What Enlighten does

Enlighten is a U.S. defense professional services firm operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, the company applies an agile methodology to deliver mission-critical capabilities to the U.S. Department of Defense and other defense agencies, organized around four integrated service pillars: Software & Systems Engineering, Cloud-based Services, Cyber Capabilities, and Data Science. Its go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales into defense program offices, and its employer brand is reinforced by four consecutive Top Workplace recognitions (2021–2024) from The Baltimore Sun.

The underlying technology is delivered as professional services rather than a packaged product. Capabilities include big data solution development and deployment emphasizing security and speed, cloud infrastructure tailored to defense and cybersecurity requirements, advanced cybersecurity solutions for protecting defense networks, and data science for big data management, tools, and security. These services are positioned as an integrated offering under one roof, with the differentiation resting on agile delivery velocity and the breadth of the cyber–cloud–software–data stack rather than on proprietary IP, patents, or licensed software.

Enlighten's revenue model is professional services delivered under government contracts. Pricing is negotiated through federal procurement processes and is not publicly disclosed, with no alternative commercial pricing model identified. The company leverages HII's established defense industry relationships and contract vehicles for distribution, while operating as a small focused unit (11–50 employees) within HII's broader portfolio. Customer segmentation is exclusively vertical, with the DoD as the sole disclosed customer segment.

Name

Enlighten

Legal name

Enlighten, an HII Company

Website

http://www.Enlighten.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Enlighten, a wholly-owned HII subsidiary, is a defense professional services firm that provides agile-delivered software engineering, cloud, cybersecurity, and data science capabilities to the U.S. Department of Defense and other defense agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Contracting Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Architecture & IT Operating Model (BPAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Defense contracting services
• Mission-critical capabilities
• Cyber capabilities
• Cloud-based services
• Software systems engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Defense Contracts: Revenue generated through providing mission-critical capabilities, big data solutions, cybersecurity, and software engineering services to the Department of Defense and other defense agencies under government contracts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Enlighten, an HII Company, applies an agile methodology to rapidly develop and deploy mission-critical capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense, with an integrated portfolio spanning software and systems engineering, cloud-based services, cyber capabilities, and data science. The company's offerings prioritize security and speed for big data solution development, defense network protection, and national defense initiatives.

Product overview

Enlighten is a defense contractor (an HII Company) that provides a unified portfolio of mission-critical capabilities for the DoD. The company operates as a single integrated offering centered on four core service areas: Software & Systems Engineering (for solution development and deployment), Cloud-based Services (for cloud infrastructure and big data management), Cyber Capabilities (for cybersecurity and network protection), and Data Science (for analytics and intelligence). These services work together to deliver big data solutions that prioritize security and speed for defense initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Software & Systems Engineering Provides software and systems engineering capabilities for developing and deploying mission-critical defense solutions for the Department of Defense and other defense agencies.
• Cloud-based Services Delivers cloud services supporting big data management and mission-critical defense capabilities with an emphasis on security and speed for DoD applications.
• Cyber Capabilities Provides cybersecurity solutions that stop malicious entities from impacting customer networks, supporting the nation's leading defense initiatives.
• Data Science Offers data science capabilities for big data management, tools, and security for defense customers.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Booz Allen Hamilton: Largest U.S. defense and federal IT consulting firm with deep DoD cyber, cloud, data science, and engineering practices. Directly comparable to Enlighten's mission-critical DoD IT services, but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• CACI International: Federal IT and national security services firm with strong DoD cyber, signals, and electronic warfare portfolios. Overlaps with Enlighten's mission-critical DoD IT/cyber services focus at significantly greater scale.
• ManTech International: Defense IT and cyber services firm now operating under the ManTech brand after the Constellis restructuring, with deep DoD cyber and intelligence missions. Closely comparable in service mix to Enlighten.
• SAIC: Major DoD IT services integrator delivering cloud, cyber, and systems engineering to defense customers. Comparable capability profile to Enlighten but with substantially larger revenue and contract base.
• Leidos: Top-five federal IT and defense services prime providing cyber, cloud, software engineering, and data analytics to DoD and intelligence agencies. Comparable in capability stack to Enlighten, with much larger scale.
• Peraton: DoD and intelligence community IT services prime formed from the Perspecta/Hewlett Packard Enterprise federal services businesses. Provides cyber, cloud, and mission IT comparable to Enlighten's offerings at a much larger scale.
• Parsons Corporation: Defense and federal technology services company with significant DoD cyber, missile defense, and intelligence work. Comparable in defense-focused IT/engineering services, though broader in scope.

Direct peers

• ICF International: Mid-sized management, technology, and cyber consulting firm serving federal civilian and defense clients. Closest comparable by size and capability mix to Enlighten, with overlapping DoD cloud, data, and digital modernization work.
• Applied Insight: Mid-sized DoD-focused IT services and cloud/cyber solutions provider serving intelligence and defense agencies. Comparable in scale, mission focus, and capability stack to Enlighten.
• By Light Professional IT Services: Smaller defense IT services firm specializing in cyber, cloud, and software engineering for DoD customers. Closely comparable to Enlighten in size, customer base, and capability focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Enlighten