Visionist

What Visionist does

Visionist is an employee-owned (ESOP) private software and data science consultancy headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, founded in 2010 by seven engineers and analysts including current President Chris Berry (formerly of NSA, TRW, and Impact Science & Technology) and VP of Engineering Brian Lehman. The company specializes in solving data-driven problems for U.S. national security and defense customers, with a portfolio organized around five core service areas: Data Visualization and User Experience, Cyber Defense and Operations, Analytics/Data Science/Data Engineering, Signal Processing and Analysis, and Scalable Cloud Infrastructure (transitioning commercial DevSecOps practices to high-security on-premise enclaves). Its technical stack spans React, Node.js, Python, Java, Golang, C++, D3.js, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Apache Spark, Kafka, Flink, and reverse-engineering tooling (Ghidra, IDA Pro, Wireshark), augmented by proprietary tools developed through an internal IR&D program called Piranha Pond that includes GPU-enhanced signal forensics tools, browser-based big data query tools, and domain-specific analytics products (DraftGeM, NCAA-approved RecruitGeM, TakeBack America, WellBearing, TalkTracker, ReTo).

Visionist operates as a federal government prime contractor, acquiring customers through competitive procurement (RFIs, proposals, bid protests) and holding single-award and multi-award prime contracts with the Department of Defense and intelligence community. Disclosed major contracts include a five-year $210M cyber mission operations award (2024), a five-year $190M Computer Network Operations award (2022), and a four-year $70M voice-based processing application modernization award (2022), with two contract extensions awarded in November 2025 extending performance into 2027 and 2028. Revenue is recognized over multi-year contract periods as services are delivered, primarily through fixed-value or cost-reimbursable professional services arrangements, supplemented by a minor licensing stream from RecruitGeM sold to NCAA Division I football programs. The company has been recognized as a Baltimore Sun Top Workplace for 10 consecutive years (2016-2025) and as a Fortune Best Small & Medium Workplace, supported by an ESOP ownership culture, and recently expanded into a second Columbia, MD building in June 2026 to accommodate contract-driven headcount growth.

Name

Visionist

Legal name

Visionist Inc.

Website

https://visionistinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Visionist is an employee-owned (ESOP) federal prime contractor that provides software engineering, cyber operations, signal processing, data science, and UX services to the U.S. Department of Defense and intelligence community from its Columbia, Maryland headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense & National Security IT Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Telecommunications & Network Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAH)

Keywords

• Defense software engineering
• Cyber mission operations
• Signal intelligence analytics
• Data science consulting
• Federal government contracting

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Prime Contracts: Visionist holds multiple single-award prime contracts with the Department of Defense and other federal agencies. These are typically multi-year (4-5 year), fixed-value or cost-reimbursable contracts covering professional and technical services including software engineering, systems engineering, data science, cyber operations, signal processing, UX design, and operational/lifecycle support. Revenue is recognized over the contract period as services are delivered.
2. Licensing of Analytics Software (NCAA): Visionist licenses its RecruitGeM analytics software to NCAA Division I football programs as an approved recruiting and scouting service. This represents a product licensing revenue stream distinct from service-based government contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Visionist is a Columbia, Maryland-based employee-owned contractor that provides software engineering, data science, cyber operations, signal processing, UX design, and cloud infrastructure services to U.S. Department of Defense and intelligence community customers under multi-year single-award prime contracts. The firm also develops standalone analytics tools (e.g., DraftGeM, RecruitGeM, WellBearing, TalkTracker) through an internal IR&D program called Piranha Pond, and licenses analytics software to NCAA Division I football programs.

Product overview

Visionist is a software and data science consultancy specializing in solving data-driven problems for National Security and Defense customers. Its portfolio spans five core service areas — Data Visualization & User Experience, Cyber Defense & Operations, Analytics/Data Science/Data Engineering, Signal Processing & Analysis, and Scalable Cloud Infrastructure — supported by an active Internal Research & Development (IR&D) program called Piranha Pond that funds employee-proposed prototypes. Notable IR&D-derived products include DraftGeM and RecruitGeM (sports analytics tools for NFL draft and NCAA recruiting evaluation), TakeBack America (opioid disposal site locator integrated into Google Maps), WellBearing (open-source health outcomes visualization across U.S. counties), TalkTracker (social media conversation monitoring), Grab & Go HoCo (COVID-19 meal delivery coordination), and ReTo (secure network screen sharing extension). Visionist holds multiple large Department of Defense prime contracts supporting cyber mission operations, computer network operations, and voice-based intelligence processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Data Visualization & User Experience Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ highly technical software professionals initially deployed on a $210M DoD cyber contract
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability14 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Exponential Labs (Joint Venture with Engineering Solutions Inc.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Visionist formed a Joint Venture with Engineering Solutions Inc. under the name Exponential Labs to compete for and deliver US Cyber Command prototyping events. The JV team won the Rapid Prototyping Event (RPE) at US Cyber Command's DreamPort research lab in 2019.
• Engineering Solutions Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Engineering Solutions Inc. partnered with Visionist in the Exponential Labs Joint Venture to compete in US Cyber Command's Rapid Prototyping Event, winning the competition with an automated network asset identification solution.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 November 2018Visionist was invited by Google to attend an innovation event on the opioid epidemic and subsequently collaborated with Google to integrate TakeBack America's disposal site data into Google Maps and Search platforms, scaling the tool to the general public.
• DOD SkillBridge ProgramminorOthersVisionist partners with the DOD SkillBridge Program, providing Active-Duty Military members the opportunity to complete their military commitment working alongside Visionist engineering and analysis experts, giving them a head start on civilian careers.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ManTech International: Mid-to-large defense contractor specializing in cyber, intelligence, and systems engineering for the DoD, IC, and federal civilian agencies. Closely aligned with Visionist's mix of cyber mission operations, signals intelligence, and embedded technical teams.
• Peraton: Mid-to-large defense contractor focused on space, intelligence, cyber, and homeland security missions. Highly comparable customer set (DoD/IC), contract structure (large multi-year primes), and technical scope (cyber operations, signals, data analytics).
• Parsons Corporation: Defense and intelligence technology company with comparable portfolio in cyber, signals, and mission-focused software engineering. Overlaps with Visionist in DoD and IC prime-contract work and in data analytics-driven mission support.
• Two Six Technologies: Mid-tier defense technology company formed from the divestiture of ICG/IST, focused on cyber, data science, and signals work for DoD and IC. Closely comparable size band, technical capabilities, and customer profile to Visionist.
• CACI International: Mid-to-large defense IT and signals-intelligence contractor with comparable work in cyber operations, intelligence analysis, and software engineering for the DoD and Intelligence Community. Closely aligned business model of multi-award prime contracts with embedded technical teams.
• DCS Corporation: Mid-tier defense technology company providing engineering, analysis, and software development for U.S. Army and DoD customers. Comparable scale, customer mix, and emphasis on embedded technical teams supporting defense mission areas.
• CALIBRE Systems: Mid-tier employee-owned defense and federal consulting firm with comparable size, ESOP-style culture, and work in defense analysis, training, and analytics. Closely comparable ownership philosophy and federal-services focus.

Broad incumbents

• Leidos: Top-tier defense and intelligence technology company with significant work in cyber, signals intelligence, data analytics, and mission IT for the DoD and IC. Comparable as a broad incumbent across Visionist's five core service lines.
• SAIC: Large diversified defense IT and engineering services provider serving DoD and IC customers across systems engineering, cyber, and data analytics. Comparable contract mix (large multi-year prime contracts, classified facility requirements) but at substantially greater scale than Visionist.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Largest U.S. defense and intelligence consulting firm with deep DoD/IC relationships across cyber, data science, and analytics. Comparable as the incumbent against which mid-tier defense data-services firms like Visionist compete for large prime contracts and cleared talent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/visionistinc
• GitHubgithub.com/visionistinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/visionistinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1146338
• Instagraminstagram.com/visionistinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Visionist