What Hidden Links (pty) Ltd does

Hidden Links (pty) Ltd is a Johannesburg-headquartered, South African authorized reseller and consulting firm that distributes intelligence analysis and open-source intelligence (OSINT) software across Africa. Founded in 2006 by Heather Merrington and acquired in 2024 by Muvhango Netshitangani, the company operates as the sole approved reseller for two global vendors: i2 Group (Analyst's Notebook, iBase, TextChart, Analysis Studio, Analysis Hub) and Shadow Dragon (Horizon Investigate, Horizon Monitor, SocialNet). It serves governments, law enforcement, national security agencies, and enterprise clients across 15 industries including financial services, mining, healthcare and insurance, telecommunications, and legal services. The company is 100% black-owned and holds Level One BBBEE contributor status, a structural advantage for South African public-sector procurement.

The technical portfolio is built entirely on third-party partner platforms. i2 Analyst's Notebook provides multidimensional visual link analysis across multi-source data; i2 iBase offers collaborative intelligence data capture in secure workgroup environments; i2 TextChart applies natural language processing to extract over 30 entity types (people, vehicles, identification numbers, dates, organizations, crimes, locations) and sentiment from multilingual unstructured content. Shadow Dragon's suite adds browser-based link analysis (Horizon Investigate), real-time OSINT monitoring with an archive dating to 2011 (Horizon Monitor), and automated social network investigation (SocialNet) aggregating more than 298 data sources. Hidden Links does not own or develop the underlying technology but layers configuration, customization, training, and analysis services on top.

Revenue is generated across six streams: software licensing (subscription/recurring), training courses (i2 product courses plus Analytical Techniques and Telecommunications Analysis), consulting and implementation services, first-line support (recurring), specialized analysis services (fraud, AML, anomaly detection), and software implementation. Pricing is quote-based with annual billing cadence and is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting government and large private sector buyers across Africa, augmented by a website with contact forms, Microsoft Forms for event registration, a Freshdesk support portal, and direct email and phone engagement. The company has 1-10 employees, no disclosed institutional funding, and no public revenue figures.

Name

Hidden Links (pty) Ltd

Legal name

Hidden Links

Website

https://hiddenlinks.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hidden Links is a South Africa-based authorized reseller and consulting firm that distributes i2 Group and Shadow Dragon intelligence analysis and OSINT software exclusively across Africa, serving governments, law enforcement, and enterprises in 15 verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investigation & Intelligence Analysis Services

NAICS

Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services (56161), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Undercover Operations & Integrity Shopping (Internal Theft Testing) (BPAKAJAI)

Keywords

• Intelligence analysis software
• OSINT investigation tools
• Link analysis platforms
• Crime investigation services
• Data analytics consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing Sales: Resale of i2 Group and Shadow Dragon software solutions as authorized reseller, providing software licensing solutions tailored to business needs.
2. Training Services: Online and classroom training courses covering i2 software products and analytical techniques, providing practical expertise for users working with complex software environments.
3. Consulting Services: Seasoned consultants providing deployment, configuration, and customization of i2 software to meet unique organizational requirements, ensuring seamless integration.
4. Support Services: First-line support provision for all i2 and Shadow Dragon products as the only approved reseller in the region, with dedicated support portal access.
5. Analysis Services: Intelligence analysis services including fraud prevention, detection and monitoring, anomaly detection, telephone call analysis, bank statement analysis, and social media investigative analysis.
6. Software Implementation: Technology solutions implementation for crime detection and investigation, leveraging over 30 years of experience in designing and implementing technology solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hidden Links is an authorized reseller and training partner that delivers intelligence analysis software, OSINT investigation platforms, consulting, training, implementation, and first-line support across Africa. The company distributes i2 Group and Shadow Dragon products to governments, law enforcement, national security, and private sector clients, complemented by professional services including analysis, deployment, and certified training courses.

Product overview

Hidden Links provides an integrated portfolio of intelligence analysis and investigation solutions centered around two brand partnerships: i2 Group (Analyst's Notebook, iBase, TextChart, Analysis Studio/Hub) and Shadow Dragon (Horizon Investigate, Horizon Monitor, SocialNet). The i2 suite delivers visual link analysis, collaborative data management, and natural language processing of unstructured content. The Shadow Dragon suite provides open-source intelligence monitoring, social network analysis, and link investigation tools. The company operates as a 100% black-owned Level 1 BBBEE authorized reseller and training partner, offering implementation, consulting, and support services alongside self-paced and instructor-led training courses for both software tools and analytical techniques.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• i2 Analyst's Notebook Industry's most-used multidimensional visual analysis software equipping analysts to quickly uncover hidden connections and patterns in data; sold via Hidden Links to enterprise and government clients across Africa.
• i2 iBase Intelligence software enabling collaborative teams of analysts to capture, control, and analyze multi-source data in security-rich workgroup environments.
• i2 Analysis Studio and Analysis Hub Software packages designed to make it easy to select i2 products to meet investigation needs.
• i2 TextChart Automatically identifies the who, what, when, where, and sentiment in unstructured content across multiple languages, extracting over 30 entity types and transforming data into structured analysis-ready format.
• Horizon Investigate Browser-based link analysis platform purpose-built for fast-paced investigations, enabling exploration of data or access to global OSINT collection infrastructure from any device with an internet connection.
• Horizon Monitor Open-source intelligence monitoring and alerting platform that empowers users to customize monitoring scope and receive real-time alerts for relevant keywords, with historical archive dating back to 2011.
• SocialNet Platform that automates searches across social networks and online activities using email addresses, aliases, and names, visualizing results to uncover detailed connections and hidden correlations in investigations.
• i2 Analyst's Notebook Course Training course focused on developing charts from intelligence reports, statements, telephone billing, and other records using i2 Analyst's Notebook.
• i2 iBase Designer Course Course covering design and creation of various databases for storing and analysing information using i2 iBase.
• i2 iBase User Course Comprehensive training on using i2 iBase in conjunction with the i2 Analyst's Notebook.
• i2 TextChart Course Training on identifying entities, sentiment, and relationships in unstructured multilingual content using i2 TextChart.
• Analytical Techniques Course Interactive course designed to equip investigators and analysts with skills needed to conduct data analysis using lecture, hands-on work, and exercises.
• Telecommunications Analysis Course Comprehensive overview of data analysis focusing on communications data from acquisition through aiding investigations and enhancing operational decision making.
• Software License Sales Software licensing solutions providing purchase and management of licenses for major software vendors, ensuring compliance, value, and scalability for customers across Africa.
• Consulting Services Seasoned consultants providing deployment, configuration, and tailoring of i2 software to meet unique organizational requirements and ensure seamless integration.
• Software Implementation Technology solution implementation service with over 30 years of experience designing and implementing solutions for crime detection and investigation.
• First-Line Support First-line support for all i2 and Shadow Dragon products, delivered by Hidden Links as the only approved reseller in the region, with dedicated support portal access.
• Analysis Services Collecting, evaluating, and analyzing information to produce intelligence products supporting informed decision-making, including fraud prevention and detection, anomaly detection, telephone call analysis, bank statement analysis, and social media investigative analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Collect and collate large amounts of data within minutes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• i2 GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHidden Links is an authorized training partner and authorized reseller of Harris / i2 Group software solutions. With experience utilizing i2 products since 1998 and over 20 years of serving industries in South Africa with sophisticated analytics and intelligence analysis solutions, Hidden Links offers client-focused implementations of i2 Analyst's Notebook, iBase, Analysis Studio, Analysis Hub, and TextChart products.
• Shadow DragoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHidden Links was recently appointed as a reseller of Shadow Dragon technologies for large data entity extraction and social media analysis. Shadow Dragon provides an All-In-One open source intelligence platform allowing access to more than 298 data sources. Products include Horizon Investigate (link analysis), Horizon Monitor (monitoring and alerting), and SocialNet (social media analysis).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Exterro: Exterro offers digital forensics, e-discovery, and legal GRC software used by corporations and government for investigations and compliance. Comparable in supporting investigative analysis and evidence management workflows.
• Magnet Forensics: Magnet Forensics (now part of Grayshift) provides digital investigation software used by law enforcement and enterprises to recover and analyze digital evidence. Overlaps with Hidden Links' intelligence analysis and forensics work via i2 partnership.
• Nuix: Nuix is a global data analytics and investigation software company serving law enforcement, regulators, and enterprises with similar investigation and intelligence capabilities. Comparable in fraud detection and investigative analytics.
• Cellebrite: Cellebrite is a global leader in mobile forensics and digital intelligence, serving law enforcement and enterprise with similar investigation support tools. Comparable in providing specialized investigative technology to government and law enforcement agencies.
• Relativity (RELX): Relativity provides e-discovery and investigation software used by legal teams corporations, and government agencies. Overlaps with Hidden Links' investigation, fraud detection, and analysis services for legal and compliance use cases.
• Palantir Technologies: Palantir provides large-scale data analytics and intelligence platforms for government, law enforcement, and enterprises. Overlaps with the OSINT, link analysis, and intelligence use cases that Hidden Links supports via i2 and Shadow Dragon.

Emerging players

• Berla (iVe): Berla provides vehicle and IoT forensics software used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Comparable as a niche investigation technology provider in the digital forensics space where Hidden Links operates.
• Babel Street: Babel Street is an OSINT and data analytics platform provider focused on publicly available information for national security, law enforcement, and enterprise use. Directly comparable to Shadow Dragon's OSINT capabilities that Hidden Links resells.
• Cobwebs Technologies: Cobwebs Technologies provides web intelligence and OSINT platforms for law enforcement, national security, and financial crime investigation. Comparable to the Shadow Dragon Horizon platform that Hidden Links resells in Africa.

Direct peers

• Cyanre: Cyanre is a South African digital forensics and cyber investigations firm offering similar intelligence analysis, forensic consulting, and training services to law enforcement, corporate, and legal clients across Africa. Closest geographic and functional peer to Hidden Links.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hidden-links-pty-ltd

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 Hidden Links (pty) Ltd