What Cordillera Applications Group does

Cordillera Applications Group is a privately held boutique research and analysis firm founded in 2017 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with a UK entity (Cordillera Applications Group, UK Limited) based in Southampton/Hampshire. The company is structured as a three-partner firm led by CEO David Kilcullen, Managing Director Gordon Pendleton, and Chief Operations Officer Alex Case, and operates with 11-50 employees across North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

The firm delivers professional consulting services across five practice areas: Urban Public Safety, Geopolitical Intelligence, Capability Experimentation, Future Warfare, and Strategic Design & Innovation (SDI). Its core technology stack centers on two proprietary assets: (1) the Hampton Roads Regional Common Operating Picture (COP), an ArcGIS-enabled web platform that enables real-time cross-jurisdictional emergency coordination across 17 Virginia jurisdictions, and (2) the Design Staircase framework, a multi-disciplinary methodology for guiding teams through divergent-convergent design cycles in complex security contexts. Cordillera also produces an extensive thought leadership portfolio, including books published through Penguin Random House and original research for NATO Allied Command Transformation.

Cordillera generates revenue through bespoke consulting contracts with government agencies, corporate organizations, and NGOs. Engagements include on-site consulting, workshops, tabletop exercises (TTX), capability experimentation and wargaming (in partnership with MAK Technologies), and recurring educational programs (e.g., an SDI unit delivered twice annually at the Australian Institute of Police Management since 2022). Distribution is entirely direct and enterprise-led, with no public pricing, self-service channels, or marketplace presence; brand reach is amplified through Kilcullen's media presence and book authorship rather than paid marketing.

Name

Cordillera Applications Group

Legal name

Cordillera Applications Group, UK Limited (CAG)

Website

https://cordillera-apps.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cordillera Applications Group is a boutique research and analysis firm offering expert-led consulting across urban public safety, geopolitical intelligence, capability experimentation, future warfare, and strategic design and innovation. It serves government agencies, corporations, and NGOs across North America, Europe, and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Security Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Risk, Compliance & Internal Controls Consulting (BPAHACAJ)

Keywords

• Risk management consulting
• Geopolitical intelligence services
• Urban public safety consulting
• Capability experimentation services
• Strategic design innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: The company provides bespoke consulting services across five practice areas: Urban Public Safety, Geopolitical Intelligence, Capability Experimentation, Future Warfare, and Design & Innovation. Services include on-site consulting, workshops, tabletop exercises, audits, training, and advisory engagements. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting contracts with government agencies, intergovernmental bodies, and private sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cordillera Applications Group is a boutique research and analysis firm that delivers professional consulting services across five practice areas: Urban Public Safety, Geopolitical Intelligence, Capability Experimentation, Future Warfare, and Strategic Design & Innovation (SDI). Engagements include audits, workshops, tabletop exercises, wargaming, scenario-based planning, and on-site advisory delivered by world-recognized expert principals.

Product overview

Cordillera Applications Group is a research and analysis firm offering professional consulting services across five core practice areas: Urban Public Safety, Geopolitical Intelligence, Capability Experimentation, Future Warfare, and Strategic Design & Innovation (SDI). The firm provides tailored services including audits, workshops, tabletop exercises, wargaming, and on-site consulting. The company also publishes thought leadership through books and research papers authored by its principals, including works on modern warfare, counterinsurgency, and urban conflict.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Public Safety Practice Futures-based analysis and consulting for public safety operations, including audits, workshops, tabletop exercises, Common Operating Picture development, and on-site consulting for emergency management, city safety, and large-scale event planning. For city governments, public safety agencies, and emergency services.
• Geopolitical Intelligence Expert analysis and worldwide intelligence services drawing on local networks and academic, technical, and political sources to deliver real-time information. For governments, corporate organizations, and NGOs operating in complex or high-risk environments.
• Capability Experimentation Commercial and military capability development program with support from experimentation and wargaming services, including modelling and simulation engagements. For commercial and military clients seeking capability development support.
• Future Warfare Deep expertise in predictive modelling, capability experimentation, and technology analysis for future warfare, with a focus on commodities, companies, and technologies. For military and defense clients assessing emerging warfare trends.
• Strategic Design & Innovation (SDI) Strategic design and innovation services for complex security contexts, including immersive design inquiries (e.g., for NYPD Counterterrorism and Swedish Police Authority NOA) and design education programs (e.g., twice-annually at the Australian Institute of Police Management since 2022). For law enforcement, military, and security organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 jurisdictions coordinated through a regional Common Operating Picture, with a Regional Coordination Base Plan now used for training, exercises, and real-time emergency operations in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mycelium Design GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCordillera announced a strategic partnership with Mycelium Design Group to elevate and expand the impact of its Strategic Design & Innovation (SDI) practice. The partnership is designed to enhance Cordillera's design capabilities and broaden the reach of its SDI programs for complex security contexts.
• MAK (MAK Technologies)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCordillera has a years-long close collaboration with MAK on successful wargaming and modelling and simulation engagements. Gordon Pendleton, Managing Director, authored an article reflecting on this collaboration in the context of meeting modelling and simulation demand for wargaming.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Crisis24 (GardaWorld): Global risk management and security services firm (part of GardaWorld) offering intelligence, crisis response, and security consulting. Comparable in target market (multinational corporates and governments) and in geopolitical risk/security advisory services.
• Leidos: Large US defense and intelligence contractor providing analytic, training, and technology services to government clients. Comparable to Cordillera in the defense, security, and government advisory space, though at substantially larger scale and with deeper technology footprint.
• Pinkerton: Long-established corporate security and risk management firm offering consulting, intelligence, and protective services. Overlaps with Cordillera's public safety, geopolitical intelligence, and corporate risk advisory offerings for a similar enterprise buyer.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Major US defense and government consulting firm with deep work in national security, law enforcement, and capability development. Overlaps with Cordillera's Capability Experimentation, Future Warfare, and government law enforcement practices, but at vastly larger scale and contract size.
• Kroll: Global risk and financial advisory firm with significant security services, intelligence, and geopolitical risk practices. Operates at much larger scale than Cordillera but offers directly overlapping services to similar enterprise clients.

Direct peers

• Eurasia Group: Geopolitical risk advisory firm providing political risk analysis, forecasting, and consulting to corporations and investors. Closely comparable to Cordillera's Geopolitical Intelligence and Future Warfare practices in terms of customer profile and analytic offering.
• S-RM: Intelligence and cybersecurity consultancy serving corporate and government clients with political risk, integrity, and cyber intelligence. Comparable to Cordillera in boutique scale, expert-led engagement model, and overlap in geopolitical intelligence and security advisory.
• Control Risks: Global private risk and security consultancy offering political risk, integrity risk, and security consulting to governments and corporates. Directly comparable in service mix (geopolitical intelligence, security advisory) and target buyer (government, corporate, NGO) to Cordillera.
• The Soufan Group: Intelligence and security consultancy founded by a former FBI special agent, providing strategic advisory on counterterrorism, geopolitical risk, and security to governments and corporates. Comparable to Cordillera in founder-led, expert-driven model and in the counterterrorism/geopolitics intersection.

Emerging players

• Dragonfly Intelligence (Accenture Federal Services): Geopolitical and security intelligence firm (now part of Accenture Federal Services) providing political risk and intelligence to corporate and government clients. Comparable niche to Cordillera's Geopolitical Intelligence practice, with the backing of a global consulting platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cordillera_apps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cordillera-applications-group-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Cordillera Applications Group