What XCEPT does

XCEPT (Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends) is a non-profit research programme established in 2018 and funded by UK International Development from the UK Government. It investigates how conflicts connect across borders, how they affect borderlands, and the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour, with geographic focus on three regions: the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia and Southeast Asia. The programme is implemented by Chemonics International as lead partner within a consortium that includes The Asia Foundation, Chatham House, King's College London, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, Rift Valley Institute, Conciliation Resources, and Satellite Applications Catapult. Delivery is anchored by the X-Border Local Research Network, which develops local research capacity in conflict-affected borderlands.

XCEPT's core products are research outputs rather than commercial technology: a searchable Publications Library of 542+ working papers, briefing papers, research reports, journal articles, and multimedia; a Projects Database documenting 49 active research projects; an Events Platform for conferences, workshops, and webinars; and four thematic research consortia covering the X-Border Local Research Network, Violent and Peaceful Behaviour, Conflict and Climate, and Transnational Conflict Connectors and Ecosystems, plus a fifth on Stability and Governance in Borderlands. Underlying technology is a web-based content management and publication distribution system. There is no public API, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI/ML capability.

The business model is single-donor grant funding from UK International Development, classified as managed services revenue. All publications and resources are distributed free of charge; there are no paying customers, no pricing tiers, and no revenue diversification. Target audiences — government policymakers, international development organizations, and academic researchers — are dissemination recipients rather than commercial buyers. Distribution relies on the website, a newsletter, a podcast series, social media (Twitter/X, LinkedIn), and events. The core team numbers approximately 10 employees.

Name

XCEPT

Legal name

Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT)

Website

https://xcept-research.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

XCEPT (Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends) is a UK International Development–funded research programme, implemented by Chemonics International and a consortium of policy and academic partners, that produces and disseminates free evidence on cross-border conflict across the Horn of Africa, MENA, and South/Southeast Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conflict Research / Policy Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Warning, Conflict Analysis & Prevention Programs (BPADAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Counterterrorism & Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) Cooperation (BPADAFAG), Security Sector Reform (SSR) & Defense Institution Building (BPADAFAE), Due Diligence & Investigative Research (BPAHALAI)

Keywords

• Conflict research programme
• Peacebuilding policy research
• Borderland conflict studies
• Cross-border evidence
• International development research

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Programme Funding: XCEPT is primarily funded through a grant from UK International Development (UK Government). The programme delivers actionable research to inform policies and programmes that support peace in conflict-affected borderlands.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

XCEPT is a research and knowledge-sharing programme that aggregates and disseminates evidence on cross-border conflict and borderland dynamics through a publications library of 542+ research items (working papers, briefing papers, research reports, journal articles), a projects database covering 49 active research initiatives, and an events platform. The programme is organised into four thematic research consortia — X-Border Local Research Network, Violent and Peaceful Behaviour, Conflict and Climate, and Transnational Conflict Connectors and Ecosystems — plus a Stability and Governance in Borderlands consortium, all grouped under 13 thematic areas and three regional research hubs.

Product overview

XCEPT (Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends) is a research programme platform offering a unified ecosystem of research dissemination tools and thematic research consortia. The core offering consists of a Publications Library (542+ research items), Projects Database (49+ projects), and Events Platform, supported by four specialized research consortia: X-Border Local Research Network, Violent and Peaceful Behaviour Consortium, Conflict and Climate Consortium, and Transnational Conflict Connectors and Ecosystems Consortium. Content is organized by 13 thematic areas (Borderlands, Conflict Dynamics, Conflict Response, Transnational Flows, Violent and Peaceful Behaviour, Climate Change, Conflict Economies, Gender, Governance, Migration, Organised Crime, Violent Extremism) and three geographic regions. The platform is funded by UK International Development and operated in partnership with leading international research organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Publications Library A searchable, freely accessible database of over 542 research publications — including working papers, briefing papers, research reports, journal articles, books, photo essays, newsletters and videos — covering cross-border conflict research for policymakers, practitioners and academic researchers.
• Projects Database A repository of 49 documented research projects organised by region and theme, examining conflict dynamics across borderlands worldwide, for use by policymakers, development practitioners and academic researchers.
• Events Platform A programme of conferences, webinars, panel discussions, workshops and virtual discussions on cross-border conflict research, including the XCEPT Conference 2025 'Beyond borders: conflict responses in a changing world'.
• X-Border Local Research Network A research consortium focused on developing local research skills to investigate the causes and implications of conflict in border areas, and to generate locally-grounded evidence from conflict-affected borderlands.
• Violent and Peaceful Behaviour Consortium A research consortium examining the behavioural factors that drive violence and enable peace, with implications for recovery and conflict prevention.
• Conflict and Climate Consortium A research consortium focused on the intersection of climate change, conflict and peace.
• Transnational Conflict Connectors and Ecosystems Consortium A research consortium investigating how people, weapons, materiel, ideas and other elements connect across borders in complex ecosystems.
• Stability and Governance in Borderlands Consortium A research consortium examining how power is negotiated and exercised in peripheral (borderland) spaces.
• Research Fund A research-funding mechanism that supports independent researchers producing evidence on cross-border conflict and borderlands, delivered through competitive grants.
• Podcast Series An audio series produced under the XCEPT programme discussing conflict research topics — including warfare in the age of drones, captagon geopolitics, and victim-centred peacemaking — aimed at policymakers, practitioners and the wider public.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Chemonics InternationalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerChemonics International is one of the world's leading partners in international development. As the world's largest government-funded development practitioner, Chemonics has a unique understanding of what works on programmes across fragile and conflict-affected states. Chemonics serves as the implementing partner for the XCEPT programme.
• The Asia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Asia Foundation is a non-profit international development organisation committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Contributes expertise on Asian borderland regions and hosts the X-Border Local Research Network.
• Chatham HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChatham House is a world-leading policy institute with a mission to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world. Partners on research initiatives and hosts joint events and webinars.
• King's College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKing's College London is a public research university and a member institution of the federal University of London. Research is core to King's mission, contributing academic expertise to the XCEPT research programme.
• Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center is an independent research institute based in Beirut, Lebanon, that is part of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Contributes Middle East expertise to the programme.
• Rift Valley InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rift Valley Institute is an independent, non-profit organisation founded in Sudan in 2001, with researchers working across eastern and central Africa. Provides Horn of Africa and Sahel regional expertise.
• Conciliation ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConciliation Resources is an independent international organisation working with people involved in conflict to prevent violence and build peace, providing advice, support and practical resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chatham House: World-leading international affairs policy institute based in London. Comparable as a broader policy research platform; XCEPT is in fact delivered in partnership with Chatham House, so this functions as both partner and adjacent peer.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Major international affairs think tank with global research centres. Comparable as a broader foreign policy and conflict research platform; the Carnegie Middle East Center is an XCEPT consortium partner.

Emerging players

• Global Centre on Cooperative Security: International non-profit focused on preventing terrorism and violent extremism through policy research and capacity-building. Comparable niche as a smaller, specialised counter-extremism and conflict-prevention research organisation.

Direct peers

• Institute for Security Studies (ISS): African organisation that enhances human security by advising on policy and practice across the continent. Comparable as a regional conflict/security research programme producing open-access analysis for policymakers.
• International Crisis Group: Independent organisation working to prevent wars and shape policy through field-based research and policy analysis on conflict-affected countries. Directly comparable in mission, funding model, and policy audience.
• United States Institute of Peace (USIP): US federally-funded institute dedicated to preventing, mitigating, and resolving violent conflict internationally. Closely comparable as a sovereign-funded conflict research and peacebuilding programme.
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI): Independent international institute dedicated to research on peace, armed conflict, and disarmament. Directly comparable as a publicly-funded, non-profit conflict research programme producing open-access policy outputs.
• International Peace Institute (IPI): Independent think tank producing policy research and convening stakeholders on peace and security issues. Comparable in operating model (non-profit, policy-focused, donor-funded) and target audience.
• Saferworld: Independent international organisation working to prevent violent conflict and build more peaceful, just societies. Comparable as a UK-headquartered, donor-funded conflict-prevention research and advocacy organisation.
• Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO): Norwegian peace and conflict research institute producing academic and policy research on armed conflict, peacebuilding, and transnational flows. Directly comparable as a research-driven, publicly funded conflict research programme.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/xcept_research
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xcept-research

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 XCEPT