. government's primary foreign intelligence agency, founded in 1947 and headquartered in Langley, Virginia. It collects, analyzes, and disseminates foreign intelligence and conducts covert action at the President's direction, serving the President, National Security Council, and senior U.S. policymakers through classified channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) does
The Central Intelligence Agency is the United States' primary foreign intelligence agency, established under the National Security Act of 1947 and headquartered in Langley, Virginia. It collects, evaluates, analyzes, and disseminates foreign intelligence and conducts covert action at the President's direction in accordance with applicable law. Its sole institutional customer is the U.S. federal government, principally the President, the National Security Council, and senior policymakers, served through classified intelligence channels rather than commercial distribution.
The agency's operational technology stack is anchored by CLOUDworks, a multi-cloud architecture developed over 13 years from a single cloud provider in 2013 to multiple cloud service providers within classified environments, enabling real-time integration of specialized AI services. Core platforms include Digital Gateway, an industry collaboration portal for private-sector technology partners, and CIA Labs, the agency's research and development arm. Proprietary capabilities include the Ghost Murmur system, which combines AI with quantum magnetometry to detect human heartbeats from approximately 40 miles away, and integration of commercial large language models within classified environments alongside small language models trained on domain-specific intelligence data.
The CIA does not sell products or services commercially. All funding flows through the U.S. federal appropriations process, with a classified budget subject to oversight by the Office of Management and Budget and the Senate and House intelligence committees. Public-facing assets include the weekly-updated World Leaders directory covering over 195 governments, the Studies in Intelligence journal, The Langley Files podcast, the CIA Museum, and the FOIA Electronic Reading Room, which releases millions of pages of declassified documents annually. Marketing and recruitment operations span traditional channels and foreign-language social media campaigns targeted at populations in Iran, China, and other adversarial states.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- Legal name
- Central Intelligence Agency
- Website
- https://cia.gov
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- The Central Intelligence Agency is the U.S. government's primary foreign intelligence agency, founded in 1947 and headquartered in Langley, Virginia. It collects, analyzes, and disseminates foreign intelligence and conducts covert action at the President's direction, serving the President, National Security Council, and senior U.S. policymakers through classified channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Foreign Intelligence Services
- NAICS
- National Security (928110), National Security (92811)
- SIC
- International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Intelligence (Strategic, Tactical & Technical) (BPAIAHAD)
Keywords
Where Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- U.S. Government Appropriation: CIA is funded through the U.S. federal government budget process. The budget is classified and subject to oversight by the Office of Management and Budget, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Defense Subcommittees of the Appropriations Committees.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Central Intelligence Agency collects, evaluates, analyzes, and disseminates foreign intelligence and conducts covert action at the President's direction in accordance with applicable law. It also conducts counterintelligence activities, supports counterterrorism efforts, and maintains a global human intelligence network that provides intelligence to U.S. policymakers including the President and senior government officials.
Product overview
The Central Intelligence Agency operates as the nation's premier foreign intelligence agency, offering a portfolio of public resources alongside classified intelligence capabilities. Public-facing offerings include: the World Leaders Directory (weekly-updated foreign government leadership reference), Studies in Intelligence publications and CSI Books & Monographs (intelligence analysis literature), The Langley Files Podcast (agency stories and history), CIA Museum (historical artifacts and exhibits), and secure contact channels (Tor Portal and Telegram). Technology infrastructure includes CLOUDworks (multi-cloud architecture supporting AI integration in classified environments), Digital Gateway (industry collaboration portal), and CIA Labs (R&D). The agency also publishes Privacy and Civil Liberties Reports and maintains resources including CIA Maps, Spy Speak Glossary, and declassified CIA Reports.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Foreign Intelligence Collection and Analysis Core intelligence service in which CIA collects, evaluates, and analyzes foreign intelligence and disseminates finished intelligence products to U.S. policymakers including the President of the United States and the National Security Council.
- Covert Action Operations Covert action activities conducted at the direction of the President of the United States in accordance with applicable law, in support of U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives.
- World Leaders Directory Publicly published, weekly-updated online directory of World Leaders and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments covering over 195 governments, intended as a reference aid with historical data archives dating back to 2013.
- Studies in Intelligence Quarterly journal published by the Center for the Study of Intelligence (CSI) covering intelligence analysis tradecraft, cold war history, leadership, and technology topics.
- The Langley Files Podcast Official CIA podcast series featuring stories about intelligence operations, historical events, and agency activities.
- CLOUDworks Multi-Cloud Architecture Internal multi-cloud architecture platform developed over 13 years, enabling real-time integration of specialized services within classified environments and supporting integration of commercial large language models for intelligence workloads.
- CIA Labs Research and development arm of CIA focused on advanced technology innovation for intelligence mission support.
- Digital Gateway Technology collaboration portal enabling industry partners to engage with CIA on technology capabilities and business opportunities through the Acquisition Lifecycle Management (ALM) Vendor Portal.
- CIA Museum Museum preserving and exhibiting artifacts, operations documentation, and historical records of CIA activities, including the Debrief series with Behind the Artifact collections.
- Secure Contact Portal Secure communication channels including a dark web portal on the Tor Network and an official verified Telegram channel (@SecurelyContactingCIA) for confidential reporting and tips from potential informants.
- CSI Books and Monographs Published collection of intelligence literature including titles such as Psychology of Intelligence Analysis, A Tradecraft Primer, and Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance Aircraft.
Quantifiable outcome
- Successful location and rescue of downed American pilot in Iran using Ghost Murmur technology
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability8 records
Feature3 records
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- Department of EnergymajorDOE participated in the AI for Government Summit alongside CIA and other federal agencies to discuss transition from AI experimentation to large-scale operational deployment across government.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)majorCMS participated in AI for Government Summit with CIA, discussing AI-driven fraud detection initiatives that prevented approximately $2.1 billion in improper payments over the past year.
- Judicial WatchminorJudicial Watch filed FOIA lawsuit against CIA (among other agencies) seeking records related to Directed Energy Weapons and Anomalous Health Incidents.
- Department of Defense - Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC)majorPentagon's JWCC cloud acquisition program drew inspiration from a similar CIA cloud platform established in 2020, aiming to achieve cloud interoperability and portability across providers.
- Israeli Intelligence (Unit 8200)coreIsraeli Unit 8200 and CIA conducted years of intelligence gathering tracking Khamenei's movements and security patterns to identify optimal moment for strike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader.
- Mexican Special ForcescoreCIA intelligence helped Mexican special forces locate and kill Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (El Mencho), founder of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Operation facilitated by Pentagon-led task force established in January 2026.
- U.S. Army Delta ForcecoreCIA intelligence enabled U.S. Army Delta Force raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026. CIA team had been deployed in Venezuela since August 2025 collecting intelligence on Maduro's whereabouts.
- Department of Justice (DOJ)corePartnership for declassification and release of over 230,000 pages of Martin Luther King Jr. assassination records in July 2025. DOJ collaborated with DNI, FBI, CIA, and NARA on this historic document release.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)coreCollaborated on the release of over 230,000 pages of declassified MLK assassination documents, working with DOJ, DNI, CIA, and National Archives in July 2025.
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)coreNARA partnered with DOJ, FBI, CIA, and DNI to release and host over 230,000 pages of declassified MLK assassination records in July 2025, marking the first time these records were published online in a centralized collection.
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)coreDNI Gabbard led partnership with DOJ, FBI, CIA, and NARA for the July 2025 release of MLK assassination records, carrying out President Trump's Executive Order 14176.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Security Agency (NSA): Fellow U.S. Intelligence Community member responsible for signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance. Directly comparable as a peer U.S. foreign-intelligence agency with classified budget, global operational footprint, and analogous technology/cloud transformation challenges.
- Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA): U.S. Defense Department combat-support agency producing foreign military intelligence for defense policymakers. Directly comparable as a U.S. foreign-intelligence producer serving overlapping national-security customers, with similar classified budgets, multi-cloud AI initiatives, and analytic publishing functions.
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI): Coordinator of the U.S. Intelligence Community, headquartered near Langley and currently in a contested power balance with the CIA. Directly comparable in statutory mission scope, interagency coordination role, and authority over national-intelligence budget allocation.
- Secret Intelligence Service (MI6): United Kingdom's foreign human-intelligence service. Closest international peer in mission (foreign HUMINT, covert action, intelligence-to-policymakers) with comparable classified budget, foreign-station architecture, and recent technology modernization initiatives.
- Mossad: Israel's foreign intelligence service, with which CIA conducted joint operations including the Khamenei-tracking intelligence partnership referenced in the data. Directly comparable as a foreign HUMINT and covert-action service with global reach.
- Federal Intelligence Service (BND): Germany's foreign intelligence service. Comparable foreign-intelligence peer with operational stations worldwide, intelligence-analyst publishing functions (think tanks/advisory publications), and AI/sigint modernization programs.
- Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE): France's foreign intelligence and cybersecurity service. Comparable in mission scope (foreign HUMINT, SIGINT, covert action) with multi-cloud modernization and AI integration underway across the French intelligence community.
- Ministry of State Security (MSS): China's primary civilian foreign-intelligence and counterintelligence authority. Direct competitor and peer in scale and global footprint; targeted by CIA's Chinese-language recruitment campaigns and subject of active counterintelligence collaboration.
Broad incumbents
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): U.S. domestic intelligence and law enforcement agency with parallel foreign-intelligence/counterintelligence authorities under EO 12333. Comparable as a U.S. Intelligence Community partner on joint operations (e.g., MLK declassification) with overlapping AI, biometrics, and cloud programs.
Emerging players
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA): U.S. Intelligence Community member focused on GEOINT and AI-enabled geospatial analytics. Adjacent peer within the same multi-cloud, AI-modernization ecosystem (e.g., JWCC-class programs) and overlapping analytic-publication functions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) social profiles
Digital presenceCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA) compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
What does Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) do?
The Central Intelligence Agency collects, evaluates, analyzes, and disseminates foreign intelligence and conducts covert action at the President's direction in accordance with applicable law. It also conducts counterintelligence activities, supports counterterrorism efforts, and maintains a global human intelligence network that provides intelligence to U.S. policymakers including the President and senior government officials.
Is Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) a public or private company?
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) founded?
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was founded in 1947. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) based?
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) make money?
One revenue line is on record: U.S. Government Appropriation.
Who are Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Security Agency (NSA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Mossad, Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE) and Ministry of State Security (MSS). Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is listed as a broad incumbent. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
What industry is Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in?
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)'s product category is Foreign Intelligence Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAHAD, Intelligence (Strategic, Tactical & Technical). Its NAICS code is 928110 and its SIC code is 9721.